As Saturday's competition begins at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the United States is on top in the total medal count and gold medal count by the slimmest of margins.
One more day of gold medal pool swimming remains, but Saturday marks the second day of track and field. The U.S. did well once again in swimming on Friday, as Michael Phelps' 17th gold medal was just one of the victories that helped propel America to the top of the leaderboard.
The United States now has 43 total medals and 21 gold medals. China is second with 42 total medals and 20 gold medals.
Here are the top five countries heading into Saturday:
1. United States - 43 (21, 10, 12)
2. China - 42 (20, 13, 9)
3. Russia - 23 (3, 12, 8)
4. Great Britain - 22 (8, 6, 8)
5. Japan - 21 (2, 8, 11)
For a complete tally of the medals won, use SI.com's Medal Tracker.
Stick with this StoryStream for more coverage of local athletes at the 2012 Olympic Games. For more on the 2012 Olympic Games, make sure that you check out SB Nation's dedicated Olympics hub.
