Sunshine State is a gold mine at the Paris Olympics

The Sunshine State has dominated at the Paris Games with 12 golds, nine silvers and eight bronze meaning it would be tied at equal fifth if we were our own country.

How Queensland rates against the rest of the world when it comes to gold medals at the Paris Olympics.

With the Australian team reeling in a record-breaking number of gold medals, Queensland continues to shine through as the top gold collector in the country.

Queensland’s Olympians have brought in a total of twelve medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The Sunshine State has even dominated in silver and bronze medals, bringing home nine and eight respectively, and it were a country, Queensland would be tied with Great Britain at fifth place.

It is clear Queensland has been triumphant across a spate of sports, but our maroon swimmers have been the most successful in Paris, earning seven gold medals across the individual and relay races.

Gold Coaster Arisa Trew competes in the women's park skateboarding final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris en route to gold. Picture: Franck Fife

Pool legends Mollie O’Callaghan, Ariane Titmus, Kaylee McKeown, and Cameron McEvoy were the swimming superstars that made Queensland proud over the last week.

Titmus and O’Callaghan have both been taught by the eccentric swimming coach, Dean Boxall.

The Brisbane-based coach, who previously coached swimming legends Stephanie Rice and Leisel Jones, watched Titmus and O’Callaghan fly across the pool for gold in the 400m and 200m races respectively.

Kaylee McKeown also stole the show in the 100m and 200m backstroke taking her gold medal collection to five. McKeown has officially become one of the most decorated Australian Olympic athletes with 14 medals dating back to her first appearance in Rio de Janeiro.

Gold Coast’s Saya Sakakibara became the first BMX racer to win gold for Australia. The 24-year-old paid tribute to her brother Kai, who suffered a life-changing brain injury after a crash in a World Cup race in Bathurst in 2020.

Gold medallist Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan silver medallist Australia's Ariarne Titmus and bronze medallist Hong Kong's Haughey Siobhan Bernadette pose with their medals on the podium of the women's 200m freestyle swimming event. Picture: Jonathan Nackstrand

The Gold Coast has even bested entire countries including Canada, Ireland and New Zealand when it comes to winning gold medals at the Paris Olympics.

Keegan Palmer became the latest Glitter Strip-based or raised Aussie athlete to claim gold in Paris when he defended his Tokyo Olympic park skateboarding championship overnight on Wednesday.

It followed 14-year-old Gold Coast skate sensation Arisa Trew becoming Australia’s youngest-ever Olympic gold medallist on Wednesday.

Coast athletes have now won eight gold, four silver and four bronze medals in Paris.

If the Coast were a country, that would put it level with Germany and above Canada (six gold), Ireland (four) and New Zealand (three) on the official medal table which is ranked according to gold medals won.

Tom Tate with a young Keegan Palmer in 2015. Picture: Tom Tate

As well as Palmer and Trew, the Coast’s medallists have included swimmers Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown, Cam McEvoy, Lani Pallister, Elijah Winnington and Flynn Southam and BMX riders Saya Sakakibara and Natalya Diehm.

US-born Palmer was raised and trained on the southern Gold Coast, where Trew also lives, before moving back to his native San Diego in recent years.

But speaking to Channel 9 in Paris, Palmer said the Gold Coast was where he learned to “walk, talk, surf (and) skate” and there was never any doubt he’d represent Australia rather than America.

“I feel like I owe it to Australia and the Gold Coast where I learnt how to skate. It just felt right for me, for sure.

“I’m beyond stoked to be able to bring it home for the green and gold.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, who has been in Paris watching the Games and meeting with officials ahead of the 2032 Queensland Olympics, was quick to claim Palmer as one of the Coast’s own.

Cr Tate posted a pic on his official mayoral Facebook of him meeting a young Palmer in 2015.

“Keegan and Arisa putting the gold into Gold Coast,” he wrote.

“I met (a slightly smaller) Keegan back in 2015. We celebrated his Tokyo Olympic win in 2021, and now to see him triumph in Paris alongside Arisa is just incredible. Keegan put it well – he and Arisa are the “king and queen” of skateboarding park right now.

“The Gold Coast is producing true champions. Proud is an understatement!”

Sport Minister Michael Healy said almost a third of the Australian team, and most of the Queenslanders competing, are either actively engaged with the Queensland Academy of Sport or are QAS Graduates.

“We celebrate not only our Gold medallists but all the athletes, coaches and staff on the Australian team at our nation’s greatest ever Olympics,” Mr Healy said.

Australian Ariane Titmus with her gold medal after the 400 metre final. Picture: Michael Klein

“Athletes supported by the QAS have shone in our record medal haul.

“While the exceptional talent of Queensland athletes is second to none, they have been supported by the QAS with the best coaches, physios and performance scientists along with world-class facilities and performance equipment.

“While the eyes are still on Paris, our vision of “inspiring extraordinary sporting success” and the QAS mission to “deliver more medals across more sports” for Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympics is on track.”

Wednesday’s haul brings the gold medal tally to eighteen, the most Australia has won in history.

With three days of competition to go, Australia’s sparkling team continues to climb the Olympic medal tally board, now sitting comfortably at third, with France crawling behind with thirteen gold medals.