CA Has More Olympic Gold Medals Than Any Other State: Ranking

CALIFORNIA — When it comes to the number of Olympic gold medals each state has produced, California takes, well … the gold.

The aptly named Golden State has produced more gold medals than any other, according to a recent ranking from The Sports Geek, which excluded team sport wins.

California has produced 127 gold medals since the Olympic Games began in 1896, the ranking said. New York is a distant second with 70 and Ohio is third with 44.

Of particular note among gold medalists who call California home is swimmer Mark Spitz, a Modesto native who won seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, breaking all seven world records in the process, according to The Sports Geek. Four of the medals were for individual wins and the other three were for team relay events. Spitz had nine gold medals plus one silver and one bronze by the time he retired.

The U.S. has won more summer Olympic medals than any other country, with 2,635, The Sports Geek reported. Team U.S.A. will have the opportunity to add to that number in the coming weeks.

The 2024 Olympic Games run July 26 through Aug. 11 in Paris.