Wild Wild Web: The alternative Olympic medals table
Slovenia aren't famous as a sporting nation (is Slovenia famous for anything?) but according to a new take on the official Olympics medals table we are suddenly so obsessed with after Britain's rise to third place, the central European country is the most successful nation in Beijing.
How so? Well, despite boasting a population of just two million - less than that of Greater Manchester - Slovenia has won two bronze medals, two silvers and one gold (for Primoz Kozmus in the Men's hammer throw). And on Channel 4's smart alternative medals table, that's better than anyone else.
The number crunchers at Channel 4 have awarded three points for a gold, two for a silver and one for a bronze. A total of these scores divided by population gives a ratio that is ranked to create a new world order.
- Britain might be having a stonking Olympics but, by population, we're only in 17th place, between Georgia and Switzerland.
- It's worse for USA, who fall to 39th, one place behind old rivals Russia.
- China made it her mission to top the table for the first time, ahead of USA, but with more than a billion people, 43 golds only gets you 57th place, behind Tajikistan (which has just one bronze).
- Bottom of the pile is India, who have managed a single gold in the men's 10m air rifle.
The new table can also be sorted according to GDP (North Korea top; Great Britain 44th; USA 62nd) and human rights (according to a score determined by an American organisation). Finally, there's a table of tables which adds up all the scores to create yet more rankings. But we won't dwell on that because it seems to place Australia, whose displacement in the official table by Britain has caused such delight here and consternation there, at the top.
"and human rights (according to a score determined by an American organisation)"
Presumably the reason you put in this qualifier (rather than summarizing the winners and losers, as you did for the other rankings) is that having the USA and UK at #1 and #2 doesn't fit with the Indy's worldview that we're living in some sort of dictatorship?
Posted by: ChrisN | Tuesday, 19 August 2008 at 07:13 PM
Ignoring Guantanamo and extraordinary rendition of course.
Posted by: whelan | Wednesday, 20 August 2008 at 11:45 AM
Slovenia is famous for many things, just that ignorants as you do NOT know! FY!
Posted by: joan | Sunday, 24 August 2008 at 10:57 AM
Ohhhh! I see, you are british, that's why you have no idea about slovenia, you might not be able to point it in the map! Did you know that slovenia is in european union? mmmm... IGNORANT!
Posted by: joan | Sunday, 24 August 2008 at 11:00 AM
"it seems to place Australia, whose displacement in the official table by Britain has caused such delight here and consternation there"
Since it was Australia's 3rd best medal haul ever (counting either golds or total medals), better even than at home in Melbourne, no-one at home is all exhibiting all that much consternation. The athletes are getting parades all over the country.
Only those with very short memories would think this order of medal tallies is unusual, in fact.
Posted by: Jim Cooper | Tuesday, 26 August 2008 at 04:13 PM
The Human rights table is rubbish .
How can the USA with its use of the Death penalty finish top and how can China end up above Canada New Zeland norway and Japan (not to mention many other nations with far better human rights records and freedoms.?
Posted by: Fry | Sunday, 31 August 2008 at 11:12 PM