August 1 represented a good day of competition for Team USA at the London Games, but Team China did them one better. At the close of day 5, the Chinese sit alone atop the overall 2012 Olympic medal count leaderboard with 30 gold, silver, and bronze wins. Team USA is one medal shy of the lead with a total of 29 accumulated over the 5 days of competition completed. Japan ranks a distant third overall with 17 total.
The Chinese added four gold and three silver medals to the their overall London Games tally on day 5, including top finishes in men's diving, swimming, table tennis, and weightlifting. Their top-ranked mark of seven new medals was matched by Team Germany, who excelled in rowing and men's gymnastics.
Athletes from the US scored six additional medals, including a heartwarming come-from-behind bronze in the men's gymnastics individual all-around competition for Floridian Danell Leyva. The talented gymnast fought his way back from 19th place thanks to two knockout final routines on the parallel bars and high bar. It was a gritty, brave performance that showed off his tough competitive core.
US diving also continued demonstrating a return to top form with a bronze medal finish for Kristian Ipsen and Troy Dumais in the men's synchronized 3m springboard diving final. It's been a long time since the USA has been a legitimate international threat in the sport, so the athletes' efforts are particularly meaningful for the generation of divers to come.
Finally, host nation Great Britain had a great day of competition, adding 5 more medals to their overall count, while South Korea and Japan earned 4 more each.
Which nation will nab the overall 2012 Olympic medal count lead at the close of day 6? Watch the events via livestream at NBCOlympics.com.
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