The country finished the Games with 113 medals, the most amongst all nations: 39 gold, 41 silver, and 33 bronze. These individual totals were each the highest of the Games, after a final-day tally of three gold medals (women's basketball, women's omnium, and women's volleyball) surpassed China's total of 38 golds.[4] This was the third consecutive Summer Olympics that the U.S. was the medal table leader. Overall, the medal total was slightly lower than five years prior in Rio de Janeiro, where the United States won 46 gold and 121 total medals.
One U.S. archer qualified for the men's individual recurve by reaching the quarterfinal stage and obtaining one of the four available spots at the 2019 World Archery Championships in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.[5] Another U.S. archer secured a spot in the women's individual recurve by winning the mixed team title at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.[6] The athletes were selected after the Olympic Trials.[7] Four more U.S. archers were named to the roster for Tokyo 2020 after successfully winning their places in the men's and women's team recurve at the 2021 Final Qualification Tournament in Paris, France.[8]
The United States fielded a squad of two artistic swimmers to compete in the women's duet event, by finishing fifth at the 2021 FINA Olympic Qualification Tournament in Barcelona, Spain.[9]
U.S. athletes achieved the entry standards, either by qualifying time or by world ranking, in the following track and field events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event).[10][11] The team was selected based on the results of the 2020 United States Olympic Trials (June 18 to 27, 2021) held in Eugene, Oregon.[12][13]
Six marathon runners (three per gender) were the first set of U.S. track and field athletes selected for the Games by virtue of their top three finish at the Olympic Team Trials in Atlanta, Georgia on February 29, 2020.[14][15]
Following the completion of the Olympic Trials, 128 athletes (63 men and 65 women) were named to the U.S. track and field team for the Games, with sprinter and multiple medalist Allyson Felix and marathon runner Abdihakem Abdirahman, the oldest US Olympic runner in history (aged 47), competing at their fifth Olympics and another sprinter Erriyon Knighton establishing himself as the youngest (aged 17) in nearly six decades. Apart from Felix and Knighton, the U.S. team also featured three Olympic champions from Rio 2016, namely middle-distance runner Matthew Centrowitz, Jr. (men's 1500 m), hurdler Dalilah Muhammad, and shot put world record holder Ryan Crouser.[16][17]
The fastest American woman in the 100 meters dash Sha'Carri Richardson missed the Olympics due to a positive test for marijuana, two-time pole vault world champion Sam Kendricks was out with COVID-19, 2016 110m hurdles gold medalist Brianna Rollins-McNeal was suspended for missed drug tests, and two-time defending gold medalist and 2019 world champion in triple jump Christian Taylor was out due to injury.[18] The U.S. lost some races where it either had world champions and world record holders competing. Those included 100m specialist Trayvon Bromell, owning the fastest time in 100 meters in 2021,[19] who was eliminated in the semifinals, 2019 world champion Noah Lyles who finished third in the 200 meters, and 2019 world champion and world record holder Grant Holloway who won silver in the 100m hurdles.[20]
Overall, the U.S. topped the medal table in track and field events with 7 gold medals, 12 silver medals, 7 bronze medals, and 26 total medals. Sydney McLaughlin and Athing Mu both won two gold medals to lead the U.S. track and field athletes. McLaughlin won the gold medal in the 400 m hurdles with a world record time.
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
qR = Qualified to the next round by referee judgement
The United States entered four badminton players into the Olympic tournament. Beiwen Zhang was selected among the top 40 individual shuttlers to compete in the women's singles based on the BWF World Race to Tokyo Rankings.[21] On the men's side, Timothy Lam and Chew brothers Phillip and Ryan received an invitation from the Badminton World Federation to play in the singles and doubles events, respectively, as the next highest-ranked shuttler or pair outside of direct qualifying position.[22] The team was supported at the Olympic Games by coach Ding Chao and team leader Alistair Casey.[21][22]
The United States men's basketball team won their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal, the women's basketball team won their seventh consecutive Olympic gold, and the women's 3x3 basketball team won Olympic gold in the first edition of that event.
The U.S. men's basketball team qualified for the Olympics by advancing to the quarterfinal stage as one of the two top-ranked squads from the Americas at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.[24][25]
Source: TOCOG and FIBA Rules for classification: 1) classification points; 2) head-to-head results; 3) head-to-head game points difference; 4) head-to-head number of game points scored.
