Second-Largest U.S. Olympic Contingent Ever Set To Lead Medals Tally at Tokyo
The Tokyo Olympic Games have finally got off to a start, a full year after its original schedule. The Games were postpone and reschedule for the first time in its history due to the raging coronavirus pandemic. Despite all the uncertainties, America has sent a total of 613 athletes to this year’s Games, which is the second-largest number in its history, Medals.
Track Team Leads in the Numbers Game
The 613-strong American contingent to the Tokyo Olympics is the largest ever except for the 1996 Atlanta Games that had the participation of 646 American athletes. With 130 members, the American track team is the biggest. Equestrian Phillip Dutton is representing America this year but had been in the Australian team in the Atlanta Games.
America Is the All-Time Leader in the Medals Tally
So far, combining the summer and Winter Olympics, the United States has wins a total of 1,134 gold medals, which is almost three times the 473 win by the Soviet Union. It is also the leader across all medal categories. America needs only another 153 medals to reach the landmark figure of 3,000 medals.
Michael Phelps Not Likely To Be Missed
Michael Phelps, with a tally of 28 Olympic medals, will not be representing America for the first time since 1996. However, his absence is likely to be made up by several superstar swimmers leading by Kathleen Ledecky, who is considere the greatest ever female swimmer with six Olympic gold medals and an awesome 15 world championship gold medals. Katie Grimes will also be watch keenly, as at 15 years, she’s the youngest swimmer to qualify for the Olympics since Ledecky way back in 2012. The 800-m freestyle will see her making her debut.
Fifth time for Allyson Felix
Allyson Felix is representing the United States for the fifth time, becoming the fourth ever female athlete to qualify for track and field events in five Olympic Games. She is the second sprinter to accomplish this feat after Gail Denvers. Felix, with six gold and three silver medals, needs to win just another medal to tie with Carl Lewis for the most Olympic medals in track and field events by an American athlete.
Big Hopes on the Basketball Team
Even though the team is immensely talented and has several NBA players, it is somewhat short on Olympic experience. The new-look team has none of the 12 players making their Olympic debuts. And has a new coach too with Gregg Popovich, the Antonio Spurs coach taking over the reins from Mike Krzyzewski, the Duke Coach. If the team does manage to win. Popovich will be only the fourth coach to win NBA titles and Olympic gold. He will join an exclusive list of exceptional coaches like Chuck Daly (1992), Lenny Wilkens (1996), and Rudy Tomjanovich (2000). Despite the team members being relatively new. American fans can take heart from Kevin Durant, who has represented the country in the Olympics twice earlier. And with 311 career points trails only Carmelo Anthony, who has 336 points in the Olympics. The women’s basketball team also features six Olympic debutants; however, it has four veterans who have won 15 gold medals between them.