Team USA, after a somewhat disappointing middle chunk of the 2012 Olympics, has done what we here at DJC expected them to. They won the overall Olympics medal count, the Gold medal count, the Silver medal count, and even the Bronze medal count. However, there is still room for improvement and Team USA as a whole should work to improve now before we have to follow Australia by forming a National Sports Commission to find out why our Olympics team didn’t perform up to expectations. In the end we dominated the big events, 31 total medals in swimming, and 29 medals in Track and Field.
However, there were several sports were Team USA did not win any medals. Those events include; Badminton, Canoe Slalom and Sprint, Equestrian, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Handball, Field Hockey, Sailing, Synchronized Swimming, Table Tennis, Trampoline, Weightlifting and Triathlon. We here at DJC feel that America should challenge for every medal in the Olympics. We are a big enough country, with a huge sports culture, that every medal should be contested by Team USA. Especially the 18 Gold medals left on the table in the sport of weightlifting. There were a few Americans challenging for medals there, but overall Team USA needs to step up its game in these sports.
Here are some other facts to keep in mind from Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics. Team USA sent 530 Olympians to these games, for he first time ever female American outnumbers American men 269-261. Without a doubt the females of Team USA were the stars. In fact Team USA females won 29 of the team’s 44 gold medals. That is 65% of the gold medal haul of the entire team. Team USA females clearly dominated their male counterparts in Gymnastics, in the Olympic pool, in Olympic Stadium for Track and Field, and in both forms of Volleyball. Team USA woman won more Golds that any other country save China, and in 2016 DJC fully expects Team USA to lead the way in that category as well.
The American MVP of these games probably comes from Team USA swimming. Michael Phelps won six more medals to become the most decorated Olympian of all time. Allison Schmitt won 5 overall medals, as did Missy Franklin. Allyson Felix from Track and Field won three gold medals herself, and Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas each added two Golds in gymnastics. Serena Williams won two Tennis Golds, and Sanya Richards-Ross ran her way to two Gold medals as well.
Given that partial list of American Woman success stories we here at DJC would like to take a moment to thank Team USA for the overall victory in London, and to appreciate our American Woman who went to Great Britain and got the job done. Great Job ladies!!