ITALY Wins 10 Gold Medals for Eighth place...!!!!!............................
---------------------------------and a
Total of 32 Medals again for Eighth place...!!!!
The accomplishment was made ALL the Sweeter, because STEFANO BALDINI of Italy won the GOLD in the KEY Event, the FINALE of the Olympics, THE MEN'S MARATHON, by coming from behind in the last 2 miles.
Just enough time to for us to build up our expectations, knowing we were in for a disappointment, yet holding out hope against hope, being tantalized by his surging ahead, yet realizing that it was something too good to happen.... BUT... he hung on and capped a Proud Performance for Italy.
Another Highlight, earlier in the day,
Italy won the Silver Medal in Mens Volleyball.
The Men previously had also Silvered in
Basketball, and Bronzed in Soccer.
The Women took Gold in Water Polo, and Bronzed in Rhythmic Gymnastics among a Total of Nine (9), out of Italy's 32 Medals.
For me, the Rhythmic Gymnastics were special, and Italy won their first Olympic medal ever; a silver medal. Italy impressed with high throws of the apparatus, witty passovers between the gymnasts and a variety of formations.
On a broader subject, Keep in mind that while the US rejoices in the 35 Gold Medals and Total of 103, that it was their lowest totals since the Sydney Olympics.
But more important that the totals must be put into perspective. Even setting aside that the US is the richest country in the World, that each of the major European nations (Italy, Germany, France and Britain) "medaled" at a higher per capita rate than did the US (at about a 150% higher rate)!
For instance, Italy with almost 60 million population, and the US with almost 300 million, has 5 times the population of Italy, therefore should have achieved 5 times the medals of Italy, Right???
So since Italy won 10 Gold Medals, the US should have garnered 50. BUT but the US won only 35 Gold Medals. Think about it!!!
It did give me some degree of satisfaction that Italy beat those "snobby" Britans.
It's rather revealing to see how countries
measure up when you "qualify" the Totals.
You can use the US, 1 medal per 3 Million,
or Italy's 1 medal per 2 million.
MEDAL TOTAL
Italy
Tot.: 32
Event Participant
Gold
Archery - Men's
Individual GALIAZZO
Marco
Athletics - Men's
Marathon BALDINI
Stefano
Athletics - Men's
20km Walk BRUGNETTI
Ivano
Cycling Road - Men's
Road Race BETTINI
Paolo
Fencing - Women's
Individual Foil VEZZALI
Valentina
Fencing - Men's
Individual Sabre MONTANO
Aldo
Fencing - Men's
Team Foil 
ITA
Gymnastics Artistic
- Men's Horizontal Bar CASSINA
Igor
Shooting - Men's
Skeet BENELLI
Andrea
Water Polo - Women
ITA
Silver
Basketball - Men
ITA
Canoe/Kayak Flatwater
- Men's K2 1000m
ITA
Canoe/Kayak Flatwater
- Women's K1 500m IDEM
Josefa
Fencing - Men's
Individual Foil SANZO
Salvatore
Fencing - Women's
Individual Foil TRILLINI
Giovanna
Fencing - Men's
Team Sabre
ITA
Gymnastics Rythmic
- Group All-Around
ITA
Shooting - Men's
Trap PELLIELO
Giovanni
Shooting - Women's
50m Rifle 3 Positions TURISINI
Valentina
Swimming - Women's
200m Freestyle PELLEGRINI
Federica
Volleyball - Men
ITA
Bronze
Athletics - Men's
Pole Vault GIBILISCO
Giuseppe
Boxing - Men's Super
Heavy (+91kg) CAMMARELLE
Roberto
Football - Men
ITA
Fencing - Men's
Individual Foil CASSARA
Andrea
Gymnastics Artistic
- Men's Rings CHECHI
Yuri
Judo - Women's -78
kg MORICO
Lucia
Rowing - Men's Double
Sculls
ITA
Rowing - Men's Four
ITA
Rowing - Men's Lightweight
Four
ITA
Sailing - Women's
Mistral
ITA
Swimming - Men's
4 x 200m Freestyle Relay
ITA
THE SCORECARD:
Country 
Total
Population (Million)
1 United States----------35-------39-------29-------103-----------293
2 China----------------------32-------17-------14---------63--------1,313
3 Russia--------------------27-------27-------38---------92-----------144
4 Australia-----------------17-------16--------16--------49-------------20
5 Japan---------------------16--------
9--------12--------37------------127
6 Germany----------------14--------16-------18--------48
------------82
7 France-------------------11----------9--------13-------33-------------60
8 Italy----------------10------11------11-----32---------58
9 Korea---------------------
9--------12----------9-------30-------------49
10 Great Britain----------9----------9---------12------30--------------60
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 Cuba---------------------9---------7--------11--------27--------------11
12 Ukraine-----------------9---------5----------9--------23--------------
48
13 Hungary---------------
8---------6----------3--------17-----------------1?
