The 1924 Paris Summer Olympics saw the United States dominate the medal table with 99 total medals, while Finland and France followed, and several nations claimed their first-ever Olympic medals.
Key Facts
- Total athletes
- 3,089 athletes from 44 nations
- Events contested
- 126 events in 17 sports
- US total medals
- 99 medals (45 gold)
- Paavo Nurmi gold medals
- 5 gold medals in athletics
- Ville Ritola total medals
- 6 medals (4 gold, 2 silver)
- Nations winning first gold
- Argentina, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the cancellation of the 1916 Games due to World War I and the scaled-back 1920 Antwerp Games, Paris was selected to host the 1924 Summer Olympics, marking the city's second time hosting the Games and a renewed international commitment to the Olympic movement.
The Games of the VIII Olympiad were held in Paris, France, from 4 May to 27 July 1924, featuring 3,089 athletes from 44 nations competing in 126 events. The United States led the medal table with 45 gold medals and 99 total medals. Finland's Paavo Nurmi won five gold medals in athletics, and compatriot Ville Ritola claimed six total medals, setting individual records for the Games.
The 1924 Paris Olympics established new benchmarks for individual athletic achievement, with Nurmi's and Ritola's performances cementing Finland as a distance-running powerhouse. Several nations—including Argentina, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia—claimed their first Olympic gold medals, reflecting the growing global reach of the modern Olympic movement.
Result
at Paris, France