In a move widely panned as petty and inappropriate for a world superpower, communist China has claimed it has won the most medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. It did so by adding medals won by Hong Kong and Taiwan to its total.
Under the International Olympic Committee rules, Hong Kong and Taiwan compete independently. Hong Kong has a unique place among other nations; Taiwan is a fully sovereign and independent state outside of China.
Team USA dominated the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, garnering a total of 113 medals with China coming in second with just 88.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is losing the lead in gold medals on the last day of the Olympics. In a last-minute push, the U.S. finished with 39 gold medals, surpassing China’s 38.
Refusing defeat, China engaged in some creative accounting. Images circulating on the Chinese social media platform Weibo and on China’s Central Television depict an altered medal count that includes medals won by athletes from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
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China’s fake medal count was 41 gold, 37 silver, and 27 bronze medals; the United States’s total was 38 gold, 32 silver, and 18 bronze medals.
“According to The Taiwan News, some graphics even showed China leading with 42 gold medals by including a third territory Macau – despite it not being recognized by the IOC as a NOC,” Fox News reported.
Communist Party drama
The doctored medal count is communist China’s latest deception. It raised numerous red flags throughout the Games, such as not following documented rules of conduct. For example, the International Olympic Committee was forced to open an investigation into two Chinese cyclists who wore the badges of Mao Zedong during a medal ceremony.
The wearing of the medals was determined to be a breach of Olympic rules banning political statements. Article 50 of the Olympic Charter says “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
While rules were eased to allow athletes to “express their views” before and after competing, political gestures or statements during competition or at medal ceremonies were banned.
The CCP also complained when NBC aired an “incomplete” map of the country, which didn’t include Taiwan nor the South China Sea. The Chinese consulate in New York issued a statement declaring that NBC’s decision not to include those regions on a map during the parade of athletes “hurt the dignity and emotions of the Chinese people.”
Communist China was also not immune to other gaffes at the Olympics. During the opening ceremony when Taiwan marched on the field, Chinese broadcasters cut the feed. They switched to a different sports feed, but the Chinese team was not far behind Taiwan’s. Ironically, the broadcasters failed to switch the feedback in time and did not air China’s entry to the games.
