The Olympic medal table if the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland and Portugal (total population about the same as USA, 25% of China) competed as one country.pic.twitter.com/x8BD9ope6D
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It's surprising how bad the USA is at Olympic sports given how big and rich it is, and surprising how bad China is given its size.
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It's nothing to do with money - GDP per capita of these countries is about 2/3 that of the USA, and that's with Ireland inflating the statistics with its low corporate tax rate.
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China is comparatively "bad' because their state sports system is really bad. Children are taken from their families (selects for poor families), learn by rote with little schooling, have no control over their winnings, coaching, where and when they compete. Retirees get nothing.
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That's a bit like wondering how terrible Europe is at American Football. The Olympics are a European tournament built and maintained to European sensibilities.
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You fail to account for the differences in state support for Olympians. Most countries generously fund their Olympic org's and athletes. America doesn't, it's Olympians are by and large amateurs who have real jobs or have to work to subsidize their Olympic ambitions.
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