Jackson Free Press

The Summer Olympics are over for the next four years. In two years, the Winter Olympics will take place in Sochi, Russia. We won’t see the summer games against until 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Every nation will have to wait four more years to catch up to the United States in total medals. After all the medals where given out Sunday, the U.S. stood alone atop the medal standing as the only nation to break triple digits in medals.

The U.S. finished with 104 overall medals outpacing second place China, which finished with 87 total medals, by 17 more medals and third place Russia, who finished with 82 total medals by 22 medals.

No one finished with more gold medals than the USA either. The U.S. finished with 46 gold medals with China at 38 gold medals in second and Great Britain, who finished fourth in total medals with 64 total medals, who had 29 gold medals.

Overall the U.S. finished with 36 gold medals, 29 silver medals, and 29 bronze medals. In the final medal count, 25 nations finished in double digits in total medals.

Bahrain, Botswana, Cyprus, Gabon, Grenada (won gold), Guatemala, and Montenegro all won their first ever Olympic medal. There were 204 countries competing and 85 of those countries received at least one medal.

Rounding out the top ten in total medals were Germany (44 total medals) in fifth, Japan (38 total medals) in sixth, Australia (35 total medals) in seventh, France (34 total medals) in eighth, South Korea and Italy (28 total medals each) tied for ninth to round out the top ten.

London was a successful Olympic games for the United States. Since 2000 games in Sydney, the U.S., China and Russia have finished in the top three spots.

Since 1992 games in Barcelona, China has finished in one of the top four spots as the Chinese have become a world power in the Olympic games after not even being in the top ten in the 1988 games in Seoul, South Korea.

The United States leads the way to Rio in total and gold medals but Brazil, China, and Russia will be hot on the U.S. heels in four years.

Mississippians Against Racism is asking everyone to sign a card for Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas to congratulate her for her gold medal wins, and encourage her after the controversy surrounding how she wore her hair during the competitions. Here is the press release with minor corrections to the dates:

In light of the huge controversy over the natural hair texture, Mississippians Against Racism wanted to tell the exceptional 16 year old, 90 pound, Olympic Gold Medalist, Gabrielle Douglas, that the weight of our race is not on her shoulders. Such is the responsibility of Adults and institutions. In addition, we wanted her to know that we fully understand why her natural hair showed itself during her performance and we happy she was nappy, beautiful like God made her.

Mississippians Against Racism will be inviting others who share these sentiments to express their love for Gabby on a special congratulatory card made in & for Mississippi. Everyone interesting in telling Gabby we love her because we love our daughters, nieces and sisters should jointly visit Marshall’s Music and Book Store, 618 North Farish St. in Jackson, MS to sign this special card. We begin at Noon on Friday, August 10th with this symbolic gesture of love. A special signing will begin on Saturday, August 11th , 2012 at 3:15pm prior to the monthly community forum. The Monthly Sick & Tired and Seeking SOULutions Community Forum will be held at the Afrikan Arts & Cultural Studio, 612 North Farish Street 4 - 5:30pm. After the forum, interested signers can come to Marshall’s Music and Bookstore 10am-5pm Monday and Tuesday.

The "Mississippi Loves Gabby Card" will be mailed to Gabby Douglas on Wednesday, August 15th, 2012. We hope to have at least one thousand signatures on the Mississippi Loves Gabby card, so join us Saturday, August 11th at the Afrikan Arts & Cultural Studio, 612 North Farish Street, 3:15pm to sign the card. Or stop-by Marshall’s Music & Book Store, 618 North Farish Street on Monday or Tuesday to add your love. Bring your daughters, nieces and sisters, because Black Self-Hate affects, effects, and destroys us all and Black Love heals of all.

For more details about this special expression of love for Gabby, call 601.355.5335 or 601.979.1413.