Are You A True Fan Of The U.S. Olympic Team? Find Our With Our Quiz About Americans at the Olympics

Muhammad Ali

The 1960 Rome Olympic boxing champion, Muhammed Ali, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984. In the Atlanta games of 1996, he was entrusted with the responsibility and honor of lighting the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony, which was one of the most moving moments in Olympic history.

Gabby Douglas

Gabby Douglas was part of the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics gold-medal winning teams, nicknamed the "Fierce Five" and the "Final Five." Additionally, she was a member of the U.S. teams who won gold at the 2011 and 2015 World Championships.

Basketball

The U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball team has medaled in every of the 19 Olympic Games in which they've participated, taking home 16 golds, one silver, and two bronzes. Their overall record is 143-6.

"Miracle on Ice"

The so-called "Miracle on Ice" was a legendary hockey game between the U.S. team and the Soviet Union at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics in 1980. Though the Soviet Union was defending their gold medal for the fourth time and was highly favored, the United States surprised them and won 4-3.

Simone Manuel

Simone Ashley Manuel became the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in swimming when she won the 100-meter freestyle in a tie with Canada's Penny Oleksiak. She also established an Olympic and American record.

Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard was the undisputed star of the boxing "Dream Team" at the 1984 Olympic Games. Howard Davis was one of the strongest competitors, but as a professional boxer, he struggled and never won a world championship. In addition, Leon and Michael Spinks, who both excelled in the Olympics, were part of the team.

Track and Field

342 of the medals the U.S. has earned in Track and Field were gold. Swimming comes in second with 609 medals. We have 142 medals in wrestling and 116 in shooting.

Mary Lou Retton

Mary Lou Retton earned a gold medal in the individual all-around category at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, along with two silver and two bronze medals. Her accomplishments elevated her to the status of one of the most popular athletes in the U.S. She was even on a Wheaties box!

1980

The United States competed in the Olympics for the first time in 1896, when Athens held the first modern games. The nation performed inconsistently during the pre-World War I era, owing primarily to the fact that it fielded significantly fewer athletes than hosting countries, with the exception of the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. But in 1980, we boycotted the games entirely due to the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.

9

The United States has hosted 9 Olympic Games, more than any other nation. The first game ever hosted in the U.S. was in St. Louis in 1904, the most recent in Salt Lake City in 2002. The 2028 Summer Olympics are slated to take place in Los Angeles.

Russia/Soviet Union

Team U.S.A. is accustomed to winning gold medals it the Olympic Games, particularly during the summer; we've won a record 2656 medals, including the 2020 games in Tokyo; 1070 of those were gold. The combined team of Russia/Soviet Union has just over 1600.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos

As "The Star-Spangled Banner" played in the Olympic Stadium in 1968, two African-American athletes, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists. The protest is considered one of the most openly political statements in contemporary Olympic history.

Shannon Lee Miller

Together with Simone Biles, Shannon Lee Miller is the most decorated female gymnast in United States Olympic history, having won a total of seven medals. Between 1991 and 1996, Miller won a total of 16 World Championships, making her the second-most decorated American gymnast, male or female, after Biles. She was also the most decorated American athlete in the 1992 Summer Olympics, with five medals.

St. Louis

For the first time, gold, silver, and bronze medals were handed out at the 1904 Olympic Games. The U.S. made history, both by hosting for the first time, and by winning 234 medals, more than all other nations combined.

Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley sparked some controversy with his abrasive style of play and trash language during the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. However, he ended up becoming the team's highest-scoring member.

Seven

After the Tokyo Summer Games in 2020, the United States has won the most medals in the Summer Olympics seven times in a row - that includes games in Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo.

Abby Wambach

The 2004 gold medal match between Brazil and the U.S. women's national soccer team was one of the most exciting games in Olympic history. Following a 72nd-minute Brazilian goal, which leveled the game, American star Abby Wambach scored the winning goal during extra time and made history!

Rulon Gardner

Rulon Ellis won the gold medal in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, defeating Russia's Aleksandr Karelin in the final in 2004. In 13 years of international competition, Karelin had never been defeated.

2nd

Athletes from the United States of America have participated in every Winter Olympic Games and have won a total of 307 medals, 105 of which were gold. That puts the U.S. in second place behind Norway in the medal race.

Nurse

In 1976, Margaret Murdock, known for her efforts in international shooting events, won a silver medal at the Summer Olympics. She was a nurse and former United States Army officer. When it came to international competition, Murdock set four world records for herself and nine for her team.