by Larry Eder
Ashton Eaton, gold medal, Decathlon, photo by PhotoRun.net
Brittney Reese, silver medal, Long Jump, photo by PhotoRun.net
Galen Rupp, bronze, Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net
The thirty-two medals won in Rio are the best performances since 1932 in Los Angeles. So, what I did below was add a brief description of each medal winner from Rio. It was a very impressive series of performances.
Here is are the 32 medals won by the US in athletics in Rio this past Olympics. It was the finest performance by a US team in 84 years. Here are the medalists, and their fine performances!
TEAM USA MEDAL TABLE
Gold (13)
Michelle Carter, Women’s SP, 20.63m/67-8.25 AR (8/12), won the shot put, on her last throw, after five attempts where Carter battled Valerie Adams of NZ, two time gold medalist, for supremacy in the shot put.
Jeffrey Henderson, Men’s LJ, 8.38m/27-6 (8/13) won the long jump on his last attempt, taking on Luvo Manyonga of South Africa, and defeating him and defending champion, Greg Rutherford in a long jump that was changing positions for six entire attempts.
Christian Taylor, Men’s TJ, 17.86m/58-7.25 (8/16), defended his gold medal from London, with his first attempt, at 17.86m, and he won over Will Claye, who defended his silver medal from London. Watch Christian go after the WR later this season.
Tianna Bartoletta, Women’s LJ, 7.17m/23-6.25 (8/17) took the lead in attempt five over Brittney Reese, defending champ, and Ivana Spanovic, European champion. Spanovic broke her NR two different times during the competition. Brittney Reese, who has leaped 7.32m, replied to Bartoletta’s fine jumping with a 7.15m leap in round six. Spanovic leaped 7.08. In her last jump, Bartoletta leaped 7.13m.
Brianna Rollins, Women’s 100m hurdles, 12.48 (8/17), lead a 1,2,3 sweep of the 100 meter hurdles in Rio, something only done seven times in Olympic history. Rollins won by a large margin (.10) and lead Nia Ali and Kristin Castlin to a US sweep.
Kerron Clement, Men’s 400m hurdles, 47.73 (8/18), the 2007 and 2009 World Champion, finally won his gold medal in the 400 meters, defeating Boniface Muchero, KEN, and Yasmino Copello, TUR, with the five fastest times of the year, and three NRs in the top five.
Ryan Crouser, Men’s SP, 22.52m/73-10.75 OR (8/18), from an iconic family of throwers, Ryan, like he did in the Olympic Trials, just dominated the Olympic shot put, with Joe Kovacs in second. His OR was stunning.
Ashton Eaton, Men’s Decathlon, 8,893 pts. =OR (8/18), kept his cool, and won the decathlon over France’s Kevin Mayer and Canada’s Damian Warner. Eaton defended his London victory in 2012.
Dalilah Muhammad, Women’s 400m hurdles, 53.13 (8/18), won the 400 meter hurdles, in the rain, from Sara Peterson of Denmark, who set a NR chasing Muhammad. Muhammad is capable of the WR in the 400 meter hurdles.
Women’s 4x100m relay (Bartoletta, Felix, Gardner, Bowie), 41.01 (8/19). The US team had a nightmare in the first round. Thanks to Felix, Gardner picked up the baton and the US team took the baton in and finished in 1:06.71. That evening, after a protest, the US team had to run at least 42.70 in a race where they ran all alone: they ran 41.77. From lane one, the US team totally dominated the 4×100 meters, with Tori Bowie anchoring and running the best race of her Olympics.
Matthew Centrowitz, Men’s 1500m, 3:50.00 (8/20). Matthew Centrowitz controlled the 1500m from halfway through the first lap until the finish. Using a 50.25 last lap, Centrowitz held off one of the finest fields in recent Olympic history, winning the first US gold for men at 1,500m since 1908 and Mel Sheppard.
Women’s 4x400m relay (Okolo, Hastings, Francis, Felix), 3:19.06 (8/20). The US 4x400m team battled Jamaica and Great Britain, with a fine run, and Allyson Felix anchored the team to gold, making Felix the most bemedaled women athlete in athletics.
