BEIJING — Looking at these Olympics through, say, Michael Phelps’ goggles, Team USA looked great. It won the most overall medals, 110, which was the most for Team USA in a full-participation Olympics, and got exhilarating performances such as Phelps’ record eight swimming golds.
And, Team USA won 36 gold medals, the same number as it took home from Athens in 2004.
But, looking at these Olympics through, say, track star Jeremy Wariner’s sunglasses, and Team USA came up short. China ran away with the most gold medals, 51, and numerous notable Americans failed to live up to their hype, such as Wariner, the 400-meter standout.
Which leaves Team USA wondering what it now will have to do to catch the new world sports power.
“The Chinese team is fantastic,” U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Peter Ueberroth said. “In these Games and the future, with their resources and their efforts, we’re going to have to redouble our efforts. We’ll need to refocus.”
Ueberroth said he was happy with the U.S. effort as well as the fact no Americans tested positive for doping.
“We could not be more proud of our athletes for everything they accomplished here, both on and off the field of play,” he said. “Our first priority going into these Games was to completely clean, and we are extremely proud that our athletes are sharing our commitment to this principle. They represented our country with pride and honor.”
Just as other nations, in previous generations, revamped their training programs to match the Americans, now it’s Team USA re-evaluating the way it will produce Olympians and compete with the Chinese.
The previous record for medals won by Team USA was 108 in Barcelona in 1992. The U.S. won 37 gold medals in Barcelona and Sydney (2000).
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
Investigation continues.
The investigation goes on, so does the wait, yet the IOC indicated Sunday that a reshuffling of Olympic gymnastics medals isn’t likely.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said paperwork appears to support what China has been saying all along: All six members of its gold medal women’s team were old enough to compete at the Games.
Hungarians win water polo.
The U.S. men’s water polo team lost 14-10 to a Hungarian team that became the first country to win three straight gold medals in the sport since Britain in 1920.
An American team that came in ranked ninth in the world and surprised just about everyone by getting to the final kept it close early and had it tied at 9 in the third quarter. But the Hungarians pulled away down the stretch, scoring five unanswered goals and turning a close match into a blowout.
“They were shooting the ball well today, and when they get going like that they are tough to stop,” said Ryan Bailey, the U.S. man in the middle, who took a beating up front.
China doubles up.
Zou Shiming won China’s first gold medal in boxing. Then, Zhang Xiaoping made it two.
Zou, a two-time world champion whose bronze medal in Athens was China’s first in a sport long banned by Mao Zedong, won the light flyweight title when Mongolia’s Serdamba Purevdorj retired early in the second round.
Zhang, a light heavyweight, upset two medal favorites on his way to the title bout, then beat Kenny Egan of Ireland 11-7.
And finally.
The 302nd and last gold medal went to the French men’s handball team, which beat Iceland 28-23 to deny the small country its first gold in an Olympic event.
Iceland’s silver is still its best showing in any event since 1956. Iceland has won four medals at Olympic competitions, two silver and two bronze.
Denver Post staff & wire services