14 Romania---------------8---------5----------6--------19----------------22
15 Greece------------------6---------6----------4--------16---------------11
16 Norway------------------5---------0---------1-----------6----------------4
17 Netherlands-----------4---------9----------9---------22---------------16
18 Brazil--------------------4---------3----------3---------10--------------184
19 Sweden-----------------4---------1----------2----------7------------------9
20 Spain--------------------3--------11----------5--------19----------------40
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21 Canada-----------------3---------
6---------3----------12----------------32
22 Turkey------------------3----------3---------4----------10----------------69
23 Poland------------------3---------2----------5----------10----------------39
24 New Zealand---------3----------2----------0-----------5------------------4
25 Thailand----------------3---------1----------4-----------8------------------65
26 Belarus-----------------2---------6----------7----------15----------------10
27 Austria------------------2---------4----------1-----------7-------------------8
28 Ethiopia-----------------2---------3--------2------------7------------------67
29 Iran-------------------------2----------2-------2-----------6-------------------
29 Slovakia------------------2----------2--------2----------6--------------------5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31 Chinese Taipei---------2---------2----------1----------5------------------23
32 Georgia-------------------2---------2----------0----------4-------------------5
33 Bulgaria------------------2---------1-----------9---------12------------------7
34 Jamaica------------------2---------1-----------2----------5
34 Uzbekistan--------------2---------1-----------2----------5
35 Morocco------------------2---------1-----------0----------3
36 Denmark-----------------2---------0-----------6----------8-------------------5
38 Argentina----------------2----------0----------4----------6-------------------39
39 Chile-----------------------2---------0----------1----------
3------------------16
40 Kazakhstan-------------1---------4----------3-----------8
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
41 Kenya---------------------1---------4----------2----------7-----------------32
42 Czech Republic--------1---------3---------4
---------8------------------10
43 S Africa-------------------1---------3--------
2 ----------6------------------43
44 Croatia---------------------1--------2----------2----------5-------------------4
45 Lithuania------------------1---------2----------0---------
3-------------------4
46 Egypt-----------------------1---------1----------3---------5
46 Switzerland---------------1---------1----------3---------5--------------------7
48 Indonesia------------------1---------1----------2---------4-----------------238
49 Zimbabwe-----------------1---------1---------1----------3-------------------13
50 Azerbaijan----------------1---------0----------4----------5--------------------8
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
51 Belgium--------------------1---------0---------2-----------3------------------10
52 Bahamas------------------1---------0---------1-----------2
52 Israel------------------------1----------0---------1----------2-------------------6
54 Cameroon-----------------1----------0----------0----------1
54 Dominican Republic---1----------0----------0----------1
54 Ireland----------------------1----------0----------0-----------1------------------4
54 Un Arab Emirates------1----------0---------
0-----------1
55 DPR Korea---------------0----------4----------1-----------4-----------------23
59 Latvia-----------------------0----------4---------0------------4
60 Mexico---------------------0----------3---------1------------4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
61 Portugal---------------------0---------2----------1----------3------------------11
62 Finland----------------------0----------2---------0-----------2
62 Serbia/Montenegro------0---------2----------0-----------2
64 Slovenia---------------------0---------1----------3-----------4-------------------2
65 Estonia----------------------0---------1----------2-----------3-------------------1
66 Hong Kong----------------
0---------1----------0-----------1
66 India--------------------------0----------1---------0-----------1
66 Paraguay-------------------0----------1---------0-----------1
69 Nigeria-----------------------0----------0---------2-----------2-----------------307
69 Venezuela------------------0----------0---------2-----------2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
71 Columbia---------------------0----------0---------1-----------1
71 Eritrea------------------------
0----------0---------1-----------1
71 Mongolia----------------------0----------0---------1-----------1
71 Syria Arab Republic------0----------0---------1-----------1
71 Trinidad/Tobago------------0-----------0--------1-----------1
Medals
http://www.athens2004.com/en/OlympicMedals/medals