Olympic 2018 Medal Count: Final Medal Tally for Each Country on Sunday

The United States and the rest of the world is playing catch-up to Norway in the race for the most medals at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.  

As the Sunday competitions (based on United States' Eastern Time) concluded, Norway led the medal count with eight. It is a close battle, though, as Canada is in second with six medals, and Netherlands sits in third with five.

The United States and Germany are just off the hypothetical podium in fourth place with four medals.

Here is a look at the early battle for the most medals of the Games:

One of those medals for the United States was a historic one, as Chris Mazdzer won silver in the men's luge. He was the first American man in Olympic history to medal in luge singles, finishing behind gold medalist David Gleirscher of Austria.

Mazdzer reacted to the showing:

The most surprising development in the men's luge was when Germany's Felix Loch, who appeared well on his way to a third straight Olympic gold medal in the event entering the final run, glanced into the wall and finished a disappointing fifth place.

An Olympic champion who was able to defend her gold from the 2014 Sochi Games was Jamie Anderson, who prevailed against the elements and the rest of the field in the women's snowboarding slopestyle event.

With a score of 83.00, she comfortably beat silver medalist Laurie Blouin (76.33) of Canada and bronze medalist Enni Rukajarvi (75.38) of Finland in a competition defined by falls and mistakes because of strong gusts of winds impacting the athletes.

The United States and Canada also both medaled in the team figure skating event, only this time it was the Canadians capturing gold while the Americans settled for bronze behind the Olympic Athletes from Russia.

Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir put the finishing touches on the event with the best free ice dancing performance in an event that included short and free competitions from the women's individual, men's individual, ice dancing and pairs.

Canada received first-place points from Virtue and Moir twice (who also won the short ice dancing competition), as well as Patrick Chan—who won the men's free skate over Russian Mikhail Kolyada and American Adam Rippon—and pairs free skate victors Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford.

Russian Alina Zagitova won first place in the women's free skate, although American Mirai Nagasu dazzled in second as the first United States woman to complete a triple axel in Olympic competition.

However, it is still Norway atop the medal counter, and it is largely because of one event in particular.

The country took home all three medals in the grueling men's 15-kilometer plus 15-kilometer skiathlon in the cross-country skiing portion of the Games. Simen Hegstad Krueger won gold with a time of one hour, 16 minutes and 20 seconds, Martin Johnsrud Sundby took home silver at 1:16:28, and Hans Christer Holund captured bronze at 1:16:30.

Incredibly, Krueger crashed in the opening portion of the race and still came all the way back to win.

Nick Zaccardi of NBC Olympic Talk underscored the country's cross-country dominance:

If Norway lands more performances like that, it will be tough to deal with for the other countries as they attempt to make up ground in the medal tracker.