AR in top 25 for most Olympic gold medals

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Which state has the most Olympic gold medals?

Inspired by a 2014 Business Insider article, we’ve created an updated map of the number of individual Olympic gold medals by state.

This list includes the Summer and Winter Olympic Games since 1924 and is based on the athlete’s place of birth.

Also, only gold medals in individual events were counted. For simplicity, gold medals were awarded to teams, excluding doubles or relays. (Sorry LeBron!)

A quick breakdown

• California wins the gold with 133 Olympic gold medals since 1924.
  • They beat number two, New York, by 70 medals!
• The only two states without Olympic gold to their name are North Dakota and Rhode Island.
  • North Dakota native Ethel Catherwood won gold in the high jump in 1928… But he did it while competing for Team Canada!
• Washington DC, the third least populous state, is ranked 31st. Not bad!

Fast Facts About The Arkansas Olympics

• Arkansas ranks 21st in individual Olympic gold medals per state, with 9 medals.
  • Similar to Massachusetts and Virginia.
• Although only 9 gold medals have been won by Arkansas residents, nearly 80 athletes with a connection to the state (through residency or an affiliation with an Arkansas college) have competed in the Olympics.
  • Jamaican track and field athlete Veronica Campbell-Brown leads this group with eight medals: a silver in 2000, two golds and a bronze in 2004, a gold in 2008, a silver and a bronze in 2012 and a silver in 2016.
• More than 20 athletes from Arkansas will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics on July 26.

Where does your state fall?

Rank	Stands	Number of gold medals
1	California	133
2	New York	63
3	Illinois	40
4	Ohio	37
5	Texas	37
6	Maryland	29
7	Pennsylvania	23
8	Florida	22
9	Michigan	21
10	New Jersey	21
11	Wisconsin	20
12	Alabama	18
13	Georgia	18
14	Washington	17
15	Colorado	12
16	Oregon	12
17	Iowa	11
18	Mississippi	11
19	Missouri	11
20	North Carolina	10
21	Arkansas	9
22	Massachusetts	9
23	Virginia	9
24	Oklahoma	8
25	Utah	8
26	Connecticut	7
27	Montana	7
28	Hawaii	6
29	Indiana	6
30	Kansas	6
31	Washington, DC	6
32	Arizona	5
33	Minnesota	5
34	Tennessee	5
35	Vermont	5
36	West Virginia	5
37	Idaho	4
38	Louisiana	4
39	Nebraska	4
40	Nevada	4
41	south dakota	4
42	Kentucky	3
43	New Hampshire	3
44	New Mexico	3
45	south carolina	3
46	Alaska	2
47	Delaware	1
48	Maine	1
49	Wyoming	1
50	North Dakota	0
51	Rhode Island	0

Will Paris 2024 shake up these numbers? Stay tuned to KNWA to find out.