Men’s 4x400m relay (Hall, McQuay, Roberts, Merritt), 2:57.30 (8/20). The U.S. men’s team had it close, with Jamaica and Bahamas making a last straight play, as Belgium tried to get into the top three. LaShawn Merritt ran his heart out over the last 200 meters.
Silver (10)
Tori Bowie, Women’s 100m, 10.83 (8/13). Tori Bowie took the silver in the 100 meters. She took off midway through the 100 meters, and chased down the rest of the field. Bowie has true talent.
Justin Gatlin, Men’s 100m, 9.89 (8/14), took the silver against Usain Bolt (gold) and Andre De Grasse, took the bronze in one of the finest races of the Olympics.
Allyson Felix, Women’s 400m, 49.51 (8/15) took the silver in a battle to the finish with Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas. Felix had to come back from injuries early in the season. Her 400 meter silver was one of her best races ever.
Will Claye, Men’s TJ, 17.76m/58-3.25 (8/16), defended his silver from the London 2012 Olympics. In 2012, Claye won medals in the LJ and TJ, something not done since 1932.
Evan Jager, Men’s 3000m Steeple, 8:04.28 (8/17), took the lead in the 3000m steeplechase, from just over three minutes into the race until seven minutes into the race.
Brittney Reese, Women’s LJ, 7.15m/23-5.5 (8/17), leaped 7.15m in her final throw, shocked that someone had passed him in attempt 5.
Nia Ali, Women’s 100m hurdles, 12.59 (8/17), was part of a 100 meter hurdle sweep, with Brianna Rollins in gold and Kristi Castlin in bronze.
Joe Kovacs, Men’s SP, 21.78m/71-5.5 (8/18), took the silver, behind Ryan Crouser, and provided the US a 1-2 punch in the men’s shot put.
Sandi Morris, Women’s PV, 4.85m/15-11 (8/19), competed in an exciting women’s pole vault, won by Ekaterina Stefanidi, GRE, and Elizabeth McCarthy, NZ, who took bronze in a NR.
Paul Chelimo, Men’s 5,000m, 13:03.80 (8/20), took the silver medal in the 5000 meters, battling Mo Farah over the final one hundred meters.
Bronze (9)
LaShawn Merritt, Men’s 400m, 43.85 (8/14), took the bronze in the 400 meter, in a race that saw Kirani James with silver and Wayde Van Niekerk breaking the long standing Wr in the 400 meter with his 43.03 WR.
Emma Coburn, Women’s 3000m Steeple, 9:07.63 AR (8/15), battled for the silver medal, taking the bronze medal with a AR of 9:07.63.
Clayton Murphy, Men’s 800m, 1:42.93 (8/15), ran up the final straightway, moving from fifth to the bronze medal, running a huge PB of 1:42.93.
Sam Kendricks, Men’s PV, 5.85m/19-2.5 (8/15), who took the silver medal in the World Indoors, finished behind the French WR, Renuad Lavillenie, who took the silver and Thiago Braz Da Silver, the Brazilian who won the gold medal in a huge upset, and with the Olympic record of 6.03.
Jenny Simpson, Women’s 1500m, 4:10.53 (8/16). Running a huge last 200 meters, Jenny Simpson, the 2011 WC and 2013 silver medalist, took the bronze, just behind WR holder Genzebe Dibaba and with the gold medal won by Faith Kipyegon of Kenya.
Tori Bowie, Women’s 200m, 22.15 (8/17), took the bronze in the 200 meters, coming on in the final last fifty meters, to pass several finalists, giving her a second medal in the Olympics. Tori Bowie would take three medals in Rio (silver in the 100 meters, bronze in the 200 meters, gold in the 4×100 meters).
Kristi Castlin, Women’s 100m hurdles, 12.61 (8/17), was the bronze medalist in a 1,2,3 sweep by the US in the 100 meter hurdles.
Ashley Spencer, Women’s 400m hurdles, 53.72 (8/18), fought back from fourth and took the bronze medal from three challengers, giving the US gold and bronze in the 400 meter hurdles.
Galen Rupp, Men’s Marathon, 2:10:05 (8/21), in his second marathon, battled Feyisa Lelisa (Ethiopia), who took the silver and Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya, who won the gold medal by a margin of 1:10, the largest margin since Frank Shorter in 1972.
