See the alternative Olympics medal tally which has Australia FIRST in Paris after snaring 14 gold at the Games

It is officially time to celebrate – when it comes to the best Olympic nation per capita based on the top 10 from the current Games medal tally – Australia is the world yardstick.

With 14 gold medals so far, Australia’s 1.22 medals per million people makes for impressive reading.

They currently sit in third spot ahead of host nation France (13) and Great Britain (12).

Australia also has the highest number of gold medals per million people, bringing in 0.48 gold medals per million residents.

It comes as the US top the count in Paris with 24 gold and 86 medals overall at the time of writing – but given their population is 342 million, the statistics tell the story.

China sit second behind the US in the medal count with 22 gold – and they also are lagging well behind Australia in the alternative tally given their current population is a whopping 1.42 billion people.

Elsewhere, small nations such as Saint Lucia have managed to outperform their minute population.

Saint Lucia has 179,000 permanent residents – and after track star Julien Alfred won their first ever Olympic medal in the women’s 100m sprint, they technically have  five gold medals per million people.

When it comes to the best Olympic country per capita based on the top 10 from the current medal tally, Australia is the world yardstick (pictured, tennis stars Matthew Ebden and John Peers after winning gold in the doubles)

Swimmer Cameron McEvoy won the men’s 50m freestyle final – it comes as Australia has the highest number of gold medals per million people, bringing in 0.48 gold medals per million residents

Arisa Trew became Australia’s youngest ever gold medallist when the 14-year-old won the women’s park skateboard title

Meanwhile, Australia – who sit third in the medal tally – has the chance to add to their impressive collection on day 12 in Paris.

Sailor Matt Wearn (9.13pm Wednesday, AEST) looks a near certainty to win gold in the dinghy class and Nina Kennedy – the joint reigning world champion – is tipped to be a contender in the women’s pole vault final (3am Thursday, AEST).

All the Games action finishes on Sunday, with the closing ceremony in Paris on August 12 from 5am AEST.

Australia’s flag-bearer is yet to be named – and given the avalanche of gold in the City of Love, Australia’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares will be spoilt for choice.

Canoeist Jessica Cox – who later won two gold medals in the K1 and C1 slalom events – and evergreen hockey star Eddie Ockenden were the nominated flag-bearers for the opening ceremony.

At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Aussie basketball legend Patty Mills and swimmer Cate Campbell carried the flag at the opening ceremony.

Dual gold-medallist sailor Mathew Belcher was a popular choice ahead of the closing ceremony in Japan.