There aren't many sporting events that thrill the globe quite like the Olympic Games, and few individual disciplines capture the world's imagination like boxing does.
In part thanks to its preserved amateur status, the Summer Olympics has long been seen as a potential precursor for future greatness, with plenty of medalists making a move to the professional ranks after success at this level.
Getty ImagesIntroduced at St. Louis in 1904 and held at every games bar Stockholm 1912 since, it is one of the programme's cornerstones beyond track-and-field events - but just which nations have walked away with more gold medals than anyone else?
Here, GOAL looks to see which country is the most successful in both the men's and women's boxing at the Olympic Games.
Boxing Olympic Medal Table - Combined
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 50 | 27 | 40 | 117 |
2 | Cuba | 41 | 19 | 18 | 78 |
3 | Great Britain | 20 | 15 | 27 | 62 |
4 | Italy | 15 | 15 | 18 | 48 |
5 | Soviet Union | 14 | 19 | 18 | 51 |
6 | Russia | 10 | 5 | 15 | 30 |
7 | Hungary | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20 |
8 | Poland | 8 | 9 | 26 | 43 |
9= | Argentina | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
9= | Kazakhstan | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
11 | France | 6 | 9 | 10 | 25 |
12 | South Africa | 6 | 4 | 9 | 19 |
13 | Bulgaria | 5 | 5 | 9 | 19 |
14 | Uzbekistan | 5 | 2 | 8 | 15 |
15= | East Germany | 5 | 2 | 6 | 13 |
16 | Germany | 4 | 9 | 10 | 23 |
17= | Thailand | 4 | 4 | 7 | 15 |
17= | Ukraine | 4 | 4 | 7 | 15 |
19 | South Korea | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
20 | Canada | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
21 | Ireland | 3 | 5 | 10 | 18 |
22 | China | 3 | 5 | 6 | 14 |
23 | Yugoslavia | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
24 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
25 | Japan | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
26 | Mexico | 2 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
27 | North Korea | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
28 | Brazil | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
29 | Finland | 2 | 1 | 13 | 16 |
30 | Romania | 1 | 9 | 15 | 25 |
31 | Denmark | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 |
32 | Turkey | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
33= | United Team of Germany | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
33= | Venezuela | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
35 | Netherlands | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
36 | Mongolia | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
37 | Norway | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
38 | Kenya | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
39 | ROC | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
40= | Belgium | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
40= | Belgium | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
42= | Algeria | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
42= | West Germany | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
44 | Dominican Republic | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
45 | Sweden | 0 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
46 | Philippines | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
47 | Nigeria | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
48 | Uganda | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
49 | Spain | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
50 | Belarus | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
51 | Azerbaijan | 0 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
52 | Puerto Rico | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
53= | Australia | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
53= | Colombia | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
55= | Egypt | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
55= | Ghana | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
57 | Chile | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
58= | Cameroon | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
58= | Unified Team | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
60= | Australasia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
60= | Czech Republic | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
60= | Estonia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
60= | Tonga | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
64 | Morocco | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
65 | India | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
66= | Armenia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
66= | Moldova | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
66= | Tunisia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
69= | Bermuda | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Chinese Taipei | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Croatia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Georgia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Guyana | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69 | Lithuania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Mauritius | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Niger | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Syria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Tajikistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Uruguay | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
69= | Zambia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The United States holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals in men's boxing, with 50 first-place finishes and 117 podium results.
This sets them nine ahead of second-placed Cuba, who have punched above the weight of the country to deliver a number of superb amateur boxers over the years, taking 41 gold medals in the process.
Getty ImagesGreat Britain ranks third overall with 20 golds, while Italy ranks fourth with 15 - one ahead of the fifth-placed Soviet Union, which actually scored more medals overall but could only muster 14 golds during its existence.
Boxers who have enjoyed success on the Summer Olympics stage before turning to a professional career are broadly from the United States, with Muhammad Ali - then known as Cassius Clay - one such victor, taking light heavyweight gold at Rome 1960.
Joe Frazier and George Foreman won subsequent golds at Tokyo 1964 and Mexico City 1968 to help underline American dominance. Still, not all future superstars would make the top step of the podium.
Evander Holyfield and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were both forced to settle for bronze at Los Angeles in 1984 and Atlanta in 1996. The former was disqualified in controversial circumstances during a semi-final he was leading.
For Great Britain, both Lennox Lewis and Anthony Joshua made their starts with gold at Seoul 1988 and London 2012 respectively, while current unified world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk also took gold at the latter too.
How to watch boxing at Paris 2024 Olympics
In the UK, the BBC is the official Olympic television broadcaster and will broadcast the action on BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer.
In the US, the Olympic games will be shown on several channels, including NBC, USA Network, MSNBC, and CNBC. NBC is also available on Peacock, FuboTV, and SlingTV.
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