The U.S. medal count: Yep, we’re screwed

August 18th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanE

Believe it or not, there are people out there, in the world, that will consider it extremely important that the U.S. win the overall and gold medal counts at this year’s Olympics. These people can be cross-referenced into three categories: 1. Bush voters. 2. Jay Leno fans. 3. People from Wisconsin.

Despite it being very, very unimportant except for nebulous things like “national pride” and “ability to tell everyone else in the world to suck it”, the medal counts really don’t mean that much. Not at all, actually. China’s ability to avoid regulation while utilizing its incredibly huge, incredibly cheap workforce to overtake the U.S. as the world’s leading economic power … that’s something to be concerned about.

Still, the Postmen are nothing if not in service to our reader or two, so how does the U.S. stand in the medal count? Can we win? Fortunately, the Chicago Tribune wrote about this this morning! What a coincidence! I’m going to blockquote it now!

An everything-goes-right view of the second week has the United States winning 31 gold medals for a total of 48, a whopping 12 more than the U.S. performance in Athens. China won 32 golds at those Games. Expect China to add to its total with three more golds in table tennis, three in diving and one or more in boxing and gymnastics, with others possible in canoe-kayak and track and field.

When it’s all done, and if everything goes the U.S.’s way, that leaves the projected total at:

• U.S. 48.
• China 45.

That’s assuming the U.S. wins absolutely every medal it’s “supposed” to win, and a bunch it’s not. So you’re telling me there’s a chance.