Gold medals or All medals?

[alko]

There is a dispute, what should define the best country on OG.
Number of Gold medals or Number of all medals.

What do you think?

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[Fighter]

I do prefer the "all medals" argument.

 

[Primary Assist]

Gold medals. Would you rather your team win a Stanley Cup once in a decade, or lose in the Stanley Cup Finals or Conference Finals 5 times in a decade?

 

[Havre]

Why even have a podium with more than one athlete?

I don't know why, but when someone in their 60s get interviewed about their career and that person have "won" a bronze medal in the Olympics 35 years ago there is always a lot of pride in winning that medal. I don't think you get the same from hockey players talking about the Stanley Cup final they lost. So the value seems to differ depending on the sport.

Personally I care only about gold medals - but I recognize most seem to talk about medals in general. "I came here to win a medal etc." is common to hear among athletes - even those who have won a gold medal.

 

[bobholly39]

I think it should be a point system tbh.

Gold = 3 points
Silver = 2 points
Bronze = 1 point

Most "points" win

 

[Eisen]

In the end, it doesn't matter. It's not a competition between countries but between athletes in different sports. We just cheer for the homegrown athlete more because we know them better.

 

[Albatros]

If a swimmer wins butterfly, medley, and freestyle for the same distance do I value those three gold medals higher than a singular marathon gold? Probably not. The same goes for grand totals, context matters.

 

[BMann]

I would go with the points system.

But how does one define success. If you look at population numbers, those actively involved in a sporting discipline and also the amount of funding that discipline receives is a better judge. Per capita NZ is the most successful nation at the Summer Olympics or was in recent memory.

 

[Albatros]

San Marino (pop. 33,600) just obliterated per capita counts by winning three medals in Tokyo. Other than them it's mostly been Caribbean island countries.

 

[John Price]

Both.

 

[I am not exposed]

Gold.

 

[dalewood12]

Gold.

 

[garbageteam]

It depends on what narrative you want to spin for whatever country you are supporting. Won a lot of medals but few golds? All medals count. etc.

 

[SniperHF]

Medal count is the silver medal of the Olympics.

Just win both

 

[Albatros]

Apparently your own medals and those of all other territories that you claim to be yours:

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I prefer weighted medal tracking, like 4:2:1 or 5:3:1.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

I don't think it's that clear cut.
If your country won a lot of bronze medals and won the medal count. But got no gold metals, is it better to have the higher medal count?
At the same time, if your country easily wins the medal count with all three medals sprinkled in, and loses the gold medal count by one. Are you disappointed?

 

[flyingkiwi]

I would go with the points system.

But how does one define success. If you look at population numbers, those actively involved in a sporting discipline and also the amount of funding that discipline receives is a better judge. Per capita NZ is the most successful nation at the Summer Olympics or was in recent memory.

Medals per capita ftw!

I think the vibe in NZ overall is that we follow and celebrate all medals, even though it's the golds that boost our overall standing. Tokyo was our biggest overall medal haul yet, but not our highest gold tally. We have our sports where we expect to medal, but some of the most fun medals were the unexpected bronzes in trampoline and triathlon this year.

I'd say golds are more important to us at the Commonwealth Games. With the US, China, Russia and other big guns out it's a more equal playing field and the rivalries are stronger. For example we're quite happy to see Australia succeed at the Olympics... but Commonwealths? It's ON.

 

[JianYang]

I just take total medals as the main count. I don't have a great reason for it other than we have been conditioned since the beginning of the olypmics that all the medals have meaning.

In most cases, athletes will cherish their medals over time, even if they felt like they should have done better at the time.