via Reuters
Simone Biles looks down as she warms up during the final day of women’s competition in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for gymnastics in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., June 27, 2021. Picture taken June 27, 2021. Picture taken June 27, 2021. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson
via Reuters
Simone Biles looks down as she warms up during the final day of women’s competition in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for gymnastics in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., June 27, 2021. Picture taken June 27, 2021. Picture taken June 27, 2021. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson
With a whopping 613 athletes, Team USA boasts the largest contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Despite that massive size, the Americans repeated an unenviable part of their Olympic history on Day 1 yesterday.
Although eleven medal events took place yesterday, Team USA didn’t pick up a single medal. This marked the first time they didn’t take a medal home on Day 1 of the Games since 1972.
Team USA left empty-handed on Day 1 of Tokyo Olympics 2020
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Field hockey and handball are the only sports at the Tokyo Olympics without participants from Team USA. Despite that emphatic statistic, the Americans walked away from eleven medal-winning opportunities empty-handed on Saturday.
The last time this happened was at the 1972 Munich Olympics, as mentioned by The New York Post. Although they had a smaller contingent of 400 Olympians that year, they still walked away with loads of medals after the Games.
via Reuters
Tokyo 2020 Olympics – The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Opening Ceremony – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan – July 23, 2021. Flag bearers Sue Bird of the United States and Eddy Alvarez of the United States lead their contingent during the athletes parade at the opening ceremony REUTERS/Mike Blake
On Saturday, however, USA came up short across the board. In the women’s 10m Air Rifle final, Mary Carolynn Tucker could only manage a sixth-place finish. In addition, James Hall and Nickolaus Mowrer didn’t even qualify for the Men’s 10m Air Pistol final.
Despite fielding two participants in the men’s cycling road race, neither of them could claim a medal. Although Sabre fencer Eli Dershwitz looked a strong contender for a medal, he lost to South Korea’s Junghwan Kim in the Round of 16.
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Team USA make a strong statement on Day 2
Although they finished Day 1 empty-handed, they made an excellent comeback today. The Americans clinched four gold, two silver and four bronze medals.
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Lee Kiefer won the Women’s Foil Individual fencing event, while Chase Kalisz took the gold in the Men’s 400m Individual medley swimming event. Shooter Will Shaner and Taekwondo athlete Anastasija Zolotic brought home the other two gold medals.
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Despite not winning a medal on Saturday, they stormed to third place in the medals tally today. Host country Japan put on an excellent show across both days to clinch a total of five gold medals after today’s events.
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China remain at the top with six gold medals to their name at the end of Day 2’s proceedings.
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