The United States of America, represented by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from July 27 to August 12, 2012. U.S. athletes have competed at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow which they boycotted in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The USOC sent a total of 530 athletes to the Games, 262 men and 268 women, to compete in 25 sports. For the first time in its Olympic history, the United States was represented by more female than male athletes.
U.S. athletes left London with a total of 104 medals (46 gold, 28 silver and 30 bronze), finishing at the top of the gold and overall medal standings. The 46-gold medal record was the most the United States had ever won in any Olympics in which it was not the host nation.[3] At least one medal was awarded to U.S. athletes in sixteen sports, thirteen of which contained at least one gold. U.S. athletes dominated the nations' medal standings in swimming, wherein they won a total of 31 medals, including 16 golds. Twenty-seven U.S. athletes won more than a single medal. The U.S. team-based athletes also proved particularly successful, as the women's soccer, water polo, and volleyball teams won gold and silver medals, respectively. Furthermore, the men's and women's basketball teams managed to defend their titles from Beijing. For the first time since 1936, no U.S. athlete won an Olympic medal in sailing.
Among the nation's medalists were swimmers Missy Franklin, Allison Schmitt and Ryan Lochte, who each won a total of five medals. Swimmer Nathan Adrian and platform diver David Boudia won gold medals in their respective individual events after 24-year-long non-successes. Meanwhile, tennis player Serena Williams followed her sister's success by winning the gold medal in the women's tennis singles event. Gymnast Gabby Douglas became the fourth U.S. female to win a gold medal in the individual all-around event. Allyson Felix became the most successful U.S. track-and-field athlete at the event, winning three gold medals. Swimmer Michael Phelps emerged as the most decorated athlete in Olympic history, with a total of 22 medals won (including four gold and two silver medals in London) – 18 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals – surpassing Larisa Latynina's overall Olympic medal count.[4]
After the disqualification of Russian Ivan Ukhov for doping, Erik Kynard has finally got upgraded from silver to gold,[5] which makes it the 47th US gold medal at these Games, the best American result in terms of gold medals in the Summer Olympics held outside of the United States. Ten years later, Lashinda Demus was promoted to the gold medal as well after another Russian, Natalya Antyukh, was found guilty of doping, bringing the total to 48 gold medals.
The USOC selected a team of 530 athletes, 261 men and 269 women, to compete in all sports except handball; it was the nation's sixth-largest team sent to the Olympics, but the smallest since 1988. Athletics was the largest team by sport, with a total of 125 competitors.
The U.S. team featured 302 first-time athletes, and 228 returning Olympians to participate in these games.[6] Among the returning Olympians, seven of them had competed at their fifth Olympics (high jumper Amy Acuff, archer Khatuna Lorig, shooters Kimberly Rhode and Emil Milev, indoor volleyballer Danielle Scott-Arruda, and eventing riders Phillip Dutton and Karen O'Connor – the oldest of the team at age 54). Twenty-one athletes made their fourth Olympic appearances, including springboard diver Troy Dumais, track hurdler Angelo Taylor, and beach volleyballers and double-defending champions Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor. Fifty-seven athletes made their third Olympic appearances, including rifle shooter Matt Emmons, and twins Bob and Mike Bryan in the men's tennis doubles match. One hundred and forty-three athletes were two-time Olympians, including former defending champions Justin Gatlin (athletics) and Anthony Ervin (swimming), who both made their comeback in London after long years of absence. Two hundred and eight returning athletes had competed in Beijing, including 124 Olympic medalists, and 76 defending champions.[6]
Among the nation's defending champions were swimmers Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. Phelps won a historic amount of eight gold medals in Beijing to become the most-decorated Olympic athlete at a single event and the first person to win a total of fourteen Olympic gold medals. Coughlin, on the other hand, won a total of 11 Olympic medals in two previous games, including six gold medals from Beijing. Other notable defending champions featured NBA basketball players Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, who led their team by recapturing the nation's gold medal in Beijing, shooters Walton Eller and Vincent Hancock, road cyclist Kristin Armstrong in women's time trial, and swimmers Rebecca Soni and Ryan Lochte.[6]
First-time Olympians also featured gymnasts Jordyn Wieber and Aly Raisman, decathlete Ashton Eaton, and swimmers Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky, the youngest of the team at age 15. Former basketball player and five-time Olympic champion Teresa Edwards served as the U.S. team's chef de mission.[7] Double Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis became the third fencer and sixth female athlete to serve as the United States flag bearer at the opening ceremony.[1]
The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games. Note that reserves for fencing, field hockey, football and handball are not counted as athletes:
U.S. athletes earned qualifying standards in the following track and field events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard):[9][10] The team was selected based on the results of the 2012 United States Olympic Trials.
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 United States will be represented in two out of the five badminton events: men's doubles and women's singles. No US athlete has ever medaled in badminton since it became an Olympic sport in 1992.
* – Spence successfully appealed his initial 11–13 loss. Using video review, AIBA determined the bout referee gave too few cautions for holding fouls and should have awarded Spence at least four more points.[54]
U.S. canoeists qualified boats in three out of twelve sprint events, one men's and one women's. No U.S. athlete has medaled in Olympic sprint canoeing since 1992.
U.S. divers qualified for eight individual diving spots at the 2012 Olympic Games. Three US synchronized diving teams qualified through the 2012 FINA Diving World Cup and the rest of the divers qualified for the Olympics through the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials for diving (quotas themselves were won at the world championships while divers who filled them were selected after the trials)
U.S. equestrians qualified teams in the dressage and eventing team competitions.[55] and also qualified a team in the jumping team competition.
They have also qualified four athletes in the individual dressage competition, five athletes in the individual eventing competition,[55] and four athletes in the individual jumping competition.
^Aliya Mustafina of Russia and Aly Raisman finished with the same total score of 59.566. In the case of a tie, the sum of the three highest apparatus scores is used. These sums were 45.933 for Mustafina and 45.366 for Raisman (both dropping their Beam score), earning Mustafina the bronze medal.
Rhythmic
One U.S. rhythmic gymnast qualified for the individual all-around competition.
Nicholas Delpopolo was ejected from the Games and disqualified by the International Olympic Committee from his seventh position finish after he tested positive for marijuana. Though he claimed he had accidentally taken the banned substance before the Games begun, he apologized for the "embarrassment."[66]
Three U.S. athletes qualified to compete in the modern pentathlon event. Dennis Bowsher and Margaux Isaksen qualified through the 2011 Pan American Games.
Athlete
Event
Fencing (épée one touch)
Swimming (200 m freestyle)
Riding (show jumping)
Combined: shooting/running (10 m air pistol)/(3000 m)
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
U.S. swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)):[69][70] Swimmers qualified at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials (for pool events).
Qualifiers for the latter rounds (Q) of all events were decided on a time only basis, therefore positions shown are overall results versus competitors in all heats.
Qualifiers for the latter rounds (Q) of all events were decided on a time only basis, therefore positions shown are overall results versus competitors in all heats.
* – Indicates athlete swam in the preliminaries but not in the final race.
Gold
Silver
Bronze
