The U.S. did not win the most gold medals for the first time in a Summer Games since 1992, with China being the country that won the most golds (48–36). The United States never led the medal table during the games.[6] However, the U.S. won its most medals ever (112) in a games not held on home soil, had the highest total medal count, and won more silver and bronze medals than any other participating nation.[7] This games also saw a gold medal record for U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, who won 8 golds surpassing Mark Spitz's record of 7 golds in a single Olympic event in 1972.[8] Phelps also surpassed Spitz, Larisa Latynina of the USSR, Paavo Nurmi of Finland, and U.S. sprinter Carl Lewis to become the current record holder for the most Olympic gold medals (14).[9]
The United States also saw milestones in women's swimming. Natalie Coughlin won 6 medals in Beijing, the most for a female Olympic swimmer.[10]Dara Torres, who won 3 silver medals after her eight-year absence, became the oldest Olympic swimmer to win a medal, at age 41.[11]
Gymnast Nastia Liukin became the third U.S. female to win a gold medal in individual all-around event.[12] It was also a successful Olympics for U.S. team-based sports, as men's and women's basketball teams both won gold, as did men's volleyball, men and women's beach volleyball, women's soccer, women's eight in rowing, and the men's and women's 4 × 400 meter-relay teams.[13] The US won silver and bronze medals in several other team events; women's volleyball, softball, baseball, both men's and women's team gymnastics, men's fencing sabre team, women's fencing foil team, and both men's and women's water polo.
The United States men's archery team took sixth place at the 2007 World Outdoor Target Championships, earning the nation a full complement of three qualification spots for the Olympic men's competitions. The women's team finished in eleventh place, not qualifying the team. Jennifer Nichols earned a spot via individual qualification in that tournament.[14]Karen Scavotto earned the United States another women's spot by finishing second in the Pan American championship.[15]
The United States announced its Olympic team on May 5, 2008, following a national selection tournament.[16] The women's roster included 2004 Olympian Jennifer Nichols and three-time Olympian Khatuna Lorig, who previously represented the Unified Team (1992) and Georgia (1996 and 2000) at the Olympics.[17] On the men's side, first-time Olympian Brady Ellison joined four-time Olympian Butch Johnson and two-time Olympian Vic Wunderle.
The 2008 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials were held in Eugene, Oregon, at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field from June 27 through July 6, 2008.[18] Hayward Field had previously hosted the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1972, 1976 and 1980.
Key
Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
Q = Qualified for the next round
q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
* The athlete who finished in second place, Lyudmila Blonska of the Ukraine, tested positive for a banned substance.[21] On August 22, Blonska was stripped of her medal and Hyleas Fountain was upgraded to silver.
The United States was represented in four out of the five badminton events: men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles and women's doubles. The U.S. had qualified a mixed doubles team, but the Badminton World Federation rescinded the slot.[22] No American has ever medaled in badminton since it became an Olympic sport in 1992, although Howard Bach and Bob Malaythong became the first Americans to reach the quarter-finals.[23]
The United States earned a qualification spot in baseball by placing in the top two at the 2006 Americas Olympic Qualifying Event.[24] This marked the return of the United States national baseball team to the Olympics after not qualifying in 2004; the United States had appeared in all three of the official baseball tournaments, and nearly all of the exhibition and demonstration events, before then.[25][26] The American team sought its second gold medal in the sport, but finished winning the bronze.[25]
Baseball was open only to male amateurs in 1992 and 1996. As a result, the Americans and other nations where professional baseball is developed relied on collegiate players, while Cubans used their most experienced veterans, who technically were considered amateurs as they nominally held other jobs, but in fact trained full-time. In 2000, pros were admitted, but the MLB refused to release its players in 2000, 2004, and 2008, and the situation changed only a little: the Cubans still used their best players, while the Americans started using minor leaguers. The IOC cited the absence of the best players as the main reason for baseball being dropped from the Olympic program.[27][28]
USA Baseball named its Olympic roster on July 16, 2008.[25] The Olympic team was made up of professionals not on a Major League Baseball 25-man roster at the time of the tournament, because the MLB once again refused to take an Olympic break. The IOC named that as one of the reasons for removing baseball from the program.
GP – Games played;GS – Games Started;W – Wins;L – Losses;SV – Saves;IP – Innings Pitched;H – Hits;R – Runs;HR – Home Runs;SO – Strikeouts;BB – Base On Balls;ERA – Earned Run Average
The women's team successfully defended their 2004 Olympic championship against Australia in the gold medal game for the third consecutive Olympics. The victory allowed Lisa Leslie to join former teammate Teresa Edwards as the only basketball players to win four Olympic gold medals.[30] After a disappointing third-place finish in Athens, the men's team adopted the name "Redeem Team."[31] In the gold medal match, they beat 2006 FIBA World Champion Spain to give the U.S. its first gold medal in men's international competition in eight years.[32]
The United States qualified nine boxers for the Olympic boxing tournament. Five boxers (Yanez, Warren, Russell, Williams and Andrade) earned their spots at the 2007 World Championships.[35] Ali, Molina and Wilder qualified at the first American qualifying tournament.[36] Estrada was the last American boxer to qualify, doing so at the second American tournament.[37] The United States did not qualify in light heavyweight or super heavyweight classes.
