Why China's Gold Count Means Nothing

China may have impressed people with the fact that in just over ten years, they went from having 50 total medals to 51 gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but they didn't impress me. Before you start up and say, "well you're just a dick and you don't understand how hard they worked for these medals," lets look at some facts:

7 Gold Medals came from diving. When I look at swim teams, divers aren't really athletes compared to the rest of the team. Sure they aren't UN-athletic, but they can't match the physicality of swimmers and there aren't that many divers so competition is greatly reduced (there are lots of sports not included in the Olympics far more competitive than diving.) This Sport is also decided by judging and not head to head competition, that and the fact that judging can so easily be compromised make it tough to take seriously.

11 Gold Medals came from Gymnastics. No offense to gymnasts because I think all gymnasts are incredible athletes, but I find it hard to take a sport seriously that is dominated by children and once again it is a judged competition (see above).

8 Gold Medals came from weightlifting. Now I know that weightlifting is serious business, but I guarantee none of these people will be putting in their bids for World Strongest. The heaviest weightlifter from China to win a medal was 180 pounds. 180!!! I also watched one of the weightlifting competitions that China won and there were three competitors TOTAL in the weight class. SO while weightlifting is legit. Most of the weightlifting medals won by China are not.

Thats a total of 26 (over half) medals won by China. Not to mention all the badminton and table tennis medals the won on top of that. Lets look at some sports that are serious shit with competition that cames from places that are outside just their own country.

Swimming - 6 medals only 1 gold

Track & Field - 2 medals both bronze

Wrestling - 3 medals (2 of them womens wrestling including: the 1 gold) 1 gold

Basketball - 0

Soccer - 0

Volleyball - 3 medals with no gold


My point is....I'm not impressed