The US college that won the most Olympic golds – and would have finished EIGHTH in the medal table in Paris
Stanford University established itself as a factory for athletic talent this summer, winning more Olympic medals than all but seven countries at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The California school has fewer than 8,000 students (7,841) and 9,688 graduates, but in recent weeks the school has won a whopping 39 medals.
That’s more than double any other school in the U.S., and more than sports powerhouses Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea and Canada.
According to research by the Wall Street JournalThe only countries that finished ahead of Stanford in the final standings were China, Great Britain, France, Australia, Japan, Italy and the United States.
That’s an improvement over the Tokyo and Rio Olympics, where the Palo Alto school would have finished 11th and 10th, respectively.
Katie Ledecky helped Stanford win more medals than any other American school at the Olympics
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was among the Texan alumni who won gold in Paris
In Paris, Stanford students and alumni won more gold medals (12) and more total medals (39) than any other school in the country.
Texas ranked second among the top universities, while Cal, Virginia, Penn State, Southern California, Washington, Notre Dame, UCLA, Kentucky, Florida and Harvard all won at least 10 medals.
Stanford achieved much of its success in the pool thanks to players like Katie Ledecky (four), Regan Smith and Torri Huske (five each).
Stanford also finished on the podium in track cycling, sailing, rowing, discus throwing, fencing, diving, artistic swimming, gymnastics, basketball, soccer, volleyball and water polo.
Stanford has 7,841 undergraduates and 9,688 graduates, but has collected 39 medals
Harvard University graduate Gabby Thomas won three gold medals in Paris
Texas, meanwhile, won gold medals thanks to players such as world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler, NBA star Kevin Durant, shot putter Ryan Crouser and Julien Alfred, who won St. Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal in the women’s 100 meters.
Harvard won 13 medals, including three gold for track and field star Gabby Thomas and two gold for cycling star Kristen Faulkner.
But according to the WSJ, there aren’t many schools that win more medals per person than Davidson, a school of just 2,000 students that did win two medals.
Evy Leibfarth won bronze in the canoe slalom, while former student Stephen Curry won gold on the basketball court.