Olympic Rankings Explained: How Pakistan Is Ahead of India Despite Winning Only 1 Medal Compared To India’s 6?

Paris Olympics 2024: Aman Sehrawat has secured India's sixth medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, bringing home a bronze. With this addition, India currently holds the 66th position in the medal standings. As it stands, India has earned one silver and five bronze medals. The sole silver was clinched by Neeraj Chopra in the men's javelin throw final on August 8, with a throw of 89.45 meters. Chopra, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, was outperformed by Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who set a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters. This gold medal marked Pakistan's entry into the medal tally, propelling them to 56th position, surpassing India in the rankings.

Why Is Pakistan Ranked Above India In Olympics 2024?

Nadeem’s remarkable performance brought Pakistan to the 53rd spot on the medal tally, having secured gold. Meanwhile, India, with its five bronze and one silver, is now ranked 64th. The Indian contingent had several opportunities to win gold but fell short.

Historically, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ranks countries based on the number of gold medals they have won. If countries are tied for gold medals, rankings are determined by the number of silver medals, with bronze medals serving as the last tiebreaker. For instance, China is currently leading with 78 medals due to their 32 golds, despite the US having more total medals (108), including 31 golds. The US is second because they have fewer gold medals compared to China.

If countries are tied for gold, silver, and bronze medals, they share the same rank. This is evident with France and Great Britain, who are currently tied in fourth place, each with 14 gold, 20 silver, and 22 bronze medals.

India’s Olympic history includes seven medals from the Tokyo Olympics, with one gold, marking the country's best performance to date. Overall, India has accumulated 38 Olympic medals since Norman Pritchard won two silvers in the 1900 Paris Games. Pakistan’s tally stands at 11, with four golds, three silvers, and four bronzes.

Among India's notable athletes, Manu Bhaker won the first medal for the country at Paris 2024, becoming the first Indian woman to secure a shooting medal at the Olympics. Bhaker also clinched a mixed team 10m air pistol bronze with Sarabjot Singh, making her the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition of the Games.

How the Olympic Ranking System Works?

The Olympic ranking system prioritizes countries based on the number of gold medals won. If nations are tied in gold medals, the ranking is then determined by the number of silver medals, followed by bronze if needed. In cases where countries have identical counts of gold, silver, and bronze medals, they share the same rank.