The U.S. women's basketball team qualified for the Olympics by winning the gold medal and securing an outright berth at the 2018 FIBA Women's World Cup in Spain.[29]
Source: TOCOG and FIBA Rules for classification: 1) classification points; 2) head-to-head results; 3) head-to-head game points difference; 4) head-to-head number of game points scored. (H) Host
In 3x3 men's basketball, the 2019 world champion U.S. team did not compete after having to field an entirely new team for the qualifiers due to scheduling issues.[32]
Katie Lou Samuelson originally qualified as the fourth team member of the United States, but she tested positive for COVID-19 and was replaced by Jackie Young.[34]
U.S. canoeists qualified one boat for each of the following classes through the 2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in La Seu d'Urgell, Spain.[38] With the cancellation of the 2021 Pan American Championships, the U.S. team accepted the invitation from the ICF to send a canoeist in the men's slalom C-1 to the Games, as the highest-ranked eligible nation from the Americas in the federation's international rankings.[39]
The Americans won a bronze medal in women's track team pursuit (headlined by Chloé Dygert). Despite having won four world championships in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020, 2018 world champion and 2019 world cup winner Kate Courtney, the U.S. did not medal in mountain biking. The U.S. was also shut out of medals in BMX racing.[42][43] In BMX freestyle, 2021 world champion Hannah Roberts won silver. The only gold medal of the cycling delegation was won by Jennifer Valente, who scored an upset victory in the women's omnium.
Road
Six U.S. riders (two men and four women) entered into their respective Olympic road races, by virtue of their top 50 national finish (for men) and top 22 (for women) in the UCI World Ranking.[44]
With her golden finish in the women's time trial at the 2019 UCI World Championships, Rio 2016 silver medalist Chloé Dygert Owen was automatically selected to the U.S. road cycling squad for the Games.[45]
Following the completion of the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, U.S. riders accumulated spots for both men and women in the omnium and madison, as well as the women's sprint, keirin, and team pursuit, based on their country's results in the final UCI Olympic rankings.
The United States entered three mountain bikers to compete in the women's Olympic cross-country race, by virtue of Kate Courtney's win at the Pan American Games, and a combined national ranking ensuring two other women got to participate.
U.S. riders qualified for five quota place (two men and three women) for BMX at the Olympics, as a result in the UCI BMX Olympic Qualification Ranking List of June 1, 2021.[46][47]
U.S. riders received a single quota spot each in the inaugural men's and women's BMX freestyle at the Games. Commanding the top spot in the USA Cycling rankings before the May 12 cutoff, 18-year-old Hannah Roberts was officially selected to Team USA's BMX cycling team for the Games.[48]
U.S. divers qualified for the following individual spots and synchronized teams at the Games through the 2019 FINA World Championships. Divers had to finish in the top two of each individual event and accumulate the highest score as a pair in each of the synchronized events at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, held in Indianapolis, Indiana (June 6 to 13), to assure their selection to the Olympic team.[49]
The U.S. Olympic dressage team was announced on June 17, 2021. The team was led by London 2012 Olympian Adrienne Lyle, and rounded up by the two German-born riders, veteran Steffen Peters and rookie Sabine Schut-Kery. Nick Wagman and Don John were named the traveling reserves.[52]
Qualification Legend: Q = Qualified for the final based on position in group; q = Qualified for the final based on overall position
Eventing
The U.S. Olympic eventing team was announced on May 27, 2021. The team was led by two Olympic veterans, Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin, both Australian-born, and completed by rookie Liz Halliday-Sharp. Doug Payne and Vandiver were named the team alternates.[53] On July 7, 2021, Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z were withdrawn from the Olympic team. Doug Payne stepped in to be a replacement, while Tamie Smith and Mai Baum became the new traveling alternates.[54]
U.S. fencers qualified a full squad each in the men's and women's team foil and women's team épée at the Games, by finishing among the top four nations in the FIE Olympic Team Rankings, while the sabre and men's épée teams claimed the spot each as the highest-ranked nation from the Americas zone outside the world's top four.[56][57]
On January 11, 2020, Lee Kiefer became the first fencer to guarantee selection to the U.S. team for her third consecutive Games, with a dominant number-one position in the national women's foil rankings.[58] A month later, Kiefer's husband Gerek Meinhardt, the first U.S. male fencer slated to compete in four Olympics since Michael Marx did so in Atlanta 1996, and his childhood friend and teammate Alexander Massialas, the first U.S. male fencer to win two medals in the same edition, secured the men's foil spots on their third consecutive trip together to the Games.[59] Rio 2016 Olympian Eli Dershwitz, with two-time champion Mariel Zagunis (2004 and 2008) going to her fifth straight Olympics, topped the national men's and women's sabre rankings, respectively, to join the U.S. fencing roster in Tokyo.[60] Nine more fencers were officially selected to the roster for the rescheduled Games on March 23, 2021, including épée sisters Courtney and Kelley Hurley and Rio 2016 silver medalist Daryl Homer in the men's sabre.[61] The men's and women's foil teams completed the fencers' selection for the Games on March 28, 2021.[62]
The 2019 world champions U.S. men's foil team won a bronze, and 2018 world champions U.S. women's foil team missed the podium.[63]Lee Kiefer scored an upset victory over defending Olympic and world champion Inna Deriglazova of the ROC to win the first ever women's foil gold for the United States.[64]
The 2019 world championsUSWNT, unbeaten for more than two years, lost its opener to Sweden and then lost to Canada in the semi-finals. They ultimately won the bronze medal.
