The Good and Not so Good for Team USA at the Olympics - Plus more Positive Storylines
The women’s basketball gold medal game officially marked the end of competition at the Paris games. The US finishes at the top of the overall medal count with 126. They tied China with 40 gold medals but led the way with 44 silver and 42 bronze. Sadly, that is one bronze less due to the fact that gymnast Jordan Chiles may be stripped of her individual medal in the floor final due to a third party ruling. Terrible decision, and they keep going back and forth on who is right. For now, there’s more to get to. Let’s break it all down. I am so sorry, but this is going to be very long.
The Not so Good
We’ll start here so we can end on a high note in the end. First of all I would just like to say for the record that breakdancing should not have been an event, and I am so glad it won’t be coming back. I mean think about this. Boxing which has been in the program for years may be on it’s way out, and we can’t get baseball, softball, and lacrosse in the program regularly. But we had breakdancing, skateboarding, and a bunch of other events that really should not be in the program, and flag football coming up. It’s really stupid. Just had to get that out of my system.
Basketball may have won the gold yet again but the world is catching up. The men’s squad from a coaching standpoint was a disaster. The three players on the Celtics never saw the floor together. Jayson Tatum had two games where he was a healthy scratch including the semi final, and Derrick White did not play in the gold medal game. BS move by Steve Kerr who should not return as coach, especially for blaming math and combinations for not playing Tatum and others. Tyrese Haliburton saw little action in what should have been a valuable experience for him. The team almost lost to Serbia because the same five played most of the game, but then the coverage kisses the butt of the alleged greatest of all time just for getting a layup. I had to watch those games on mute and fast forward. Not to mention Dwayne Wade made a very insensitive and disrespectful joke. Look it up if you want to know. It was disgusting and I won’t further amplify it by bringing it up.
And to be fair, the women also nearly lost the gold medal due to some serious substitution errors. Jewel Lloyd and Diana Taurasi played zero minutes and Sabrina Ionescu didn’t get in until midway through the third quarter. If it weren’t for French player Gabby Williams ever so slightly stepping on the three point line, the game would have gone to overtime and the women most likely would have lost. The one point win is only third time during the 61 game Olympic winning streak where it came down to single digits. Coach Cheryl Reeve has won titles with Minnesota and has been at this long enough to know better. But credit where it’s due, DT gets her record setting sixth gold medal.
Volleyball also had a disappointing run at the games. None of the beach volleyball teams won anything passed the quarter finals after having a team on top of the podium over the last few games, and having the number one rated female team entering Paris. On the indoor side, the men let the semifinal match against Poland slip away having to settle for the bronze, and the defending gold medal women got swept by Italy in the final match. From the jump, they were discombobulated and out of synch. I can’t speak for the women, but there will be whole sale changes on the men’s side which is much needed as this core group really accomplished nothing in their time together. Since getting the gold in 2008, it has not been good.
Lastly, the drought continues for the men’s track team in the 4 by 100 relay. Over the last 20 years, they struggled at the event spanning from either not making it out of the heats or semis, or getting disqualified in the final. In this case the second exchange was bad causing Kenny Bednarek to stop derailing everything. To add insult to injury, the exchange outside the allotted zone resulting in another disqualification. Thankfully, the women won in one of most fun races of the games. But Carl Lewis was none to please with how the coaches handled the team after Noah Lyles had to bow out. Lewis says they changed the entire after scratching Lyles, and that the system must be blown up moving forward. Former Olympian and tv analyst Ato Bolden had the reaction of “oh no!” when all of that unfolded and when asked what was going on, he said bluntly “I don’t know anymore”. I’m guessing off air he had some choice words for what he witnessed. Can’t say I blame him. On the bright side, Bednarek did come away with a silver in the 200m.
And Now for some Good News
Alright, we got that out of the way. Let’s go back to the track for some good things that happened. All of the other relays got gold with the exception of the mixed relay who landed the silver, but that team set a world record in the semifinals. The men 4 by 400 won gold with an Olympic record, and 16 year old Quincy Wilson became the youngest athlete ever to compete on a relay team. He was subbed out after the semifinal but still gets a gold medal. He’ll take on a bigger role next time. The women dominated the same relay and broke the American record that stood dating back to the 1984 games. That was thanks to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who took gold in the 400m hurdles, for running a critical second leg to put the race out of reach early. It was a great way to end the Olympic meet. Rai Benjamin, Grant Holloway, Quincy Hall, and Masai Russell also picked up gold medals in hurdles as Team USA swept the events for the first time ever. Anna Cockerill picked up a silver.
Noah Lyles came short of the double gold in the 100 and 200m (bronze in the 200, gold in the 100) but won the mantle of fastest man in the world. Sha’Carri Richardson became the second fastest woman by taking silver in the women’s 100m but helped get the win in the 4 by 100 relay for her first gold. Gabby Thomas was on that team, the 4 by 400 relay team, and won gold in the 200 locking up three gold medals for the Northampton Massachusetts native and Harvard graduate. Long distance running also had success with Cole Hocker pulling out a gutsy win in the 1500m with Yared Nuguse sneaking in for the bronze. Grant Fisher added two bronze medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 and Kenneth Rooks picked up the silver in the Steeplechase.
On the field, Ryan Crouser won his third straight gold in the shotput while Joe Kovacs added his third straight silver. Valerie Allman won her second straight discus gold medal while Tara Davis-Woodall took the title in the long jump. Former Nigerian turned US hammer thrower Annette Nneka Echikunwoke got silver. Nigeria denied her the right to compete under their flag like she did in Tokyo, so she became a US citizen and switched her allegiance. Katie Moon was unable to defend her title in the pole vault but got the silver, as did Sam Kendricks. Shelby McEwen also notched a silver in the high jump after losing in the jump off. Before track and field started, women’s rugby was on the same field and won their first medal ever, a bronze. They also got a major 4 million dollar in endorsement to help keep the program alive.
