ILLINOIS — Illinois is among the top five states for most Olympic gold medals produced, according to a recent ranking.

The Prairie State has produced more gold medals than most, according to the ranking from The Sports Geek, which excluded team sport wins.

California was No. 1 on the list, producing 127 gold medals since the Olympic Games began in 1896, the ranking said. New York was a distant second with 70 and Ohio was third with 44.

In fourth was Illinois with 40, followed by Texas with 34.

Of particular note among gold medalists who call Illinois home is track and field athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who attended Lincoln High School in East St. Louis and won three gold medals from 1988 to 1996, as well as one silver and two bronze, according to The Sports Geek. Joyner-Kersee broke the world record for the heptathlon in 1988 in Seoul, is still the only woman to win a heptathlon gold medal twice and was named the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated.

The U.S. has won more summer Olympic medals than any other country, with 2,635, The Sports Geek reported. Team U.S.A. will have the opportunity to add to that number in the coming weeks.

The 2024 Olympic Games run July 26 through Aug. 11 in Paris.

Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that a pavement preservation project will begin Thursday, July 18, on Illinois 128 from Illinois 33 in Beecher City to the Shelby County line. The project is expected to take about a week to complete. 

This 2.5-mile project will help preserve and maintain the existing pavement. One lane will be closed at times to complete the various operations. Flaggers will be used to direct motorists through the work zones. Further improvements on Illinois 128, including resurfacing in Shelby County to Illinois 16, are scheduled in 2025.  

Motorists are encouraged to allow for extra travel time through the work zone. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. 

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,000 miles of highway and nearly 10 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Four of Rebuild Illinois included approximately $12.1 billion of improvements statewide on 5,339 miles of highway, 533 bridges and 762 additional safety improvements. 

For IDOT District 7 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict7 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.