Gulf region brings back 17 Olympic medals

The Gulf nations were not expected to top the Olympics medal table – and, apart from an impressive 12-medal haul from Iran (putting it 17th on the overall medals table), the region’s athletes did not bring home much metal. Qatar ranked 75th in the table, with two bronzes, and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain tied 79th with one bronze apiece. But the medals won in London have increased the historical tally of Olympic medals from the region by almost a third – to 70 from just 53.