The United
States edged China by a single medal to finish Tokyo Olympics as the country
with the highest number of gold medals, 39, in addition to being the only
country to bag over a hundred medals in total.

A tight
race between China and the US went down to the wire as the former was leading
the race for the most gold medals before the start of events on the final day –
Sunday. The US, however, won the final few events to inch ahead of its rival in
the final tally for gold medals.

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The day began
with China in the lead with 38 golds, two more than the US, but American teams
won the gold medal in the women’s volleyball and women’s basketball with Jennifer
Valente winning the women’s omnium in track cycling.

China had
two chances to win gold medals, but finished fourth in rhythmic gymnastics
group all-around final and won a silver in women’s middleweight boxing.

The contest
is of particular importance to China, which has tried to utilize its vast youth
population to become a sporting superpower ever since rejoining the summer Olympics
in 1984. The Chinese government had launched an official “gold medal strategy” that
depended on thousands of full-time sports schools, with coaches scouting young
talents in both villages and cities.

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Other than
stongholds in sports such as table tennis and badminton, officials have tried
to target sports which are traditionally underfunded in the West or women’s sports
and other less high-profile events with many medals on offer in different
categories.

Sports
schools started training children for sports such as women’s weight lifting,
taekwondo, canoeing and other sports. After dominating on home turf in the 2008
Beijing Olympics, where it topped the standings for the first time, it fell
behind in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.

But the
strategy paid off in Tokyo, where it finished just one medal short of the US’
tally.

Meanwhile, with
27 gold medals, hosts Japan finished third with Great Britain (22) and the Russian
Olympic Committee (20) in fifth.