Post-Soviet Medal count

Before the Olympics fade too far from view lets pause to take note of something pretty phenomenal. Between all the hullabaloo about how the Chinese count medals and how the US does the same, the nations of the Former Soviet Union collectively kick ass. Looking back at the medal count retrospectively (see below), it's clear that they never really went away, even in the deepest depths of the Yeltsin years.

Ukraine wins 23 medals consistently. Belarus snaps up 15 or so every games.

It's pretty striking. It seems like too many years for the Soviet sporting infrastructure to have held together in an environment of rapidly declining public health and mortality and a minimal culture public participation in sports due to shitty and scarce venues, but there they are, a bunch of medals. Is the state still throwing money at it? Belarus doesn't have hardly any money. Go figure.

2008 Total medals (of 958)
China 100
USA 110
Former Soviet Union 173

2004 Total Medals (of 929)
China 63
USA 102
Former Soviet Union 162

2000 Total Medals
China 59
USA 91
FSU 136

1996 Total Medals (of 842)
China 50
USA 101
FSU 122