Saturday 4 August 2012

The Real Medal Table

The Olympic Medal Table is unfair, many would say. Britain and Northern Ireland currently lay third - a creditable score but we are a tiny country compared to China and the US.

And they have a point. So in order to restore us to our proper place in the world, I have factored in the population of each country. And so now if we look at the number of People per Gold Medal in the different countries that have won a gold medal, we find a very different view of the world.

RankCountryGoldSilverBronzeTotalPopulationPeople / Gold M
1New Zealand304
7
4,028,0001,342,667
2Slovenia102
3
1,967,0001,967,000
3Kazakhstan500
5
14,825,0002,965,000
4Lithuania100
1
3,431,0003,431,000
5United Kingdom1478
29
59,668,0004,262,000
6Georgia100
1
4,474,0004,474,000
7Croatia110
2
4,551,0004,551,000
8Hungary212
5
10,098,0005,049,000
9Denmark122
5
5,431,0005,431,000
10Netherlands314
8
16,299,0005,433,000
11South Korea935
17
50,000,0005,555,556
12North Korea401
5
22,488,0005,622,000
13Cuba221
5
11,269,0005,634,500
14Switzerland100
1
7,252,0007,252,000
15France868
22
65,446,0008,180,750
16Belarus123
6
9,755,0009,755,000
17Czech Republic121
4
10,220,00010,220,000
18United States261215
53
298,213,00011,469,731
19Italy553
13
58,093,00011,618,600
20South Africa310
4
48,432,00016,144,000
21Germany5106
21
82,689,00016,537,800
22Poland211
4
38,530,00019,265,000
23Australia1127
20
20,155,00020,155,000
24Romania142
7
21,711,00021,711,000
25Ukraine205
7
46,481,00023,240,500
26Venezuela100
1
26,749,00026,749,000
27Canada136
10
32,268,00032,268,000
28Russia31510
28
143,202,00047,734,000
29China251612
53
1,307,593,00052,303,720
30Japan21012
24
128,085,00064,042,500
31Ethiopia101
2
77,431,00077,431,000
32Brazil114
6
186,405,000186,405,000




Yes, that is right. New Zealand is the best athletic country in the world.  And Britain has slipped to fifth. Although, on the bright side, way ahead of China.

But, I hear you all cry - that is only golds. Surely a better measure is the number of people for each medal - regardless of colour? This will truly show us the spread of athletic endeavour.

Well, fear not. I have done this also.
RankCountryGoldSilverBronzeTotalPopulationPeople / Medal
1New Zealand304
7
4,028,000575,429
2Slovenia102
3
1,967,000655,667
3Qatar001
1
813,000813,000
4Australia1127
20
20,155,0001,007,750
5Denmark122
5
5,431,0001,086,200
6Mongolia011
2
2,646,0001,323,000
7Slovakia013
4
5,401,0001,350,250
8Belarus123
6
9,755,0001,625,833
9Hungary212
5
10,098,0002,019,600
10Netherlands314
8
16,299,0002,037,375
11United Kingdom1478
29
59,668,0002,057,517
12Moldova002
2
4,206,0002,103,000
13Cuba221
5
11,269,0002,253,800
14Croatia110
2
4,551,0002,275,500
15Norway011
2
4,620,0002,310,000
16Czech Republic121
4
10,220,0002,555,000
17South Korea935
17
50,000,0002,941,176
18Kazakhstan500
5
14,825,0002,965,000
19France868
22
65,446,0002,974,818
20Sweden030
3
9,041,0003,013,667
21Romania142
7
21,711,0003,101,571
22Canada136
10
32,268,0003,226,800
23Lithuania100
1
3,431,0003,431,000
24Germany5106
21
82,689,0003,937,571
25Singapore001
1
4,326,0004,326,000
26Italy553
13
58,093,0004,468,692
27Georgia100
1
4,474,0004,474,000
28North Korea401
5
22,488,0004,497,600
29Serbia011
2
9,778,9914,889,496
30Russia31510
28
143,202,0005,114,357
31Belgium011
2
10,419,0005,209,500
32Japan21012
24
128,085,0005,336,875
33Greece002
2
11,120,0005,560,000
34United States261215
53
298,213,0005,626,660
35Ukraine205
7
46,481,0006,640,143
36Hong Kong(China)001
1
7,041,0007,041,000
37Switzerland100
1
7,252,0007,252,000
38Azerbaijan001
1
8,411,0008,411,000
39Poland211
4
38,530,0009,632,500
40Tunisia001
1
10,102,00010,102,000
41South Africa310
4
48,432,00012,108,000
42Guatemala010
1
12,599,00012,599,000
43Spain021
3
43,064,00014,354,667
44Colombia021
3
45,600,00015,200,000
45Kenya011
2
34,256,00017,128,000
46Taiwan010
1
22,894,38422,894,384
47China251612
53
1,307,593,00024,671,566
48Uzbekistan001
1
26,593,00026,593,000
49Venezuela100
1
26,749,00026,749,000
50Mexico031
4
107,029,00026,757,250
51Brazil114
6
186,405,00031,067,500
52Ethiopia101
2
77,431,00038,715,500
53Thailand010
1
64,233,00064,233,000
54Iran001
1
69,515,00069,515,000
55Egypt010
1
74,033,00074,033,000
56Indonesia011
2
222,781,000111,390,500
57India012
3
1,103,371,000367,790,333



No, the New Zealanders really are that good. The UK has now slipped to 11th - behind even the Aussies. Shall we stick to doing things properly?

5 comments :

  1. Canada doesn't seem to be doing all that well no matter how you do the rankings.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I suspect some figure juggling here to predict the outcome that you wanted. Perhaps you are either a secret Kiwi or you hanker after migrating there to be a hobbit.

    Whatever should be the response to such spurious statistics.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Factoring in GDP as well. NZ drops back down, and North Korea does very well out of it. http://simon.forsyth.net/olympicsGDPPC2012.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. To top that would be a differential equation factoring in both GDP per capita (as this reflects the wealth of the nation to spend on training etc.) and the total population of the country (as this is the pool of talent). The we'd be getting somewhere,

    Sometimes you must really wonder who reads this blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes I seriously wonder about who writes it.

      Delete

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