I discussed how India's Olympic athletes are in trouble because the government stopped supplying them with free ammo. It caused me to wonder just how well the United States is doing when it comes to winning the gold.
The short and dirty answer is that we suck!
There doesn't seem to be a website where I can look up the medals won in the shooting sports alone, but this is an online database which lists the medals that each country wins. It is clumsy and time consuming, but it is the best I can find.
Looking at the results from 2004, we see that the United States leads the world not only in the number of Gold and Silver medals earned, but we also have earned the largest number of medals overall. Russia beat us in Bronze medals earned, but that doesn't detract from our overall achievements.
But things aren't so rosy when we examine the medals for the shooting sports alone.
The US earned a measly 3 medals, two Gold and one Silver. Italy did as well with their three wins, as did South Korea.
So that is the good news. We managed to tie Italy and South Korea. Whoop-de-freakin' ding dong! At least France didn't earn any at all. I don't know if I would be able to handle it if they managed to get in the running.
Russia earned ten, China earned nine. Thank goodness the Cold War never turned hot.
This is the Land of the 2nd Amendment! What is going on here? Why can't we sweep this particular category?
Comments (3)
Just a WAG, but China and Russia are sending military shooters?
Posted by jed | March 31, 2008 12:52 AM
Posted on March 31, 2008 00:52
I'm not sure if they are, Jed, but it seems reasonable. Some person in the ranks shows some talent, and suddenly they are assigned to go practice every day.
It would certainly explain a lot.
James
Posted by James R. Rummel | March 31, 2008 4:48 AM
Posted on March 31, 2008 04:48
Why should the government supply them with free ammo? The government doesn't subsidize my range trips.
Regards
Posted by Elle | April 5, 2008 10:17 AM
Posted on April 5, 2008 10:17