Reply #28: Uneven analysis, since each country has limited entrants

[Awsi Dooger]

In events like swimming and track and field, for example, the USA is allowed three entrants maximum. If you add six or eight or whatever Western European countries together, their total entrants in an event will dwarf the USA allotment, guaranteeing a larger chunk of the medals over a significant number of events.

In some respects, the USA is actually discriminated against due to population and therefore depth. Again, using swimming and track and field, in many cases the USA's 4th thru 8th finisher in the Olympic trials is far superior to the top performer from another country, but the USA can send only three participants. The USA would earn a far greater percentage of total medals if an open qualifying standard were used, let's say anyone who beat 10.20 seconds in the 100 meters, instead of a quota by country.