The US media's Olympics medal tally move that's raised eyebrows

American media outlets have the US at the top of the Olympics medal tally. But not everyone agrees.

It's not the first time the United States has been criticised for using this particular ranking method. Source: Getty / Kevin Voigt

The United States is currently leading the 2024 Paris Olympics medal tally.

That's according to major US publications including the New York Times and NBC News which, at the time of writing, show it at the top of the board with 61 Olympic medals under its belt. It's followed by France, China, Britain and Australia.

But that's caused a stir on social media, with many pointing out they are not following the method used by the International Olympic Committee (the IOC).

NBC News' Olympics medal tally ranks by total number of medals won... Source: Supplied / NBCNews.com

... while the official website of the 2024 Paris Olympics ranks by number of gold medals won. Source: Supplied / Olympics.com

Many other countries, and sources including search giant Google and Australian media outlets, also follow the gold medal ranking rule. Indeed, both Google and the ABC have China at the top of the medal tally with 16 gold medals, followed by the US with 14, and then France and Australia with 12 at the time of writing.

It's not the first time the US has been called out over this ranking method. US publications used it during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and they at one point had the US leading the board, with Japan in third place, despite the latter having one more gold medal.

The method has also been used at other sporting events. NBC's tally of the World Aquatic Championships in Japan last year faced similar criticism for listing Australia in second place to the US after day seven, despite Australia holding nine more gold medals at the time.

Australian journalist Bradley Jurd was among the chorus of criticism. In a post on X on Thursday, he said the New York Times "has no shame".

"Every country in the world ranks by gold medals," Jurd wrote. "But this is a country that insists on Farenheit and pounds, when almost no one does."

The US taking leadership of the board according to both methods is possible, as they did in Tokyo, ending with 39 gold medals and 113 medals in total.

However, the IOC does not formally prescribe which method of tallying should be used, and the Olympic charter states the Games is a competition between athletes or teams, not countries.

In 2008 after the conclusion of the Beijing Olympics, then-IOC president Jacques Rogge told reporters: "I believe each country will highlight what suits it best. One country will say, 'Gold medals.' The other country will say, 'The total tally counts.' We take no position on that."