LONDON -- With a surge of medals in track and field, the United States has sprinted ahead of China and is poised to finish atop the medals table at the London Olympics -- maybe with the most golds ever collected by the Americans on foreign soil.
Heading into the final weekend of competition, the U.S. leads both the gold and overall medals races after trailing the Chinese most of the games.The Americans pulled further ahead Friday. At the end of the day's events, the U.S. led China 94 to 81 in total medals and 41 to 37 in golds.Bill Mallon, a veteran American medals prognosticator, thinks the U.S. will win the overall race by 12 to 15 medals and the gold count by three to five.Four more golds would equal the highest U.S. total on foreign territory in Olympic history -- 45 at both the 1968 Mexico City Games and the 1924 Paris Games.The gold haul in London is already the best for the United States since it won 44 in 1996 in Atlanta. Its highest gold count was 83 at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, which were boycotted by the Soviet Union.The late U.S. charge in London has been spurred by the track and field team, with 26 medals, including eight golds.The success could validate the projection of 30 medals by USA Track & Field, the national governing body for the sport, which had been widely maligned as too ambitious.With two more relays and a few other chances coming up, the United States could exceed 30 medals -- even after being shut out in the men's 200 and 400 meters, two events where the Americans usually excel.China beat the U.S. in gold medals, 51 to 36, on home soil at the 2008 Beijing Games, while the Americans prevailed 110 to 100 overall.Many thought China would sweep both lists in London.Britain has had its best medal performance in more than a century -- 25 golds and 57 overall.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
