Team United States of America - Profile

Highlights:

The United States of America is the most successful nation in the history of the Olympic Games. In the NOC's 27 Olympic participations before Tokyo 2020, it has finished atop the medal table a record 17 times.

The United States of America achieved its dominant position on the back of some incredible individual and team performances. Six of the top 11 Olympic Games gold medal winners represented the NOC, and of those six, four are swimmers.

The all-time, all-NOC Olympic medal table is led by the most dominant swimmer of his or any generation, Michael Phelps. Phelps began his Olympic journey at the 2000 Games in Sydney where as a 15-year-old he raced the 200m butterfly, finishing fifth, his only Olympic Games where he did not win at least six medals. The 2004 Games were where he showed the world that he was going to be an all-time great. In Athens he won six gold and two bronze medals before going on to better that record in Beijing by winning eight golds from eight events. In 2012 in London, he won four gold and two silver, and for the first time since his first Games, finished off the podium in an event, the 400m individual medley, where he finished fourth. He came out of retirement to compete at the 2016 Games, and ended his career with a five gold, one silver haul in Rio. Phelps' tally of 23 gold, three silver and two bronze medals is 14 gold and 10 total medals better than the second-placed athlete on the all-time medal table, Soviet artistic gymnast Larissa Latynina.

Before Phelps, there was Mark Spitz. Like Phelps, Spitz was dominant in his time, winning nine gold, one silver and one bronze over just two Games, with the 1972 Games in Munich the pinnacle of his career. In Munich, he set seven world records in the seven events he raced, taking gold in each.

The United States of America's most decorated female gold medallist is Jenny Thompson. Thompson's record of eight gold, three silver and one bronze were won over a span of 12 years [1992-2004]. All her gold medals were won in relay events - she took three gold in the 4x100m freestyle, three in 4x100 medley relay and two in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Outside of the pool there are two standout track and field athletes whose records stand alone. The first is Carl Lewis who entered 10 events between the 1984 and 1996 Games and came away with nine gold medals and one silver - as well as having set two world records. At the 1984 Games, Lewis won the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and long jump events. He claimed the long jump title at the next three Games, to become the second athlete to win the same event in four consecutive Games - equalling the record set by US discus thrower Al Oerter [1956-68], and later equalled by Phelps in the 200m individual medley.

Team sports have also been a source of much success for the United States of America with basketball being largely dominated by the NOC. The US women's team has never finished lower than third at an Olympic Games in which it has competed and has won eight of the 11 gold medals since the women's event was first held in 1976, including the last six consecutive titles. On the men's side, the team has won 15 gold, one silver and two bronze medals. The 1992 Dream Team, featuring the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Charles Barkley, is considered one of the greatest teams to ever compete at an Olympic Games.

The United States of America again topped the medal table at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Artistic gymnast Simone Biles dominated her competition on the way to becoming one of the faces of the Games. She won the individual and team all-around, floor and vault, adding the bronze on beam. Swimmer Katie Ledecky also had a stellar 2016 Games, picking up four gold medals and one silver.

Additional Information: Website
https://www.teamusa.org

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TeamUSA

Anthem Title: The Star Spangled Banner

Anthem Composer: Words by Francis Scott Key. Music by John Stafford Smith.

Anthem Inducted: 1931

Official NOC Name: United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee

Founding Date: 1894

IOC Recognition Date: 1894

Delegation President: Susanne Lyons

Delegation Secretary General: Sarah Hirshland

IOC Members: Anita L DeFrantz [entry in the IOC: 1986], David Haggerty [entry in the IOC: 2020], James L. Easton [entry in the IOC: 1994]

First OG/PG Appearance: 1896

Number OG/PG Appearances: 28 [Tokyo 2020 included]

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