At the recent summer Olympic Games in Japan, 1,080 podium places (340 Gold, 338 Silver, and 402 Bronze) were allocated across 339 events awarding medals¹. A total of 2,401 medals were awarded to 1,996 individuals as some events have shared medals (e.g. boxing has shared Bronze medals²) and everyone who competes in team events³ (e.g. gymnastics) and preliminary heats⁴ (e.g. swimming) receives a medal if their team medals. There were also 168 multi-medallists who won 405 medals⁵.

A trend has occurred across the globe where the medals table standings⁶ are manipulated by using the following equation:

If [Insert institution treating individuals as commodities] was a country, it would be ranked [insert distorted number based on 1,080 podium places and not individuals] in the Olympic medals table.  

This blatant commoditisation of athletes can be seen across society by journalists⁷, politicians⁸, governing bodies⁹, and countless others, with often the same individuals¹⁰ being claimed multiple times¹¹. A tenuous relationship makes for a precarious one.

Even colleges and universities¹², who should appreciate the importance of accurate evidence more than most, engage in such Machiavellian tactics through the rise of ‘fake academia’. In other walks of life, such ‘cooking the books’ is considered fraud.

It is, indeed, important to be proud of the accomplishments of talented individuals. But the source of that pride is up to the individual concerned.

Footnotes

<sup>1. https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/medalists.htm↩
2. https://www.sportingnews.com/au/boxing/news/two-bronze-medals-why-are-there-no-bronze-medal-boxing-matches-at-the-olympics/2lkyhzkt3vsj1ckd93jvxtcoj↩
3. https://www.insider.com/simone-biles-teammates-say-their-silver-medal-win-feels-like-gold-2021-7↩
4. https://swimswam.com/swimswam-psa-prelim-swimmers-earn-relay-medals/↩
5. https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/multi-medalists.htm↩
6. https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/medal-standings.htm↩
7. https://www.newsweek.com/two-thirds-us-olympic-medalists-are-female-other-crazy-numbers-tokyo-1617333↩
8. https://www.alloaadvertiser.com/opinion/19487108.keith-brown-celebrate-successes-build-future/↩
9. https://twitter.com/BUCSsport/status/1425079459099590679↩
10. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchesters-place-medal-table-21257890↩
11. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/09/north-west-england-wins-more-medals-team-gb-than-other-region-tokyo-olympics↩
12. https://georgiadogs.com/news/2021/8/8/swimming-diving-georgia-finishes-olympics-with-11-medals.aspx↩</sup>