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London Olympics: US catches China in total medal count

China and the US are fighting it out for the total number of medals earned at the London Olympics, but China is dominating the gold medal count.

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Julie Jacobson/AP
The Chinese team celebrates winning the gold as the results are announced for the Artistic Gymnastic men's team final at the 2012 Summer Olympics July 30, in London.
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Martin Rickett/AP
China's Wu Minxia (l.) and He Zi compete during the 3 meter synchronized springboard final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, on July 29. China won the gold medal in the event.
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Rich Clabaugh/Staff
  • By Laura Edwins Contributor

The US and China are neck and neck in the total medal count at the Olympics.

The two countries were tied for some time today, at 13. Then China took the lead when their men's gymnastics team took the gold. Later this afternoon US swimmer Missy Franklin racked up another gold for the US, winning the women's 100-meter backstroke. The total medal is now tied at 17.

But China is still far ahead in the total gold medal count, with nine to the US's five. Japan is in third place with eleven medals total and one gold.

China has been making history, winning competitions that have usually gone to other countries, and proving their dominance at the Beijing Olympics wasn't simply home-soil advantage.

China swept synchronized diving, He Zi and Wu Minxia took the gold in the women's event, and today Cao Yuan and Zhang Yanquan beat the Americans, British, and Mexicans in the men's competition.

On the first day of the Olympics, Sun Yang, 20, gave China its first men's swimming gold medal with an Olympic record in the 400-meter freestyle.

Ye Shiwen,16, also won the gold in the women's 400-meter individual medley and set a new women's world record. In what has possibly been China's most impressive performance at the London Olympics thus far, she swam the last 100 meters almost stroke-for-stroke with gold-medal winner Ryan Lochte's time in the men's 400-meter individual medley. Shiwen's last 50 meters were actually faster than Lochte's.

Shiwen has been the talk of the swimming world, though controversy has surrounded her jaw-dropping race. There has been talk of doping, and questions raised as to how she was able to pull off such an amazing time at the end of such a grueling race. 

For now, Shiwen's record will stand, and China will continue to dominate. They have also carried away the shooting competition, winning four medals total so far, two of them gold, making second-place Italy's two silver medals look meager in comparison.

The US athletes who have medaled so far today are the men's synchronized diving team, David Boudia and Nick McCrory, who took the bronze medal, and Marti Malloy who also won bronze in women's lightweight judo.

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