I've been watching the Olympics, but hadn't seen any Italy performances.:(

Therefore I was suprised in looking at the Medal Total that Italy was Tied for 9th
Place as of 9PM PST, Monday, August 23 rd, with 21 Medals including 8 Golds.

The Olympics are approximately 2/3 completed
To put matters in Perspective, I have include Population.
Wish I had time to insert the GNP.
If you use I medal per I Million Population, you will see how unusually successful Australia and Sweden already are at 2 Medals per Million.
The US has set a target of 100 Medals. 1 medal per 3 Million.

THE SCORECARD:
      Country                                     Total   Population (Million)

1 United States----------23-------26-------17--------66----------293
2 China-------------------23-------15-------12--------50--------1,313
3 Russia-------------------6-------16-------19--------41----------144
4 Australia---------------13--------9-------13--------35------------20
5 Japan------------------15------- 8---------9--------32----------127
6 Germany----------------8-------10-------11--------29 ----------82
7 France------------------9---------7--------9--------25-----------60
8 Great Britain------------7---------8--------7--------22-----------60
9 Italy---------------------8------- -6------ --7--------21-----------58
9 Korea------------------ 6--------10--------5--------21-----------49
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 Netherlands-----------3-------- 6--------8---- ---17-----------16
12 Romania---------------8--------4--------4---- ---16-----------22
13 Ukraine----------------8--------2--------5--------15-----------48
14 Belarus----------------2--------3--------6--------11-----------10
15 Hungary-------------- 4--------4--------2--------10-----------10
15 Spain------------------1--------6--------3--------10-----------40
17 Greece----------------5--------2--------2----------9-----------11
18 Bulgaria---------------2--------1--------5----------8------------7
18 Cuba------------------1--------1--------6----------8-----------11
20 Poland----------------2--------2--------3----------7------------39
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21 Denmark--------------1-------0--------5----------6-----------5
21 Czech Republic-------0-------3--------3 ---------6----------10
23 Slovakia---------------2-------2--------1----------5------------5
23 Canada----------------1------3---------1----------5-----------32
23 Austria-----------------0------4---------1---------5------------8
26 Sweden----------------3------0---------1---------4------------9
26 Turkey-----------------3------0---------1---------4------------69
26 Ethiopia----------------2------1---------1---------4------------67
26 Thailand---------------2------0---------2---------4------------65
26 Indonesia--------------1------1---------2---------4-----------238
26 S Africa----------------1------1-------- 2 --------4------------43
26 DPR Korea-------------0------3---------1-------- 4------------23
26 Croatia-----------------0------2---------2--------4--------------4
26 Slovenia---------------0------1---------3---------4--------------2
35 Georgia----------------2------1---------0---------3--------------5
35 Chile-------------------2------0---------1--------- 3------------16
35 Zimbabwe-------------1------1---------1---------3-------------13
35 Belgium----------------1------0---------2---------3-------------10
35 Brazil-------------------1------0---------2---------3------------184
40 Norway-----------------2-----0---------0---------2---------------4
40 New Zealand----------2------0---------0---------2---------------4
40 Switzerland------------1-----0---------1---------2----------------7
40 Kenya------------------0------2---------0---------2--------------32
40 Lithuania---------------0------2---------0--------2----------------4
40 Portugal----------------0------2---------0--------2--------------11
40 Estonia-----------------0------1---------1--------2----------------1
40 Taiwan-----------------0------1--------1---------2--------------23
40 Argentina--------------0-------0--------2---------2-------------39
40 Azerbaijan-------------0------0--------2----------2--------------8
50 Cameroon-------------1-------0--------0---------1
50 Un Arab Emirates-----1------0-------- 0---------1
50 Finland-----------------0------1--------0----------1
50 Hong Kong------------ 0------1--------0----------1
50 India-------------------0------1--------0----------1
50 Kazakhstan------------0------1--------0----------1
50 Latvia----------------- 0-------1--------0---------1
50 Morocco--------------0--------1--------0---------1
50 Serbia/Montenegro- 0-------1--------1----------1
50 Eritrea--------------- 0-------0---------1---------1
50 Israel-----------------0--------0-------1----------1
50 Jamaica--------------0--------0--------1----------1
50 Mongolia-------------0--------0--------1----------1
50 Trinidad/Tobago----0--------0--------1----------1
50 Venezuela-----------0--------0--------1----------1