Olympic 2016 Results: Live Updating Medal Count for Wednesday

The race for the most gold medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics keeps heating up as the first week in Rio continues.

There is obviously a long way to go before the closing ceremony, but as of now, it seems like a two-way competition between the United States and China. Here is a look at the latest standings for each medal and the overall medal count. 

Tuesday was a big day for both countries. It featured China earning gold medals in synchronized diving and weightlifting, two sports that have been highlights for this team so far in Rio.

However, the Americans were able to take a bigger lead in the medal count thanks to their stars in gymnastics and swimming.

The United States women's gymnastics team was long considered the best in the world, to the point that the finals were more of a show than anything else. Still, the team lived up to expectations and won by an incredible eight points.

Simone Biles was the biggest star coming in, but all five members were great in their events, including Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian.

Johnette Howard of ESPN.com explained just how good Team USA was in this competition:

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But by any measure—the scores, the eyeball test, the consistently spectacular routines these five women threw out, the amplitude of the skills they perform, their imperviousness to pressure—it's easy to make the case that this team is the best women's team ever assembled. This was such a total domination that by the halfway point of the event, the U.S. was competing only against itself. It was Them vs. What's Possible, Them vs. Perfection, just as Karolyi had always preached.

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This group has a chance to earn a few more medals at the individual level in the coming days, including Biles and Raisman battling in the all-around competition. Biles is the overwhelming favorite after winning the last three world championships.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Meanwhile, the United States also saw its biggest stars come through in swimming, as Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps keyed three gold medals on the night.

Phelps was set to battle former gold medalist Chad le Clos in the 200-meter butterfly but ended up facing more elite competition from Masato Sakai and Tamas Kenderesi. Despite the challenge, the most decorated Olympian of all time found a way to come through with a 0.04-second victory.

About an hour later, the American had a much easier time winning gold in the 4x200-meter relay. Conor Dwyer and Townley Haas gave Team USA enough of an advantage early that Ryan Lochte and Phelps could cruise in the final two legs for a win, giving Phelps his 21st career gold medal.

As for Ledecky, Tuesday represented her toughest test in the 200-meter freestyle against Sarah Sjostrom. Even in her worst individual event, though, the 19-year-old swimmer came through with an impressive victory.

Nicole Auerbach of USA Today noted Ledecky's consistency at the highest level:

Ledecky will have another chance to win gold Wednesday in the 4x200-meter relay, where she is expected to anchor. Nathan Adrian also could end up on top of the podium in the 100-meter freestyle race.

Medals in kayak, cycling, diving, fencing, gymnastics, judo, rowing, shooting, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting will also create some major changes in the medal count on Day 5.

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