The United States of America led the medal table both in number of gold medals won and in overall medals, winning 46 gold and 121 total medals respectively. Behind the United States, Great Britain were second on the medal table by golds (27) and third by overall medals (67) – their highest ranked finishes in gold since the home games of 1908 and in overall medals since 1920 – while China were third by golds (26) and second by overall medals (70). Both countries were well clear of a following group in the table that included Russia, Germany, France and 2020 hostJapan.
Athletes from 87 nations earned medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics, breaking the record of most nations winning a medal at a single edition of the Olympics.[14] However, following reallocation due to doping sanctions, an 87th country was later awarded a medal at the 2008 Olympics, tying the record. Athletes from 59 nations earned gold medals at these games, also breaking the record for the most nations winning gold at a single games.[15] Host country Brazil won seven gold medals, their most at any single Summer Olympics.
The design for the Olympic medals for the 2016 Summer Olympics featured the largest medals in terms of diameter of any medal presented at the Olympics.[16] The golds are purer than any presented at all preceding Olympics. The silvers were made from recycling mirrors, solder, and X-ray plates. Much of the copper used in the bronzes came from recycling waste from the mint that minted the medals. The obverse of the medals features Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.[17]
The 2016 Summer Olympic program featured 28 sports with 41 disciplines, and a total of 306 events, tentatively resulting in 306 medal sets to be distributed. Athletes from 87 countries won medals, and 59 of them won at least one gold medal. Both of these categories set new records.
Two gold medals were awarded for a first-place tie in the women's 100 metre freestyle swimming event. No silver medal was awarded as a consequence.
Three silver medals were awarded for a second-place tie in the men's 100 metre butterfly swimming event. No bronze medal was awarded as a consequence.
Nijat Rahimov of Kazakhstan originally won the gold medal in men's 77 kg weightlifting but was disqualified in March 2022 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for doping violations. At the time, medals for the event were not reallocated, subject to a process that could extend to 2024. If the gold medal is reallocated, Lü Xiaojun from China stands to win his third Olympic weightlifting gold medal.[20] The table below reflects the stripped medal but not the new medalists results reallocation.
On 8 December 2016, the CAS disqualified weightlifter Gabriel Sîncrăian of Romania after he tested positive for exogenous testosterone[24] and boxer Misha Aloian of Russia after he tested positive for tuaminoheptane.[24][25] In the men's 85kg weightlifting event Denis Ulanov of Kazakhstan was moved into third place. In the men's flyweight (52kg) boxing event Yoel Finol of Venezuela was moved into second place; the released bronze medal was not awarded to anyone. Following the ranking established by the International Boxing Federation (AIBA), the ranking for this event is now closed, and there is no reallocation of released bronze medal planned.
Nijat Rahimov of Kazakhstan was stripped of his gold medal in the men's 77kg weightlifting event.[27] *The IOC has not yet redistributed the medals, and therefore what is shown is speculative.
Oliver, Brian (22 March 2022). "More shame for weightlifting as memorable Rio 2016 contest exposed as a sham". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 26 March 2022. The reallocation process goes through several phases and, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it could be finished this year or it could take until 2024.