California has earned a commanding lead with the most medals of all states in the United States competing in the 2016 Olympics, with the Golden State’s own having won 26 medals as of Thursday evening.
According to tabulations made by local ABC affiliate ABC10, New York is trailing in second place with 13 medals, and Maryland is tied in third with Illinois;,both of which have earned nine. Although the majority of California’s medals have been bronze (10), the Golden State has earned the most gold medals (8) so far and also has the highest number of silver (8) and bronze medals.
ABC 10 points out that “if California were counted as a country in the official Olympics medal count, it would rank seventh, ahead of nations like France and Italy.”
Each state’s tally was reportedly based on athletes who were born in their state,and not ones who live and train there currently.
According to Southern California Public Radio, all of the athletes hailing from Southern California are on a Twitter list, currently 52 people long.
As much of an honor it is to win the medals, the California victors will have to pay a price when they return home to the state — which is known for its high taxes. CBS Sports notes that California-based medalists will face a bonus tax when they return home, paying taxes on cash prizes of $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze.
Last week, the state legislature turned down a proposal to provide tax breaks to Olympic medalists. Breitbart California’s Jon Fleischman wrote approvingly of the bill’s defeat:
This pattern of gaming the system for the benefit of only a few has created a culture of corruption that has become so prevalent in our federal and state capitols. Those who benefit or want to benefit from special, narrow, favorable treatment hire well-connected lobbyists (often these are former politicians, advancing the idea that bellying up to the give-away bar means a lucrative payday for modestly paid legislators when they retire). It means big campaign contributions, or big independent expenditures to help those who go along, and to punish those who do not. It means big donations to causes near and dear to the political elite. I could go on.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz
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