Team roster
The final squad of 22 was announced on 23 June 2021.[66]
The United States entered a total of four male and four female golfers into the Olympic tournament. Bryson DeChambeau was originally selected for the men's team, but he tested positive for COVID-19 and was replaced by Patrick Reed.[68]
Xander Schauffele won gold for the United States in the men's tournament with a winning score of −18, holding off a late charge by Slovakia's Rory Sabbatini to emerge victorious by one stroke. Top-seeded Collin Morikawa finished fourth in the seven-man third-place playoff. In the women's tournament, Nelly Korda won the gold medal with a winning score of −17.
The United States fielded a full squad of eight gymnasts (four per gender) into the Olympic competition. At the 2018 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, the women's squad scored a gold-medal victory in the team all-around to book an automatic berth for Tokyo 2020.[69] Meanwhile, the men's squad was added to the U.S. gymnastics roster after finishing fourth out of the nations eligible for qualification in the preliminaries of the team all-around at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.[70][71]
In gymnastics, health concerns caused four-time gold medalist and 19-time world champion Simone Biles to withdraw from the women's team event, in which the U.S. ultimately won the silver medal. Biles subsequently skipped four individual events before returning for the balance beam event, in which she won a bronze medal.[72] American Sunisa Lee won the gold medal in the women's artistic individual all-around. The four members of the United States women's team, Biles, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, and Grace McCallum were nicknamed the Fighting Four as a tribute to the adversity they faced.[73][74]
b Biles withdrew from the finals for all-around, uneven bars, vault, and floor.
Rhythmic
Two U.S rhythmic gymnasts qualified for the individual all-around by finishing in the top 16 at the 2019 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.[75] Additionally, the United States qualified for the group all-around after the re-allocation of Japan's host nation spot from the 2019 World Championships. The individuals and group members of the rhythmic gymnastics team were announced on June 27, 2021.[76]
The United States entered four judoka (one man and three women) into the Olympic tournament based on the International Judo Federation Olympics Individual Ranking, after reallocations.[78]
Four U.S. karateka were entered into the inaugural Olympic tournament. 2012 world bronze medalist and defending Pan American Games champion Sakura Kokumai qualified directly for the women's kata category by finishing among the top four karateka at the end of the combined WKF Olympic Rankings.[79][80]Thomas Scott earned his ticket to Tokyo after the reallocation of a vacant spot in the Male Kumite −75 kg category of the Olympic competition.[81][82]
U.S. athletes qualified for the following spots to compete in modern pentathlon. Amro El-Geziry, a three-time Olympian from Egypt who immigrated to the United States, and rookie Samantha Achterberg secured a selection each in the men's and women's event respectively by virtue of a top-five finish at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima.[83][84]
Athlete
Event
Fencing (Épée one touch)
Swimming (200 m freestyle)
Riding (Show jumping)
Combined: shooting / running (10 m air pistol) / (3200 m)
The United States qualified the nine boats in the table below out of the fourteen Olympic classes, with the majority of crews confirming Olympic places for their boats at the 2019 FISA World Championships in Ottensheim, Austria. Rowing events were qualified by nation, so rowers had to be selected by the NOCs for each of these crews.[85][86][87] The women's lightweight double qualified at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta on May 16 and 17 in Lucerne.
London 2012 Olympian Kara Kohler became the first rower to guarantee her selection on the U.S. team for the rescheduled Games with an outright triumph in the women's single sculls at the first Olympic Trials in Sarasota, Florida, on February 21 to 26, 2021.[88] Meanwhile, Genevra Stone, Rio 2016 silver medalist in the single sculls, teamed up with her rookie partner Kristina Wagner to secure the women's double sculls spot at the second Olympic Trials (April 12 to 15, 2021) in West Windsor, New Jersey.[89] The fours, eights, and women's quad were selected through camps, with the final nomination made by the Olympic Committee on June 18.
The Americans finished without a single rowing medal for the first time in history. Three-time defending gold medalists women's coxed eight finished fourth.[90]
Gold
Silver
Bronze
