Team USA concluded the Rio Games with 46 Gold Medals and a record-setting 121 total medals, which "trounced every other country by at least 50," according to Scott Fowler of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. This marks the most medals the U.S. has won since the boycotted '84 L.A. Games. U.S. women "won 61 of those medals and American men 60, as Title IX once again proved its worth" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/22). The AP's Tim Reynolds noted the previous record for U.S. medals "at a fully attended Olympics was 110, set at Beijing eight years ago." China finished second with 70 medals. Outside of '84 and the '80 Moscow Games, which the U.S. boycotted, the "margin between first and second in the overall medals race tops all others ... since the Americans won 67 more medals than Italy" at the '32 L.A. Games. U.S. women garnered 27 Gold Medals, "by far the most among any team of female Olympians at the Games" (AP, 8/21). In Miami, Michelle Kaufman notes if the U.S. women "were a country, they'd have finished third in the gold medal standings" (MIAMI HERALD, 8/22). In DC, Dave Sheinin notes dominating the medal table "has come to be expected of Team USA ... but this year's runaway seemed to take even the USOC brass by surprise." USOC Chief of Sport Performance Alan Ashley said, "The performance of this team has been beyond expectations" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/22).
CRASHING THE PARTY: In Chicago, Stacy St. Clair reports the success of Team USA was "somewhat surprising, considering about two-thirds of its members were first-time Olympians." USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said, "To be really candid, we weren't sure we were going to have that kind of success coming in. We had a fair amount of uncertainty, and I've never been more proud of a team with the way they came together." St. Clair notes the USOC "credited lower-profile sports for boosting the medal count, specifically citing triathlon winner Gwen Jorgensen ... and the equestrian team for their strong performance" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/22). In Houston, David Barron notes 25 of the 38 medalists in swimming "were first-time Olympians ... and 86 of the 129-member track and field team, which totaled 31 medalists, were in their first Olympics" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/22).
SUCCESS ALL ACROSS THE BOARD: USA TODAY's Nancy Armour notes Team USA "piled up the hardware in the old standbys of track and field, basketball, gymnastics and swimming." However, Helen Maroulis "gave the USA its first gold in women's wrestling," while Jorgensen "became the first American, male or female, to win gold in the triathlon" since it was added to the Olympic program in '00. Additionally, the equestrian team "won a silver and two bronzes" after being shut out four years ago in London (USA TODAY, 8/22). In Boston, John Powers notes the U.S. "made the podium in 23 of the 32 sports, from archery to equestrian to sailing to triathlon, winning gold in 13 of them" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/22).
