How is a medal count began ? So America still the 1st in Beijing 2008?

Cannot reason why the counting of medals can be in this format ? Who invented it ? Or it is America want to be Taiko ( big brother) all the time ?

Overall Medal CountPresented by Chevrolet
Overall Medal Count Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
Flag of United States 36 38 36 110
Flag of China 51 21 28 100
Flag of Russia 23 21 28 72
Flag of Britain 19 13 15 47
Flag of Australia 14 15 17 46
Flag of Germany 16 10 15 41
Flag of France 7 16 17 40
Flag of South Korea 13 10 8 31
Flag of Italy 8 10 10 28
Flag of Ukraine 7 5 15 27
Flag of Japan 9 6 10 25
Flag of Cuba 2 11 11 24
Flag of Belarus 4 5 10 19
Flag of Spain 5 10 3 18
Flag of Canada 3 9 6 18
Flag of Netherlands 7 5 4 16
Flag of Brazil 3 4 8 15
Flag of Kenya 5 5 4 14
Flag of Kazakhstan 2 4 7 13
Flag of Jamaica 6 3 2 11
Flag of Poland 3 6 1 10
Flag of Hungary 3 5 2 10
Flag of Norway 3 5 2 10
Flag of New Zealand 3 1 5 9
Flag of Romania 4 1 3 8
Flag of Turkey 1 4 3 8
Flag of Ethiopia 4 1 2 7
Flag of Denmark 2 2 3 7
Flag of Azerbaijan 1 2 4 7
Flag of Czech Republic 3 3 0 6
Flag of Slovakia 3 2 1 6
Flag of Georgia 3 0 3 6
Flag of North Korea 2 1 3 6
Flag of Argentina 2 0 4 6
Flag of Switzerland 2 0 4 6
Flag of Uzbekistan 1 2 3 6
Flag of Armenia 0 0 6 6
Flag of Slovenia 1 2 2 5
Flag of Bulgaria 1 1 3 5
Flag of Indonesia 1 1 3 5
Flag of Sweden 0 4 1 5
Flag of Croatia 0 2 3 5
Flag of Lithuania 0 2 3 5
Flag of Mongolia 2 2 0 4
Flag of Thailand 2 2 0 4
Flag of Zimbabwe 1 3 0 4
Flag of Finland 1 1 2 4
Flag of Greece 0 2 2 4
Flag of Nigeria 0 1 3 4
Flag of Taiwan 0 0 4 4
Flag of Mexico 2 0 1 3
Flag of Latvia 1 1 1 3
Flag of India 1 0 2 3
Flag of Austria 0 1 2 3
Flag of Ireland 0 1 2 3
Flag of Serbia 0 1 2 3
Flag of Belgium 1 1 0 2
Flag of Dominican Republic 1 1 0 2
Flag of Estonia 1 1 0 2
Flag of Portugal 1 1 0 2
Flag of I.R.Iran 1 0 1 2
Flag of Trinidad & Tobago 0 2 0 2
Flag of Algeria 0 1 1 2
Flag of Bahamas 0 1 1 2
Flag of Colombia 0 1 1 2
Flag of Kyrgyzstan 0 1 1 2
Flag of Morocco 0 1 1 2
Flag of Tajikistan 0 1 1 2
Flag of Bahrain 1 0 0 1
Flag of Cameroon 1 0 0 1
Flag of Panama 1 0 0 1
Flag of Tunisia 1 0 0 1
Flag of Chile 0 1 0 1
Flag of Ecuador 0 1 0 1
Flag of Iceland 0 1 0 1
Flag of Malaysia 0 1 0 1
Flag of Netherlands Antilles 0 1 0 1
Flag of Singapore 0 1 0 1
Flag of South Africa 0 1 0 1
Flag of Sudan 0 1 0 1
Flag of Vietnam 0 1 0 1
Flag of Afghanistan 0 0 1 1
Flag of Egypt 0 0 1 1
Flag of Israel 0 0 1 1
Flag of Mauritius 0 0 1 1
Flag of Moldova 0 0 1 1
Flag of Togo 0 0 1 1
Flag of Venezuela 0 0 1 1