The Olympic games might be over but the joy and happiness that the Olympic medalist
brought the hearts of every citizen in the American nation is definitely not over yet.
Undoubtedly, the impressive victories of these athletes cannot be forgotten that easily. This
year the medal count verified for once more that U.S. is still the most dominant athletic
country while winning a total of 104.
As Tim Reynolds reports in his article, United States comfortably won 14 more medals than
any other country, while China came next with a total of 87. Interestingly, U.S. took the lead
in the gold medals by winning 46 of those, or in other words, 8 more than China. Russia, who
received third place with a total of 82 medals, 46 of those gold, was followed by Britain a winner of 65
medals.
The Olympics this year left our nation with many heart-warming memories from the following successes:
Swimming, Men’s 4×200-Meter Freestyle Relay Final
Photo source: Indystar.com (link connects to direct source)
There is no wonder as to why the swimming sensation Michael Phelps has been declared
as “The Best Olympian” ever. For most viewers of the Olympic games, it was not difficult
to guess that Michael Phelps would, spectacularly, win again. But this year, the 19th Olympic
medalist easily broke the record for most medals previously set by Soviet gymnast Larisa
Latynina. Latynina won her 18th medal in Tokyo in 1964 Olympics.
(Source: http://www.olympic.org/larisa-latynina)
Track and Field
Photo source: Guardian.Co.Kr (link connects to direct source)
As the Wall Street Journal wrote in one of its articles “4 X 100= Beauty”, the United States
team, constituted by Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter,
made everyone sit on the edges of their seats while it spectacularly set the new world-
record time of 40.82 seconds in the event.
As Jeter said to Sam Sheringham, reporter of BBC “I knew that these girls were going to
run their hearts out. I knew we were running fast. There was a cloud hanging over us with
people saying ‘they can’t do this, they’re going to drop the stick’ but we did it.”
(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18916209)
Basketball
Photo source: News.Cincinatti.com (link connects to direct source)
US mens team triumphed 107-100 over Spain. Nobody could say for sure who was going to
win this game as during half-time US was ahead by one point, whereas early in the second
period Spain had the lead. But in the end, the US team was the winner for once more.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We didn’t want it easy,” LeBron James told reporters
after the game. “A lot of teams have won gold easy. We didn’t want it that way. We’re a
competitive team and we love when it gets tight. That’s when our will and determination
kind of shows. It was the same way in ’08.”
Women’s beach volleyball
Photo source: JustJared.com (link connects to direct source)
Three times Olympic gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won their
compatriots April Ross and Jen Kessy, 21-16, 21-16 in an all-American beach volleyball
match in London.
“Misty and I have something really special. The world knows it, we know it, and we
embrace it,” Walsh Jennings told NBC after the match, adding that the third medal “is
insane. It doesn’t feel like it’s real.”
Swimming, Women’s 4×100-Meter Medley Relay Final
Photo source: Zimbio.com (link connects to direct source)
Missy Franklin, Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer and Allison Schmitt took a total of five
individual gold and two silver medals into the final. Their team outshined China’s three-
year-old mark by 14-hundredths of a second with a combined time of 3:52.05. Australia
won silver, and China bronze.
(Source: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/swimming/story/2012-08-
04/usa-womens-medley-relay-sets-world-record-wins-gold/56787496/1)
Even thought the Olympic games of 2012 belong in the past, the dazzling victories of the US
athletes have definitely set the bar high for the Olympic games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
Only four more years left till the next games. Only for more years left till the next spectacular
U.S. moments.