Now to what we all love, the action in the pool. The women of USA swimming led the charge in trying to best their rivals, the Aussie’s. Katie Ledecky is still the queen of distance swimming and added a relay silver and individual bronze in the 200 freestyle. She is now the most decorated female swimmer in the Olympics and brought her coach tears of joy in the process. Lily King in her final campaign struggled but capped her career with the 4 by 100 relay team helping break a world record in the race that ended the pool action. Regan Smith also picked up her first gold medals with that race, and while being on a different relay team in the semis. Kate Douglas, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske also won their first gold medals. Emma Weyant and Katharine Berkoff picked up their first medals in the Olympics both winning bronze. Weyant was the youngest member of the team and Berkoff hopes to continue her father’s legacy. Katie Grimes also got her first medal, a team silver.
The men were not as strong this time around. Caleb Dressel and Ryan Murphy helped the US win team gold and silver, but struggled on their own in what should be their last call. Murphy got a bronze in the backstroke while Dressel failed to defend his title from 2021 and did not make it back to the final. The men lost the 4 by 100 medley relay for the first time ever getting silver. Bobby Finke was lone induvial men winner breaking the world record in the 1500 freestyle. If he did not win, it would have been the first time since the 1900s that the men did not win individual gold. Despite strong efforts from Australia swimmers Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan, and Kaylee McKeown, the US won the gold medal count 8-7. To book end the water action, men’s water polo took home bronze and artistic swimming got silver. Women’s water polo was trying to repeat for the fourth time, but came away empty handed.
Gymnastics had joint success for the first time in a long time. The men got team bronze, medaling for the first time since 2008. Stephen “Pommel Horse Guy” Nedoroscik added a bronze in the event. The women took care of business winning team gold and Simone Biles reclaimed the all around for the sixth straight victory for the US. Suni Lee got the bronze in the all around and the uneven bars while Jade Carey added a bronze in the vault. Biles added a silver in floor and gold in vault. Finally, Kristen Faulkner picked up a gold in the cycle road race, which she was added into at the last second, women’s fencing picked up a team gold, and women’s soccer won gold for the first time since 2012.
Best of the Rest Rapid Fire
South Sudan men’s basketball team entered a huge underdog but pushed the US in the exhibition games, and got their first wins ever in the Olympics. They are the youngest country in the world and have no indoor basketball courts. They got the short end of the stick but earned a lot of respect. Good things are coming for them.
The Nigeria women’s basketball team after being told they could not be part of the opening ceremony delegation citing “lack of room” on the boat went on an improbable run. They took down high profile teams like Canada who were medal favorites on their way to the quarterfinals.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet won gold in the 5,000 and 10,000m and Faith Kipyegon won gold in the 1500m for the third games in a row.
Swedish swimming legend Sarah Sjostrom won two gold medals in the 50 and 100m freestyle. She is 30 years old and this may be her last go around.
Canada swept the hammer throw events with Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers winning gold.
Mondo Duplantis for Sweden broke the world record in the pole vault in route to the gold medal.
Andre de Grasse anchored the 4 by 100 relay team for Canada and won his 7th medal, that now ties swimmer Penny Olesiak for most of all time for team Canada. Speaking of swimming and Canada, Summer Mcintosh won four medals, three gold. She is the next great female swimmer.
France swimming phenom Leon Marchand won all four of his induvial races in his debut, including two in one night. He is coached by Bob Bowman, who also coached a guy named Michael Phelps.
Brazilian Rebecca Andrade became the most decorated gymnast in the country’s history coming back from three ACL surgeries. She won four medals including a team bronze and gold on the floor.
Italy won their first medals in gymnastics. A team silver, and two medals in the balance beam - a bronze for Manila Esposito and gold for Alice D’Amato.
The Netherlands track team had a great performance. Hassan Sifan took gold in the women’s marathon and bronze in the 500 and 10,000. Femke Bol got an induvial hurdle bronze robbing the US of a podium sweep. She also helped the relay teams get silver, and a comeback victory to get gold in the mixed relay.
Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez capped off an amazing career by winning his fifth straight gold medal. He announced his retirement after his victory.
Yusuf Dikec became an internet sensation on his way to winning silver in shooting for Turkiye.
Julien Alfred won the first medals ever for Saint Lucia. She won gold in the 100m and silver in the 200.
Letsile Tebogo of Botswana won gold in the 200m and team silver. He also ran in the 100m final.
Kaylia Nemour won the first gymnastics medal for Algeria after being denied to join the French team. She won gold in the uneven bars to a large ovation from the French crowd.
Carlos Yulo won the first ever gymnastics medals for the Philippines. He got gold in both vault and floor.
The Refugee Olympic team won a bronze medal in boxing. It was won by Cindy Ngamba.
Muzala Samukonga won the first medal ever for Zambia winning bronze in the men’s 400m. Dominica got their first medal as well with Thea Lafond winning gold in the triple jump.
Despite finishing last in the women’s marathon, Bhutan runner Kinzang Lhamo crossed the finish line to a large crowd that remained and received a standing ovation.
Last but not least, one of the best stories from the games. Ukraine came away with 12 medals including three golds. The 140 athletes they sent is the smallest group they've had. Yarolslava Mahuchikh won in the high jump, Aleksander Khyzhniak won in boxing, and they won a team gold in women’s fencing.
That was exhausting, more so for you than me probably. But believe it or not, this is our first Olympic recap. This platform did not exist for the 2021 games in Tokyo. It was created a year later. Thankfully we won’t have to go through this again for a while. Anyway, thanks for reading even though it probably took you three cups of coffee and a few breaks in between.