Olympic Games
Events > Olympics > Summer > Countries > USA
USA at the Olympics
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The US first competed at the Olympic Games in 1896. -
The United States has won more medals at the Summer Olympic Games than any other country.
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The USA have hosted the Olympic Games on several occasions: St Lois in 1904, Los Angles in 1932 and 1984, and Atlanta in 1996
- The United States first had an official U.S. team, plus wore official team uniforms, at the 'unofficial' Intercalated Games of 1906.
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Charley Paddock, the American sprinter who won the 100m in 1920, died in a plane crash in 1943 while serving as a captain in the US Marines.
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Ralph Craig of the USA was 23 when he won gold medals in the 100m and 200m sprints in 1912. He returned to Olympic competition at the 1948 Olympics to compete in the yachting competition.
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In 1956, the gold medal winning hammer thrower from America, Hal Connolly, won despite a physical disability - his left arm was inches shorter and much less developed that his right.
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In 1972 American Frank Shorter pulled the US into the running boom by winning the gold medal in the marathon at the Munich Olympics. Shorter was actually born in Munich.
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Mark Spitz from USA won seven gold medals at the Munich Games, and won them all in world record time.
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Joan Benoit of the USA won the first women's Olympic marathon in Los Angeles in 1984
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The star of the 1912 Games was the American Indian Jim Thorpe, who won both the decathlon and pentathlon. However, in the following year it was discovered that he once played semi-professional baseball, and he was subsequently striped of his gold medals. It was discovered that he was paid $25 a week for playing baseball in 1909 and 1910. The Olympics are strictly limited to amateur players. In 1982, he was officially pardoned by the IOC, 29 years after his death. Replicas of his 1912 medals were presented to his family at the start of 1983.
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In Tokyo 1964, American Al Oerter wins the discus throw for the third straight time, despite a cervical disc injury and torn rib cartilage. He wins again in 1968
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Also in 1968, on the winning podium after the 200-meter race, the Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a Black Power salute; the two were subsequently suspended from the Games and deported.
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In 1972, Mark Spitz set seven world records and won seven gold medals in swimming events.
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In 1972, the U.S. basketball team loses a game for the first time, falling to the Soviet Union, but refuses to accept the silver medal, claiming that the clock had been improperly restarted in the final moments.
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In 1976, five American boxers won gold medals, including three future world boxing champions: Ray Leonard, Michael Spinks, and Leon Spinks.
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In 1984, 16-year-old Mary Lou Retton earned her place on Wheaties boxes by winning four gymnastics medals - including a gold in all-around gymnastics - just six weeks after undergoing knee surgery.
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In 1988, Florence Griffith Joyner of America won four medals, three of them gold, in running events, while sister-in-law Jackie Joyner-Kersee won the long jump and heptathlon.
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In 1988, Greg Louganis hit his head on the diving board but successfully defended his Olympic springboard title a few days later.
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In 1988, the last American basketball team without NBA players comes in third.
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In 1984, American Carl Lewis repeated Jesse Owens' 1936 feat, winning gold medals in the same four events. In 1992, Carl Lewis won two more gold medals, bringing his total to eight. In 1996, he got his ninth gold medal by winning the long jump.
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In 1992, with the door open to professional athletes, the U.S. sent a Basketball Dream Team including Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Karl Malone. As expected, they went undefeated.
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In 1996, America's Michael Johnson won both the 200m and 400m races.
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In 1996, Amy Van Dyken of the U.S. won four gold medals in swimming
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In 1996, the American women's teams won the first-ever softball and women's soccer events. They also won gold in gymnastics, with the help of Kerri Strug, who nailed her second vault despite a sprained ankle.
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In 2000, The U.S. softball team defended its title; and Michael Johnson did the same in the 400m race.
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In 2000, American Marion Jones won five track medals, including three of them gold.
