When it comes to the Olympics, size matters.

It stands to reason that the more athletes a country has on its team, the easier it is to rack up medals. Time and time again, we see monster teams like Russia, the United States, Great Britain and China make it to the podium.

Medals standings are historically displayed in ascending order of total numbers. What if the charts measured the number of medals per athlete instead?

We looked at the data, and found a few surprises.

The Kingpin

Team U.S.A. remains top ranking whether its medals are measured in total or per competitor. It has taken home the most medals in the past three Summer Games, and has sent either the most or the second-most athletes to the Games, with an average team size of 554.

Its athletes outperform those from almost every other country, earning about one medal for every five athletes sent to the past three Summer Games.

The Dark Horse

With a population of fewer than 12 million, many might think of Cuba as a long shot. But while Team Cuba sent only 137 athletes on average over the past three Olympics, every athlete played an important role in the team’s success.

Cuba earned about one medal for every seven athletes it sent to the games —ranking fourth in terms of medals per athlete, just behind the U.S., China and Russia.

In 2012, when Cuba was ranked 30th for team size, it came in 14th for overall medals won. In 2008, it came in 149th for size, but 10th for overall medals won.

What about Canada?

Canada sends one of the bigger teams in the Olympics, with an average team size of about 290 over the past three Olympics, which puts it in 12 overall for team size. But on average, Canadians took home only about 16 medals — or about one medal for every 18 athletes — which meant that the country ranked 19th overall for medals per athlete.

This year, some Canadian teams are taking the “more with less” mantra to heart, twisting themselves to help reach Team Canada’s overall goal.

Rowing Canada chose not to compete in the men’s eight program, instead spreading its talent across the smaller boats — and maybe even gaining an extra medal out of it.

Last week, Team Canada’s chef de mission Curt Harnett announced that this year, Canada hopes to crack the top 12 in terms of overall medals earned.

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It’s a tough goal — in the London 2012 Olympics, Canada ranked 13th overall. Back then, Canada placed 24th in terms of medals per athlete, earning about one medal for every 15 athletes.

Judging by its past per-athlete record, it’s likely that with 315 athletes in Rio, Canada could count on taking home about 18 medals.

David Forrest, a professor at the University of Liverpool who applies economics to sports and gambling, has also predicted that Canada will win 18 medals.

This should be enough to meet its team goal and come in 12th, Forrest forecasts.

Forrest says that factors such as a country’s population, its economy and its political systems all help shape the efficiency of its Olympic team. Wealthier countries tend to do better, not only because they can send more athletes, but because the athletes who attend are better prepared.

“It is a rich man’s sport, the Olympic Games,” Forrest said.

Forrest said that socialist countries like Cuba tend to overperform when you consider its size and economy, because the government is free to devote as many resources for the “glory of the nation” as it wishes, without taking popular opinion into consideration.