The USA win the Global Cup for the second year running, Per Capita Cup to Norway
Pretty much the same gap as in 2009 (1.353 points then) but on a lower overall score of 5.676 points (it was 7.313 a year ago).
The 2010 Global Cup awarded a total of 66.012 weighted points, divided up among 120 nations. The total for 2009 was 82.643 among 124 nations.
Despite these differences, the name of the game in the national ranking was stability.
The top four nations were the same as in 2009, in the same order.
Among the top 20 nations, only three were not there in 2009: the Netherlands, who climbed into 12th place and recorded a significant jump (+ 9 positions) over 2009; Czech Republic (19th) and Serbia (20th).
The Czech Republic, among the top 20 nations, made the biggest leap vs last year (+13 places), followed by Serbia (+11), the Netherlands (+9), Brazil (+7). The chief underachievers were France (-5) and Japan (-5).
There was much stability in the Per Capita Cup too.
Norway clinched the title of sportiest nation on Earth, scoring a point every 3.569 inhabitants, ahead of Switzerland and Austria. By comparison, Global Cup winners USA need 53.760 inhabitants to score a point. The Per Capita ranking was a spree for North-Eastern European nations, that clinched nine out of the top ten places.
The only exception was New Zealand, with a very strong fifth place, well ahead of the other country down under (The Aussies finished 12th).