The Summer Olympics just keep getting bigger. There are 302 gold medals up for grabs in Beijing. That’s a gold medal every 47 minutes for the sixteen-day span of the games. Doesn’t sound so special when it’s put that way, does it? But is that BMX gold medal really as significant as the historic one Michael Phelps won last night? No, and there are good reasons why. Follow the jump for an in-depth analysis of the most valuable gold medals and the sports that don’t even deserve to be in the Olympics.

Germany’s Judith Arndt finished a disappointing 41st place in the women’s cycling road race. Arndt, who is openly gay and won the silver medal in Athens, was considered a pre-race favorite. The race was hampered by driving rain and treacherous climbs and descents. Nicole Cooke of Great Britian won the race in just over 3 1/2 hours. The top American was Kristin Armstrong in 25th place.

What? You say you’ve never heard of 23 year old Mark Cavendish from the Isle of Man? Then you haven’t been keeping up with the world of cycling! Cavendish thrilled us this year in the Tour de France, winning four individual stages for USA Team Columbia, a British record, and being dubbed the “fastest man alive” (on a bicycle).