The U.S. boxing team suffered several early setbacks from which it never recovered. Alternate Boyd Melson withdrew with an injury.[38] Before they arrived in Beijing, U.S. boxers were reportedly unhappy with training methods, coaching, and travel restrictions.[39] On August 8, 2008, two-time national champion and bantamweight boxer Gary Russell Jr. forcibly withdrew from the Olympics after collapsing before his weigh-in.[40] Under International Amateur Boxing Federation rules, the U.S. was not permitted to select another boxer to take his place. Reigning flyweight world champion Raushee Warren, America's best hope for gold, lost his opening bout to Lee Ok-Sung of South Korea.[41] In the end, the U.S. left Beijing with one bronze won by Deontay Wilder, its worst performance in Olympic history.[42] The U.S. had previously won a single silver in 1948 and no medals in 1908 and 1980, when it did not send a boxing team. On September 5, 2008, Dan Campbell, the national director of coaching for USA Boxing, resigned.[39]
The Augsburg World Cup event on July 6 served as the final selection event for the Canoe-Kayak Slalom team. The United States qualified in all four slalom events and sent five people to compete in the slalom races.[43]
The United States qualified in three out of twelve flatwater events and sent two people – one man and one woman – to compete in the flatwater sprint events at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[44] The U.S. has not medaled in Olympic flatwater canoe and kayak racing since 1992.[45]
Most of the United States’ cycling squad was announced on July 1, 2008. The team sent competitors in all four disciplines – BMX, mountain biking, road racing and track racing.[46] The final three members of the team were announced on July 10.[47]
The United States finalized its nomination process for the Olympic diving squad on July 7, 2008.[48] For the first time since 1996, the U.S. diving team qualified for all individual and synchronized events. It became a major power in the Olympics from 1904 to 2000, winning 47 of 90 gold medals, but left out of the medals for the second consecutive Olympics.[49][50]
On July 15, 2008, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) named the rider/horse combinations for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.[51] The horses were shipped to England on July 17, placed under quarantine on July 22, 2008, and shipped to Hong Kong for the Olympic Games on July 30, 2008.[51] Before the start of the games, Heidi White-Carty and her horse Northern Spy withdrew from the U.S. eventing team because of a veterinary issue. Karen O'Connor and her horse Mandiba took their place on the team.[52]
The U.S. successfully defended its gold medal from Athens in the team jumping competition.[53]
# - Indicates that points do not count in team total
* Phillip Dutton qualified for the final show jumping event round on 68.2 faults (sixteenth place) and jumped a clear round to move up to twelfth place, but was disqualified because weighted boots worn by his horse exceeded the maximum limit.
The 2008 United States Olympic Fencing Team was announced on June 11, 2008.[55] After the 1904 Olympics, the United States did not win an Olympic fencing gold medal until 2004.[56] But on the first full day of Olympic competition, Mariel Zagunis, Sada Jacobson and Becca Ward swept the fencing event in women's individual saber; it was the first American sweep of an Olympic fencing event since 1904. The U.S. left Beijing with a total of six medals.[6]
For the first time since the 1996 Summer Olympics, the United States sent a women's field hockey team to the Olympics. The team was announced on July 3 and consisted of 16 women.[57] The men's team failed to qualify for the Beijing games.
The United States earned spots in Beijing for both men's and women's soccer by advancing to the finals of the CONCACAF Pre-Olympic Tournaments in March and April 2008.[59][60] For the Olympic tournament, the full women's national team and the men's under-23 team (including three players over the age of 23, as per FIFA regulations) participated.[61] The 18-player roster for the 2008 U.S. Olympic women's soccer team was announced on June 23, 2008.[62] In the final match before the Olympics on July 16, the women's team lost leading scorer Abby Wambach after she broke her left leg in a collision with Brazilian defender Andréia Rosa.[63]Lauren Cheney, originally selected as an alternate, replaced Wambach on the roster.[64] The 18-player roster for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Men's Soccer Team was announced on July 17, 2008.[65] After aggravating a hamstring injury, defender Nathan Sturgis was replaced by midfielder Dax McCarty on the Olympic roster July 24, 2008.[66]
Despite playing without Wambach and an early first-round loss to Norway, the women's soccer team successfully defended their 2004 gold medal against Brazil in overtime; it was the third gold medal overall for the United States in women's soccer.[67] The team had lost its previous match against Brazil 4–0 in the semifinals of the 2007 Women's World Cup.
The United States named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.[69][70][71][72] Prior to the tournament, Abby Wambach withdrew injured and was replaced on 17 July 2008 by Lauren Cheney, who was initially selected as an alternate player. India Trotter subsequently filled the vacant alternate spot.[73]
