| − | |How many athletes will do the equivalent of [[Tebowing]] after a victory? American Meb Keflezighi, who won the silver medal in the marathon in 2004, typically gives glory to [[God]] with the sign of the [[Cross]] after finishing a race.<ref>http://www.letsrun.com/2009/nycmen1101.php</ref> | + | |How many athletes will do the equivalent of [[Tebowing]] after a victory? CAmerican Meb Keflezighi, who won the silver medal in the marathon in 2004, typically gives glory to [[God]] with the sign of the [[Cross]] after finishing a race.<ref>http://www.letsrun.com/2009/nycmen1101.php</ref> |
| | |The first gold medalist for [[Ireland]] since 1996, boxer Katie Taylor said after winning: "I serve an amazing God and without Him I wouldn't be here without this gold medal around my neck." Her boxing robe contained the verse, "The [[Lord]] is my shepherd and my shield."<ref>http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/08/09/2990989/the-lord-shepherds-irelands-taylor.html#storylink=cpy</ref> | | |The first gold medalist for [[Ireland]] since 1996, boxer Katie Taylor said after winning: "I serve an amazing God and without Him I wouldn't be here without this gold medal around my neck." Her boxing robe contained the verse, "The [[Lord]] is my shepherd and my shield."<ref>http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/08/09/2990989/the-lord-shepherds-irelands-taylor.html#storylink=cpy</ref> |
| | |Similarly, will atheist nations underachieve in general? | | |Similarly, will atheist nations underachieve in general? |
| − | |China, an officially atheist and communist country, leads the standings with 36 gold medals. Despite having more than three times the population of the United States and despite having a national program designed to produce champion athletes, China has fewer total medals than the United States (83-78), and only one more gold medals (36-35). About half of the American medals came in the obscure sport of swimming, which allowed the US to artificially increase its medal take. Despite having a population only one-fifth of that of the US, increasingly atheistic Great Britain has more than half as many gold medals, and more than half as many medals overall as the US, and ranks third overall. Great Britain did not win its first gold medal until Day 5 (August 1), because few of the medal competitions in which GB is strong (rowing, cycling, canoeing especially) were competed for until that day. In the 2008 Olympics, Great Britain won 47 total medals, which they will probably surpass. The last few Olympic Games have seen hosts surpass their totals from the previous games by 20-30%. Care should therefore be taken when looking at the British total. | + | |China, an officially atheist and communist country, led in gold medals in the first week but then dropped badly to a distant second place behind the United States, despite China having more than three times the population of the United States and despite having a national program designed to produce champion athletes. Increasingly atheistic Australia performed much worse than expectations. Australia has 27 medals, but only six gold medals. France has 28 medals, of which 8 are gold. In 2008, Australia won 46 medals and France won 41. Australia won 14 golds that year, a total that they are unlikely to surpass at this point. |
| − | The host factor would not affect Australia's and France's totals. Australia has 27 medals, but only six gold medals. France has 28 medals, of which 8 are gold. In 2008, Australia won 46 medals and France won 41. Australia won 14 golds that year, a total that they are unlikely to surpass at this point.
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