Whatever its shortcomings, the modern Olympics is one of the most successful experiments in strengthening international understanding. Everyone can appreciate the fine performances of individual athletes or teams, regardless of nationality. But the loudest cheers are always for fellow nationals because of the continuing strength of national identity.

Only two or three nations can ever aspire to see their countries at the top of the Olympics medal count. This time China and the United States were in a category by themselves. As of the end of Friday in Beijing, China has a commanding lead in gold medals and the United States a growing lead in overall medals. If these are the final results, both will be victorious on the measures that matter most in their societies. China targeted gold medals, and the United States is one of a few nations to traditionally give strong attention to overall medals.

But there are other ways of looking at medal counts that give many other countries something to cheer about. Some smaller countries, such as Jamaica and New Zealand, for example, have far better records than either China or the United States in relationship to their populations. Other nations may be below average even on a per capita basis, but have done better than in the past or have one star athlete or niche sport that places them on the Olympics map.

Australia has 21 million people, a 15th of that of the United States. But it has won 40 percent as many medals. South Korea has about 4 percent the population of China, but almost a third as many medals as do the Chinese. Jamaica boasts 10 medals for 2.7 million people and a superstar athlete in Usain Bolt. On a per capita basis, Jamaica has one medal for every 270,000 people, New Zealand one for every 475,000, Australia has one for every 445,000, and South Korea one for every 1.7 million. This compares with the United States at one for every 3 million and China at one for every 15 million.

The medal counts illustrate that the world of the modern Olympics is not yet "flat." Some nations seek to tilt the field to their advantage. In a manner reminiscent of the old Soviet and Eastern European programs, China's 7-year-old Project 119 used huge subsidies and militarylike discipline to ramp up capabilities in Olympic sports where China had been weak, such as track and field events, swimming, rowing and cycling.

Most other developing countries are largely underrepresented at the Olympics, hobbled by fewer athletes, inadequate coaching, poor training facilities and lack of funds to send large teams to the Games. Two developing countries with huge populations — Pakistan, and Bangladesh, each with about 160 million people — have not a single medal between them. Neither does the Philippines, with 90 million people. India with 1.l billion people has only three medals. Africa as a continent has 27 medals so far, just above Italy's count. South America has but 21. In fact, China is the only developing country in the top tier of the medal count.

Economic development, as well as government programs, helps account for the rise of East Asia in Olympic medal counts. Led by China, and with strong South Korean and Japanese performances, East Asia has through Friday 161 medals, more than the 155 count for North America, including the Caribbean. At the previous Olympics in Asia — Seoul in 1988 — the U.S. total alone exceeded that of all Asia, and before that East Asia was hardly a force in Olympics competition.

But Europe continues to dominate the medal totals, a fact often obscured by the high individual country totals for China and the United States but obvious to many television viewers. Europe as a whole has led the medal count by far in every modern Olympics except those in the United States in 1904 and 1984, the former before air transport and the latter distorted by the withdrawal of the Soviet bloc.

In Beijing through Friday, the 27-nation European Union has 251 medals, almost as many as China, the United States and Russia combined. When Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Norway and other non-EU nations are added, Europe has 379 medals. On a per capita basis, Slovenia has a medal for every 400,000, Estonia one per 650,000, Norway one per 660,000 and Denmark one per 785,000.

Clearly the Olympics are not perfect, although many of the individual competitors seem near perfection. But even the countries way far down the medals list may have much to be very proud about.

In air rifle shooting, Abhinav Bindra won India's first individual gold medal in 100 years of Olympic competition. Bahraini runner Rashin Ramid brought home his tiny country's first gold medal. Thousands of Mongolians celebrated in the spirit of national unity when 24-year-old Tuvshinbayar Naidan, a son of herders, won Mongolia's first-ever gold in judo. A virtually unknown athlete from Togo, Benjamin Boukpeti, snagged his country's first-ever medal, a bronze, in the kayak slalom.

We can all take great delight in such individual stories that may mean so much to the countries that are not Olympic powerhouses.

Charles E. Morrison is president of the East-West Center. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.