Bay Area excellence: Stanford, Cal outperformed most countries in Paris Olympics

If Stanford and Cal were to merge into a single nation—an outcome only marginally less likely than their joining the Atlantic Coast Conference—they would have ranked as the seventh most successful country in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Athletes from these two prestigious Bay Area universities collectively won 43 medals, surpassing nations like Italy, Germany, and South Korea. Stanford secured 27 medals, while Cal earned 16, placing them just behind Japan (45 medals) and slightly ahead of Italy (40 medals).

The impressive medal haul underscores the strength of both schools' Olympic programs. Over the past two weeks, alumni and current students have amassed an impressive collection of medals. Excluding medals from team events where multiple athletes contributed, Stanford earned 39 medals, breaking its previous record of 27 set during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

Stanford athletes represented 14 countries and won 12 gold medals, tying them with Germany and Italy for ninth place in the gold medal count. This tally was boosted by former swimmers Katie Ledecky and Regan Smith, each securing two golds. Torri Huske also shone with three gold medals in swimming and was among 14 Stanford undergraduates who qualified for the Olympics.

Cal swimmers made significant contributions as well, with Ryan Murphy earning a gold, silver, and bronze. In track and field, Camryn Rogers brought home Cal’s sole individual gold medal with a first-place finish in the hammer throw.