Hypothetical question.
Lithuania has a population of 2.8 million people.
Iowa has a population of 3.1 million people.
Lithuania has won the Bronze medal 3 times in the Olympics ('92, '96, '00).
Do you think there has been a time period since 1972 that Iowa could have fielded a team that could have threatened for a medal, if Iowa was a separate country?
Assume for argument that we could have included 1 starter whose parents were from Iowa even if they didn't grow up here.
Here are the Top 4 teams in each Olympics since that time (URS = RUSSIA/USSR).
Lithuania has a population of 2.8 million people.
Iowa has a population of 3.1 million people.
Lithuania has won the Bronze medal 3 times in the Olympics ('92, '96, '00).
Do you think there has been a time period since 1972 that Iowa could have fielded a team that could have threatened for a medal, if Iowa was a separate country?
Assume for argument that we could have included 1 starter whose parents were from Iowa even if they didn't grow up here.
Here are the Top 4 teams in each Olympics since that time (URS = RUSSIA/USSR).
| 1972 | 1976 | +1980 | #1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | |
| 1. | URS | USA | YUG | USA | URS | USA | USA |
| 2. | USA | YUG | ITA | ESP | YUG | CRO | YUG |
| 3. | CUB | URS | URS | YUG | USA | LTU | LTU |
| 4. | ITA | CAN | ESP | CAN | AUS | CIS | AUS |
| 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | |
| 1. | USA | ARG | USA | USA | USA | USA |
| 2. | FRA | ITA | ESP | ESP | SRB | FRANCE |
| 3. | LTU | USA | ARG | RUS | ESP | AUSTRALIA |
| 4. | AUS | LTU | LTU | ARG | AUS | SLOVENIA |
