Texas Wins Big: Outshines Most Countries in Gold Medals

While the 2024 Olympic Games have officially come to a close, Texas can certainly be proud as a state and all its achievements in Paris.

The games have a tendency to captivate us every time they happen. I know I watched nothing but the Olympics for the last two and a half weeks, and I'm not even sure what to do with myself at this point.

So why should we be proud as a state when it comes to what was achieved at the games? Sure, country pride of course, but how about some state pride? If Texas was its own country, we would've performed incredibly well.

When you take into account the athletes that either were born and raised here, or go to school somewhere in Texas, we would've finished pretty high up on the medal stand on our own. Yes, one state.

As a state, Texas finished the 2024 Olympic Games with 18 gold medals and 43 total medals. That would've placed Texas in seventh place in the overall medal standings and tied for FOURTH in gold medals.

14 different athletes with a connection to Texas pulled down gold medals. By comparison, Great Britain finished with 14 gold medals as a country. It's an amazing feat and shows the level of talent we have here.

Leon Marchand, the French swimmer who electrified the home crowd with four gold medals of his own, is not included in this list. However, he does train in Austin with Texas Longhorns swimming coach Bob Bowman. For purposes of this list though, we are sticking with those who are FROM Texas or go to school here.

Here is a look at who won gold in Paris, in alphabetical order, and what they won them in.

JULIEN ALFRED

SPORT: Track & field
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the women's 100m
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: St. Lucia

VALARIE ALLMAN

SPORT: Track & field
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the women's discus throw
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

SIMONE BILES

SPORT: Gymnastics
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the women’s artistic team all-around, women’s artistic all-around, and women’s vault
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

JORDAN CHILES

SPORT: Gymnastics
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the women’s artistic team all-around
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

RYAN CROUSER

SPORT: Track & Field
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the men's shot put
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

BRYCE DEADMON

SPORT: Track & Field
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the men's 4x400m team relay race
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

KEVIN DURANT

SPORT: Basketball
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the men's basketball tournament
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

BRITTNEY GRINER

SPORT: Basketball
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the women’s basketball tournament
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

VINCENT HANCOCK

SPORT: Shooting
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the men's skeet shooting
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

HUBERT KOS

SPORT: Swimming
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the men's 200m backstroke
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: Hungary

SHA'CARRI RICHARDSON

SPORT: Track & Field
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the women’s 4x100m relay race
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

HEZLY RIVERA

SPORT: Gymnastics
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the women’s artistic team all-around
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER

SPORT: Golf
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the men's individual tournament
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America

GABRIELLE (GABBY) THOMAS

SPORT: Track & Field
EVENT MEDALED IN: Gold medalist in the women’s 200m race, women's 4x100m relay race, women's 4x400m relay race
COUNTRY REPRESENTED: United States of America