On August 24, 2008, China, host of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, topped the medal tally with a staggering 100 medal tally. This was the first time in Olympic Games history that Americans were eclipsed as the number one sporting nation. The Chinese contingent won a staggering 51 gold medals, 15 more than the American athletes.

Since the start of the Olympics in 1896, the US has always been in the top three medal winners and has finished on top numerous times. At times, the United States contingent has won nearly twice as many gold medals as the runner-up. But this was the trend until China started participating in the Olympics.

Returning to the 1984 Olympics, after its first appearance in 1952, China has slowly worked its way to the top of the medal tally. From winning 5 medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, China won 51 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Furthermore, for the first time since the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which the United States had boycotted, a country had overshadowed to the United States in the number of gold medals won.

While the US gold medal count has been the same (36) in the past three Olympics, China has continually improved its performance, nearly doubling its gold medal count (28) from the US Olympics. Sydney 2000. This is the result of the sensible approach to sports, adopted by the Chinese establishment. Hiring the best foreign coaches, training local coaches and spotting talents at an early age have been common initiatives of the China Olympic Committee (COC). Athletes and training staff receive the best training facilities and regular exposure at international events, to develop and test their skills.

Over the past decade, China has not only continued its supremacy in sports, it has also traditionally dominated; But he has also ventured into sports that were once considered a stronghold of the US and Europe. China has embraced disciplines such as gymnastics, jumping and shooting, which were once dominated by Russia. They took 23 gold medals, from just these 3 categories, a record in the 2008 Olympic Games. At the same time, Chinese athletes have returned with gold medals in disciplines such as Weightlifting and Shooting, which until now were strongholds of Eastern Europe.

China has featured its teams in baseball and basketball, which has been a guaranteed gold medal in the United States so far. The Chinese baseball team’s performance in its 2008 Games debut didn’t have much to write about. Also, the basketball team hasn’t made any major breakthroughs so far. Despite all this, it seems that China will surely win a medal in these sports, in the next Games. Many Chinese players are seen practicing their trade, in the NBA and the American baseball league, to improve their game by playing with the best. In fact, many Chinese players have become a huge draw for American baseball and basketball teams.

Another interesting development has been the Chinese foray into somewhat neglected sports at the Olympics. For example, the women’s tennis doubles event has rarely seen the best tennis stars participate in it. China very cleverly selected two teams in this discipline at the 2004 Athens Olympics and came back with a gold medal.

It does not stop here. China has been building and shipping strong teams in other disciplines such as swimming, cycling, archery, and hockey. In fact, China came back with medals in all these disciplines at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Added to all this is Chinese dominance in sports such as badminton, table tennis, judo and taekwondo. Everything points to the systematic efforts made by China to establish itself as a sports superpower, surpassing the US.

Compare this to the tally of 1 gold medal and 2 bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

India !!! Are we listening?