Olympic results are determined by a mix of time/distance (racing/throwing), points (gymnastics/diving/figure skating), and wins (team sports), leading to medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) awarded in finals, with final standings often ranked by gold, then silver, then bronze medals. Different sports have unique formats: track events use heats/finals for fastest times; judged sports (gymnastics, diving) combine difficulty and execution scores; team sports involve group stages (points for wins/draws) and knockout rounds (single elimination); while sports like soccer have group stages leading to quarter/semifinals and medal matches.

By Sport Type

Timed/Distance Events (Track & Field, Swimming): Athletes compete in preliminary heats, with the fastest advancing to semi-finals (if applicable) and then a final race, or best distances in field events, with medals for the top three finishers.

Judged Events (Gymnastics, Diving):

Gymnastics: A Difficulty (D) Score (skills performed) is added to an Execution (E) Score (how well it's done, starting from 10 with deductions for errors) for a total score.

Diving: Judges score execution, height, and entry; scores are averaged (high/low dropped) to get a total for the dive.

Team Sports (Soccer, Basketball):

Group Stage: Teams play round-robin within groups, earning points (3 for win, 1 for draw).

Knockout Stage: Top teams advance to single-elimination brackets (quarterfinals, semifinals) leading to Gold and Bronze medal matches.

Combat Sports (Boxing, Wrestling): Matches are scored by judges based on points for effective aggression, control, and clean hits, or end by knockout/submission.

New Sports (Breaking): Uses criteria like creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality, judged by an uneven panel of judges.

Overall Medal Ranking The official International Olympic Committee (IOC) ranking prioritizes countries by:

Gold medals won.

Silver medals, if gold medals are tied.

Bronze medals, if gold and silver are tied.