No doubt, the Chinese delegation performed remarkably. Could anyone have believed the PRC would collect 100 medals, 51 of which gold, just 24 years after first participating in the Games in 1984? Home field advantage definitely played its part - with Chinese probably among the most partriotic fans in the world - but still remarkable.

A look at the medals tally suggests that China is no. 1. Strictly speaking that is true, but a look at euolympics.eu reveals something different: would the EU participate as one team, like having the courage to speak with one voice on other international issues, it would lead. Let's look at the numbers: 280 medals total, with 87 gold ones! Not bad EU!

Interestingly it is not just federalist NGOs that follow this thinking. The websites of the French and German embassies in Beijing also show the EU medal numbers - but the French site informs that the EU numbers are given "for information only".

UPDATE (Aug. 25): The EUObserver published a worthwhile article about the the EU Olympics project.