2024 Paris Olympic Games: US media flip medal tally to make America the winners

Break out the cowbells, heaven forbid Karl Stefanovic was right, those US tossers are at it again inventing their own medal tally to make America look like the winners.

Break out the cowbells, heaven forbid Karl Stefanovic was right, those US tossers are at it again inventing their own medal tally.

Four days into the Paris Olympic Games and in perhaps the biggest shock of all, the mighty Team USA is not leading the medal tally.

That is, if you’re looking at the official tally on the IOC app and website.

That honour belongs to Japan with seven gold medals, followed by China and Australia with six each.

The Americans, they’re running in sixth position.

The American media thinks they are winning. Cute.

But, if you look at US media such as broadcast hosts NBC and The New York Times, you will see the star spangled banner flag sitting in No.1 position.

Why?

Well the US value silver and bronze medals just as highly as gold medals so they like to count overall medals - not the most gold medals.

They are the only country to structure their medal table in such a way - basically to ensure regardless of their wins they will end up as the No.1 team because they have the most athletes at the Olympics and therefore the most depth.

It’s not the first time they’ve relied upon bulk medals to claim bragging rights, famously claiming they won last year’s world swimming titles medal tally over Australia despite the Dolphins winning the most gold medals with 13 to seven.

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That fake news prompted a war of words with Cate Campbell igniting a feud with the Americans over their false claim at the No.1 crown, a bitter battle that extended to this year as Channel Nine host Stefanovic branded US great Michael Phelps a “tosser” for snapping back at Campbell’s humorous take on the situation.

The battle for supremacy in the pool will again go down to the wire in Paris and right now it’s Australia that seems to be converting more opportunities than the yanks.

Kaylee McKeown’s stunning 100m backstroke win over US world record holder Regan Smith meant the Dolphins won their fourth gold medal of the pool while USA have just two victories.

Australia has won eight medals at La Defense Arena, four gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

The Americans have pocketed 15 medals with two gold, seven silver and six bronze medals.

By sheer weight of numbers, nobody will beat the Americans for overall medals.

But in the pool, the Dolphins have the potential to come out as the No.1 nation on the real medal table.

Just don’t expect the Americans to accept defeat graciously.

Relive all the action from day four of the Paris Olympic Games with our blog below