Each day during the Summer Games, THE DAILY offers our take on the business performances of some of the people, sponsors, broadcasters and other entities around London.
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GOLD: USAIN BOLT ... AGAIN -- For the second time in a week -- and second Summer Games in a row -- the Jamaican sprinter captivated the world by sweeping the sprint events in London. Bolt's personality and performances have helped NBC fight off Olympic fatigue during the Games' final week, and have even provided what is being called the "Bolt Boost" as searches for flights to Jamaica are up 51% this week, according to one tracker.
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SILVER: USA TRACK & FIELD -- The organization has taken its lumps in recent years, both for its dysfunction and on-track results. But with two days left in London's track and field competition, the U.S. has already won more here medals than at any Olympics since the boycotted '84 L.A. Games, and there have been no embarrassing stumbles or displays along the way. There is still a lot of work to be done at home, but congratulations are certainly in order.
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BRONZE: THOSE VENUES -- From the open and inviting Olympic Park, to the Olympic Stadium and archery at Lord's Cricket Ground, to beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade, virtually every venue on the London Olympic program has been spectacular. Save for a few missteps where form overshadowed function, London's venues have been among the most convenient and picturesque of any Olympics in recent memory.
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TIN: UGLY AMERICANS -- Whether it is gymnastics coaches protesting scores, boxing analysts screaming that we have been robbed or accusations toward Chinese swimmers, we have seen too much whining and finger-pointing from U.S. athletes, coaches and even commentators. Every time somebody from another country beats an American, it does not necessarily mean that the judges blew it, we were robbed or -- whether stated subtly or outright -- that the other athlete was doping. It also does not necessarily mean that our athlete was better but just had a bad day. Sometimes we just get beat, and that's OK.
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