In one of the most closely contested battles in recent Olympic history, the United States secured the top spot in the Paris 2024 medal table, edging out China thanks to the quantity and quality of their medals. Although both nations finished with 40 gold medals each, the U.S. took the overall lead due to its superiority in silver medals.

The United States concluded the Games with a total of 126 medals: 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze. China, on the other hand, ended with 91 medals in total, consisting of 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze. The key to the U.S. winning the medal table was its ability to accumulate more silver and bronze medals, which demonstrated broader consistency across various sports.

Throughout the Olympics, the U.S. and China were locked in a fierce competition for the top spot, frequently exchanging positions up until the final day. However, crucial victories in events like the track cycling omnium, courtesy of Jennifer Valente, and women's basketball allowed the U.S. to secure enough of a margin to claim first place.

The U.S.'s success in key disciplines such as artistic gymnastics, athletics, swimming, and basketball played a significant role in their overall triumph. While China excelled in sports like artistic swimming, badminton, and diving, it could not match the breadth and depth of the U.S.'s success across multiple disciplines.

This outcome reaffirms the United States' dominance on the Olympic stage, having topped the medal table in several previous editions, including London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. Despite the intense competition with China, the U.S. athletes' ability to secure more medals in the final stages of the Games was decisive in maintaining their status as the leading sports powerhouse globally.