The Olympics are over and the medal-count brought no big surprises. The more populated a country is, the more athletes it has to choose from, so its chances are higher; while the richer it is, the better the facilities, the opportunities and the health factors are. Finally, competitors from the host country always have the home advantage: acquaintance with climate, altitude and venue, not having to cope with the added stress and fatigue of travel, having most of the audience on their side and so on. The UK won 18 more medals than it did at the 2008 Olympics at Beijing; China won 37 more than it did at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and the picture is generally the same for the other host nations.
Here are the top ten winning countries with their population and GDP figures:
Having said this, however, none of it would explain why Hungary, with less than a third of the population of Canada's 34,887,000 and less than half its GDP of $40,541 should have ranked 9th compared to Canada's position at 36. And besides, at the end of the day, it is individuals who win, thanks to their skill, determination and strength; and yes the support of their country and perhaps a little bit of luck. Being too analytical is bad sportsmanship. Games are meant to be enjoyed and these certainly were, which is a credit and an honour to all who were involved.
The only sad note, apart from the few who tried to bend or break the rules, is that 14 Olympic participants or delegates have gone missing: four from the Democratic Republic of Congo, seven from Cameroon and three from Cote D'Ivoire. This is a reminder that behind the fanfare, we live in a very disparate world. Choosing to defect is not a decision people take lightly. These are no Nureyevs who will be welcomed with open arms. They may be in hiding for a long time to come and end up sent home "in disgrace" at the end of their ordeals anyway.
May the force be with them!
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