If US women were their own country, they'd be top-5 in overall medal count
It was the women who pushed the United States to the top of the gold medal table in the final hours of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And it was the women who contributed most of the American success in ways they hadn't before.
Of the 113 total medals Team USA won in Tokyo, 66 were won entirely by women. It's the most ever won by women competing for the U.S. at the Olympics. And it comes during the 25th anniversary of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, a pivotal moment for female athletics, as well as 49 years after Title IX, the law mandating equal treatment for girls and women.
That's 58.4% of the medal haul, surpassing the 55.8% won by women at the 2012 London Olympics. Those were previously the Games with the highest percentage of female medal winners for the U.S.
Men won 41 medals in Tokyo and six were won in mixed events, such as the mixed 4x400m relay in track and field and the team equestrian event.
It is the fourth consecutive summer Olympics in which women have led the U.S. medal count. It's also the third summer Olympics in which women have outnumbered men on the team.
If US women were a country they'd place ...
The United States won the women's medal race by a large margin, as shown in a handy medal table provided by Just Women's Sports throughout the games. China placed second with 47 medals and the Russian Olympic Committee third with 32 medals. Japan had 30 total.
The U.S. also had the most women winning gold of any country, with 23 to China's 22. The US. was evenly spread out on the medal stand with 22 silvers and 21 bronze.
If the U.S. women were their own country (but while also keeping the U.S. at 113 medals), they would place fourth in the overall medal race. China won 88 medals, ROC won 71 and Great Britain won 65.
If they were their own country, they would have also placed fourth in total gold medals trailing the U.S. (39), China (38) and Japan (27). Great Britain won 22 golds.
Highlights from Women's Games Part II
The U.S. surged into the gold medal lead on the last day when Team USA won its seventh consecutive gold in women's basketball, cyclist Jennifer Valente placed first in the omnium, and the volleyball team won its first-ever Olympic title.
With 66 medals there were plenty of other highlights. The "A Team" of April Ross, who completed a full set of medals, and Alix Klineman won gold in beach volleyball while dropping a single set throughout the tournament. The 3x3 basketball team won the inaugural event to keep USA Basketball the best in the world, even with a new discipline.
Katie Ledecky won two individual golds as well as an individual silver and a silver with the 4x200m freestyle relay team. And Allyson Felix became the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time.
More from Yahoo Sports:
