USA vs China in close fight for Olympic dominance: Who will top the medal tally at the Paris Olympics 2024? 

Paris Olympics 2024 has entered its final stages and the race for the top spot in the medals tally is heating up. Team USA and the Republic of China currently hold the top two spots, with the latter leading the table with 37 gold medals.

While China has a higher number of gold medals at the moment, the USA isn't far behind. They have 33 golds at the event so far, with plenty of medal opportunities left in the competition.

Team USA has the chance of winning gold in 14 events ahead of the competition on August 10. While the gold medal isn't possible in every event, the Americans have a good chance in seven competitions. China, on the other hand, has only two gold medal-winning opportunities left, meaning they won't be winning more than 39 medals.

To top the medal tally, the USA will need to win at least six more gold medals from their 14 available opportunities. Three of the six medals are likely to come in unless there are big upsets in the men's and women's 4x400m relay and men's basketball.

More gold medals for Team USA can come from women's 100m hurdles, Breaking B-Boys, Women's Basketball, Women's Soccer, and Women's Freestyle Wrestling (76 kg). Some other events where gold medals are possible include men's 800m, women's 1500m, and women's volleyball.

If the USA does win the six gold medals at the Paris Olympics, it could tie with China for 39 gold medals. If they win two more but will take the first spot on the table for having a higher number of overall medals. They have amassed 113 medals as of August 9, while China have 87.

Has the USA won the highest number of gold medals in Olympic Games history?

Team USA had more than 1,000 gold medals ahead of the Paris Olympics (IMAGE: Getty)

Team USA has won the highest number of Olympic gold medals in the history of the Summer Olympics. Before the start of the Paris Olympics 2024, the nation held 1070 gold medals while the next best was the Soviet Union with 395 medals.

The USA also leads the charts in the overall medals tally with 2959 medals. The Soviet Union is the second again with 1204 medals while Germany and Great Britain are third and fourth respectively.

A majority of Team USA's medals have come from track and field, both at the Paris Olympics 2024 and in the Games across the last century. Track and field contributes a staggering 827 medals while swimming has secured 578 medals for the nation.