Dirty little secret behind Australia’s record gold medal tally at Paris Olympics

Australia’s 2024 Olympic team has been branded our “most successful ever” after a record haul of 18 gold medals, but it’s not quite as simple as that.

With one perfectly-executed Nina Kennedy pole vault Australia grabbed its 18th gold medal in Paris and GOAT status when it comes to Aussie Olympic teams.

“The most successful team of all time,” declared Bruce McAvaney.

Hmm, maybe not so fast.

There’s an interesting discussion to be had after Kennedy, sailor Matt Wearn, skateboarder Keegan Palmer and our men’s pursuit team saluted on a historic day to lift us to unprecedented heights on the medal tally.

Leading Aussie sports journalist Daniel Cherny has gently exposed the secret behind those 18 gold medals by making a thoughtful comparison.

Australia's gold medal tally in Paris has been boosted by new sports. Pictures: NCA, Getty, AFP

“This is not meant to detract from those that have won gold for Australia, and 18 (with the potential for more) is an enormous effort however you slice and dice,” he tweeted.

“But just in terms of historical comparisons, there are 329 gold on offer this time, compared to 151 in 1956 when Australia won 13, or even 2004 (17 of 301).”

This is not meant to detract from those that have won gold for Australia, and 18 (with the potential for more) is an enormous effort however you slice and dice.

But just in terms of historical comparisons, there are 329 golds on offer this time, compared to 151 in 1956 when…

— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) August 8, 2024

Suddenly our heroics are being considered in a new light as the number-crunchers break down our performance in Paris in a way the big splashy digits on the medal tally can’t quite capture. So where does the truth lie?

Is this really our greatest ever team?

The other contenders in the mix are the teams that had previously shared the record for most gold medals - Athens 2004 and Tokyo 2020 - and those that shone on home soil in Melbourne and Sydney.

If we go by Cherny’s initial approach and consider how many we grabbed from the gold on offer, the 1956 and 2000 teams are head and shoulders clear of the rest.

Melbourne - 13 gold medals from 151 events

Sydney - 16 gold medals from 186 events

Athens - 17 gold medals from 301 events

Tokyo - 17 gold medals from 340 events

Paris - 18 gold medals from 329 events

Of course, that breakdown doesn’t consider the number of athletes we had competing.

Entering more competitors doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, but the numbers show we’ve often converted best when we had the biggest teams.

Australian athletics legend Betty Cuthbert wins the 100m sprint in a field that looks jarringly different to what we see in the event today.

In Melbourne we provided almost nine per cent of the field and Sydney also saw a far higher percentage of green and gold representation than we’ve seen since.

Melbourne - Aussie athletes: 294 Total: 3314

Sydney - Aussie athletes: 628 Total: 10,647

Athens - Aussie athletes: 482 Total: 10,625

Tokyo - Aussie athletes: 488 Total: 11,319

Paris - Aussie athletes: 460 Total: 10,714

Are we benefiting from the introduction of new sports?

It’s been pointed out a third of Australia’s gold medals in Paris have come in paddling, skateboarding and BMX.

We in no way want to diminish the golden performances of the Fox sisters, Arisa Trew, Keegan Palmer and Saya Sakakibara because they compete in some of the most exciting sports to watch.

The Olympics has absolutely made the right decision in including them in the program and they all will likely - and deservedly become some of the most marketable Aussie stars of the Games. We’re sure your kids are absolutely loving them.

Jessica Fox launching into the water in the Kayak Cross had us on the edge of our seats. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Are you not entertained? (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP)

But in Melbourne we won all 13 gold medals in swimming, athletics and cycling.

In Sydney and Athens there was far more of a mix, but they still came in events like archery, equestrian, shooting, sailing and hockey - sports that have been in the Olympics for decades.

With 41 total medals in Paris, we won’t get anywhere near matching hauls in Sydney (58) and Athens (50) either - and still have some work to do to catch Tokyo (46).

What’s our highest finish on a medal tally?

Perhaps the Paris’ team’s best case is where they currently sit on the medal tally - five gold medals clear of home nation France in third spot.

That could change in the next couple of days but if we can hang on to a top three position behind the USA and China it will match Melbourne for our best ever finish.

The Sydney and Athens teams were fourth, while Tokyo was sixth.

It’s fair to say the competition is stiffer these days too. Only 67 countries even sent athletes to the Melbourne Olympics. More than 200 did so in Paris.

Like all of these debates, it generally ends up being down to taste. For pure dominance it’s hard to go past Melbourne. Sydney was similar but came against better opposition. Athens wasn’t far off matching Sydney, but with a way smaller team.

But the Paris outfit have put themselves in the conversation - and that’s something we can all celebrate.