Jackson Free Press

The Rio Olympics enters its final week of competition, and as the games begin to wind down, it is good to look at the medal race, and it’s http://www.espn.com/olympics/summer/2016/medals/_/view/overall">starting to become a rout.

While it was close the opening week, the U.S. is beginning to run away from the other nations. As of Monday afternoon, Aug. 15, the U.S. has 72 total medals, which is 26 ahead of second-place China.

Second place is where the real race is shaping up, with China’s 46 total medals just six ahead of the 40 medals Great Britain won. Russia, with 32 total medals, isn’t far from Britain, but with several athletes banned from the games, it will be hard for the country to move up.

The U.S. has the most gold medals (26), silver medals (22) and bronze medals (24). No other country besides the U.S. has reached 20 medals in single place yet. The U.S. has done so in all three.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals/usa">Swimming is where the U.S. has built its lead with 33 total medals. Gymnastics is second with eight medals, and track and field, which started late last week, is third with six medals.

So far, the U.S. has earned at least one medal in 15 sports. The country has won four medals in fencing and three medals in shooting and tennis.

In the http://www.espn.com/olympics/summer/2012/medals">2012 London games, the U.S. won 104 total medals, besting second-place China, which won 88 total medals. China narrowly held off Russia, which finished third with 82 total medals. The host nation was fourth with 65 total medals.

In London, the U.S. finished with 46 gold medals, 29 silver medals and 32 bronze medals. The U.S. finished first in gold and bronze medals, and China and Russia finished first and second in silver medals, with the U.S. in third.

As the U.S. dominates the medal stand in Rio, Japan is looking to move up from its current 27 total medals and fifth place. Italy, France and Australia are tied for sixth with 22 total medals.

Germany is ninth with 19 total medals, and South Korea rounds out the top 10 with 14 total medals. Our neighbor to the north, Canada, is in 11th place with 13 total medals.

Hungary and the Netherlands are the only other countries to have reached double-digits in medals. The Hungarians have a total of 12 medals, and the Dutch have a total of 11 medals.

The host nation only has seven total medals. Brazil won 17 medals in London, so it will have to make a push this final week to get the normal medal bump of being the host nation.

So far in Rio, 68 nations and athletes competing under the Olympic flag have won medals. Four years ago, 85 countries won medals before the closing ceremonies.

The Rio Olympics continue until Sunday, Aug. 21, before Tokyo accepts the Olympic flag for the 2020 games.