# Olympic medals table - Britain third! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 18, 2008, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400 "2008-08-18T09:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/1 "2008-08-18T09:24:56Z")
The title is all I wanted to say really. We Brits spend so much time moaning about how crap we are at sport. And given that we really ARE crap at track and field at the moment which means our medal table position will plummet over the coming days, I’d just like to savour this moment while we still have it. Little old Britain, Third in the World. Astonishing. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/2 "2008-08-18T09:35:50Z")
Sailing, rowing, track cycling. Domains of rich white people. True British sporting excellence. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/3 "2008-08-18T09:39:00Z")
Maybe our sports minister will win his bet with the aussie minister after all! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/4 "2008-08-18T09:43:57Z")
Perhaps it’s a different ranking system, but the list here currently has Australia third, and GB fourth. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/5 "2008-08-18T09:49:28Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] Perhaps it’s a different ranking system, but the list here currently has Australia third, and GB fourth. [/QUOTE] Can’t see how different it can be – the list looks clear enough to me. > [@](#): > > #1 China 35 13 13 > #2 United States 19 21 25 > #3 Australia 11 10 12 > #4 Great Britain 11 7 8 > #5 Germany 9 6 7 Australia ahead by 3 silver and 4 bronze, at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/6 "2008-08-18T09:59:35Z")
its probably just been updated since the OP last saw it. When I looked yesterday GB had #3 and Aus had #5 (only 8 golds at the time) ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/7 "2008-08-18T10:07:13Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] Perhaps it’s a different ranking system, but the list here currently has Australia third, and GB fourth. [/QUOTE] See, I knew it couldn’t last. Oh well, the cycling’s not over yet. How did we suddenly get so good at cycling? It’s not even a posh person’s sport. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/8 "2008-08-18T10:07:33Z")
As some have pointed out, we appear to be really good at sports where you get to sit down ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/9 "2008-08-18T10:09:25Z")
Don’t worry there is some more cycling going on at the moment. Shouldn’t be too long before we get some more gold coming our way 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/10 "2008-08-18T10:10:47Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] Perhaps it’s a different ranking system, but the list here currently has Australia third, and GB fourth. [/QUOTE] Our ranking system excludes colonials who didn’t kick our asses out of the place. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/11 "2008-08-18T10:25:03Z")
Yeah Australia has won 3 golds today - last 8 hours say. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/12 "2008-08-18T10:27:30Z")
[QUOTE=tagos] Our ranking system excludes colonials who didn’t kick our asses out of the place. [/QUOTE] Well the smart thing to do would be to call your team the British Commonwealth and claim all the medals of the colonies by Royal fiat. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/13 "2008-08-18T10:28:57Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] Well the smart thing to do would be to call your team the British Commonwealth and claim all the medals of the colonies by Royal fiat. [/QUOTE] Genius! We might even top China. And win something in the Winter Olympics that didn’t involve hurling, sorry, curling. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/14 "2008-08-18T10:36:48Z")
GOLD! Britain takes Gold in the cycling team pursuit, breaking the world record. Back in third position… ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/15 "2008-08-18T10:47:10Z")
[QUOTE=CatInASuit] Don’t worry there is some more cycling going on at the moment. Shouldn’t be too long before we get some more gold coming our way 🙂 [/QUOTE] Indeed, another cycle race, another gold and world record. At this rate GBR could win 10 of the 18 cycling events :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/16 "2008-08-18T11:51:37Z")
And if we discount that strange American swimmer who’s wider than he is tall, we’d be 2nd. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/17 "2008-08-18T12:09:50Z")
[QUOTE=SanVito] GOLD! Britain takes Gold in the cycling team pursuit, breaking the world record. Back in third position… [/QUOTE] In your face Aussies 😛 ::waves Union Flag wildly:: ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/18 "2008-08-18T12:19:41Z")
Of America’s 19 Gold, how many are Phelps’? The mind is boggling. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/19 "2008-08-18T12:35:17Z")
[QUOTE=Shirley Ujest] Of America’s 19 Gold, how many are Phelps’? [/QUOTE] I believe it’s 8, but this has been kept pretty quiet by the media, especially in America, so it’s not surprising you missed it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400/20 "2008-08-18T14:25:49Z")
Sooooo if we discount Phelps golds this lil’ ol’ dinky country of ours would have won more golds than that big ol’ country across t’pond [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-medals-table-britain-third/460400.md?page=2)