2016 Olympic Games - Team USA Superlatives, Stats and Notes

8/21/2016

 

The 2016 Rio Olympic Games was one for the ages for Team USA. Historic “first” medals, American and Olympic records and a deluge of newfound medals in the middle- and long-distance events marked a dominating U.S. performance.

Most “firsts” were turned in by the women - first golds in the 400m hurdles and shot put; first medals of any color in the 1,500m and steeplechase; first women’s sweep, coming in the 100m hurdles. The men made their historical mark just as clearly, with two Olympic records and medal-winning performances in five of six distances 800m and over.

Below is a summary of Team USA superlatives at the Rio Games.

Top notes

- Team USA’s 32 medals is the most in a non-boycotted Olympic Games since 1932, when Americans won 35 medals

- 16 medals is the most ever for U.S. women, tying the boycotted 1984 Games

- 13 gold medals marks Team USA’s highest gold-medal total since 1996 (13)

- 4 American records set, all by women

- 2 Olympic records set, both by men

- 15 U.S. Olympic records (best performances by Americans at an Olympic Games),

- Team USA dominated the team-scored placing tables, with 301 points. Kenya was second with 131 and Jamaica third with 106.

- The seven medals won by Americans in distances 800 meters and over has been exceeded only in 1984 (9), 1912 (8) and 1904 (8)

- American women won five of the six available medals in the 100- and 400-meter hurdle events

- 19 athletes set personal bests

 

Records Set

American

W10,000 30:13.17 Molly Huddle 8/12

WSP 20.63/67-8.25 Michelle Carter 8/12

WTJ 14.71/48-3.25 Keturah Orji 8/14

W3000SC 9:07.63 Emma Coburn 8/15

Olympic

MSP 22.52m/73-10.75 Ryan Crouser 8/18

MDecathlon 8,893 points Ashton Eaton 8/18

U.S. Olympic

W10,000 30:13.17 Molly Huddle 8/12

WHT 71.09/233-3 Amber Campbell 8/12

WSP 19.82/65-0.5 Michelle Carter 8/12

W3000SC 9:18.12 Emma Coburn 8/13

M10,000 27:08.92 Galen Rupp 8/13

WTJ 14.71/48-3.25 Keturah Orji 8/14

W3000SC 9:07.63 Emma Coburn 8/15

WHT 72.74/238-8 Amber Campbell 8/15

WJT 61.02/200-2 Kara Winger 8/16

M3000SC 8:04.28 Evan Jager 8/17

MSP 22.52/73-10.25 Ryan Crouser 8/18

MDec 8,893 Ashton Eaton 8/18

WPV 4.85/15-11 Sandi Morris 8/19

M5000 13:03.90 Paul Chelimo 8/20

MMarathon 2:10:05 Galen Rupp 8/21

 

Historic Medals

-- Dalilah Muhammad won the first-ever gold by an American in the women’s 400m hurdles

-- Michelle Carter won the first-ever gold by an American in the women’s shot put

-- Jenny Simpson’s bronze is the first American medal in the women’s 1,500m

-- Emma Coburn’s bronze is the first American medal in the women’s steeplechase.

-- Matthew Centrowitz is the first American man since 1908 to win the men’s 1,500m.

-- Paul Chelimo’s 5,000m silver is the first U.S. medal in the event since 1964.

-- Clayton Murphy’s bronze is the first American medal in the men’s 800 since Johnny Gray’s bronze in 1992. His 1:42.93 moved him to #3 on the U.S. all-time list.

-- Evan Jager’s silver in the men’s steeplechase is the first U.S. medal since 1984 and the highest finish since Horace Ashenfelter’s gold in 1952. His 8:04.28 is also the #2 time in U.S. history, behind only his own American record.

-- The sweep of the women’s 100m hurdles is the first by any nation in the event, and the first in any women’s event for Team USA in Olympic history.

-- The 1-2 finish in the women’s long jump by Tianna Bartoletta and Brittney Reese is the first for the U.S. at the Olympics.

Team Performance

-- Team USA’s three heptathletes produced the best top-to-bottom point totals for U.S. athletes since the 1992 Games in Barcelona.

-- For the first time in OG history, all three U.S. women qualified for the steeplechase final.

-- The 6-7-9 finish in the women's marathon was the best ever by a U.S. team. The 22 total "points" was the lowest score by any nation at these Games.

-- Galen Rupp (3rd) and Jared Ward (6th) gave the U.S. men their first pair of top-10 finishers in the marathon since 1976.

Stats & Notables

-- Keturah Orji is the first American woman to qualify for the Olympic TJ final since 1996.

-- LaShawn Merritt's 43.85 for bronze is the fastest third-place 400m time ever at the OG.

-- Amber Campbell's fifth is the highest finish ever for an American in the women's hammer.

-- The 41.01 by the U.S. women to win the 4x100m relay is the second-fastest time ever run, behind only the 40.82 that won gold in 2012.

-- Bernard Lagat is the oldest man ever to compete in the Olympic men’s 5,000m.

-- The first time since 1984 that three American women competed in the high jump final

 

Personal records set by Americans in Rio

W10,000 30:13.17         Molly Huddle         8/12

W10,000 31:26.94         Emily Infeld         8/12

WSP 20.63/67-8.25 Michelle Carter 8/12

WSP 19.35/63-6 Raven Saunders 8/12

M800 1:44.30 Clayton Murphy 8/13

WTJ 14.71/48-3.25 Keturah Orji 8/14

W3000SC 9:07.63 Emma Coburn 8/15

W3000SC 9:21.10 Colleen Quigley 8/15

M800 1:42.93 Clayton Murphy 8/15

M400H 48.65 Byron Robinson 8/16

MTJ 17.76/58-3.25 Will Claye 8/16

M3000SC 8:22.74 Hillary Bor 8/17

WLJ 7.17/23-6.25 Tianna Bartoletta 8/17

W800 1:58.79 Kate Grace 8/18 Oiselle; Yale 2011; Marlborough School, Los Angeles 2007

W400H 53.72 Ashley Spencer 8/18

MSP 22.52/73-10.25 Ryan Crouser 8/18

M5000 13:03.90 Paul Chelimo 8/20

MMarathon 2:10:05 Galen Rupp 8/21

MMarathon 2:11:30 Jared Ward 8/21