Team USA
Gymnastics Winning Team Gold
The 2012 Summer Olympics ended with stars and stripes
dominating the London
games. The United States
left with 104 medals; 46 gold, 29 silver and 29 bronze. China came in second with 88 total medals (38
gold, 27 silver, and 23 bronze) followed by Russia with 82 total medals (24
gold, 26 sliver, and 32 bronze). In a total of 47 Olympic Games (both winter
and summer) the Untied States of America leads the world in total
medals with 2,642 (1,061 gold, 852 sliver, and 739 bronze). The Soviet Union
ranks second with 1,204 combined medals and then Germany with 1,143 medals. No other
country has over a thousand medals. While there’s no evidence to support the
statement that America
is the greatest country in the world, the total number of Olympic medals makes
the United States of America Star Spangled Awesome!
At age 27, Michael Phelps retired after the London 2012
games as the all time most decorated Olympian. With 16 medals going into the
London Games, Phelps became the Aqua Man winning 6 more medals, the most medals
of any other Olympic athlete. Phelps will hang up his goggles with 22 total
Olympic medals (18 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze).
But who really runs the world? Girls! America knows
how to produce some of the most beautiful athletes to ever wear the red, white,
and blue! From women’s gymnastics, swimming, track, beach volleyball,
basketball, soccer and more- it was all golden!
For the first time, every competing nation sent female
participants to London.
Also a first for American women was winning more gold medals than American men.
Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Alexandra
Raisman, and Kyla Ross make up the “Fierce Five” representing Team USA in
women’s gymnastics and winning the ultimate Olympic prize- Team Gold, their
first Olympic team gold since the "Magnificent Seven" in 1996. And
what’s more American than rocking the messy bun hairdo?
Women’s gymnastics broke barriers when Gabby became the
first African American to win all around gold. Jordyn shocked the world when
she didn’t qualify to compete for the individual gold, but being the champion
she is, she was the first to compete for team gold. McKayla proves why she owns
the vault in qualifying and Aly won individual gold on floor and bronze on the
beam. With the team age from 15 to 18 they make up one of the youngest women’s
teams and we are rooting that they will be competing in Rio
for summer games in 2016. I just have one question for these ladies: How do
they not get wedgies?
Melissa Franklin is now a four time Olympic gold medalist.
She also earned one bronze medal in the Aquatic Center
and she is still in high school. She has refused prize money and any endorsements
so that she can maintain her amateur status if she chooses to swim at the
collegiate level.
After a 7th place finish in the Beijing Olympics
Lolo Jones under went spinal surgery and fought to compete in London. The controversy over her endorsement
deals for her looks over her talent caused some media outlets to focus on Lolo
as a pretty face and not a champion. She has won two World Indoor
Championships. She was ready for redemption, ready to prove why she is a track
goddess on and off the track. We were all heartbroken when Lolo placed 4th
in the 100 meter hurdles. Run to Rio Lolo, third time is a charm!
Remember that “coin toss” earlier this summer between
Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh? Luck was on Felix’s side as she competed in 4
events. The 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay, placing 5th in the 100m
and winning gold in the other three and became the first American woman to win
three gold medals in athletics at an Olympics since Florence Griffith-Joyner at
the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Beach Volleyball may never see a pair this talented. Misty
May Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings win their third straight and final Olympic
gold medal with an unbeaten streak to 21 in a row -through Athens,
Beijing and now London by defeating Jennifer Kessy and April
Ross 21-16, 21-16 in an all-American final.
Women’s basketball earned their fifth consecutive gold medal with their
second half domination on the court. France didn’t have a prayer in the
second half. And with former Lady VOL Candace Parker on the court, she scored 21 points, including eight straight
during the game-changing run in the second quarter as the U.S. took
command of the game.
Is there a team with more personality than the Women’s
soccer team? What a fun bunch of female athletes! Redemption vs. Japan
for the loss at the World Cup in a shootout and it was a GOLDEN Redemption! USA beat Japan 2-1. Lloyd was on fire as she
punished both goals to the back of the net. The team played with heart, pride
and Solo! Hope Solo proved again why she is the best goalkeeper in the Women’s
game. But with out Alex Morgan’s game-winning goal in the 123rd minute
semifinals against Canada
this game may have not happened.
With presidential elections around the corner, it can bring
out the worst in American’s as friends are divided by party affiliations. But
every time I watched Team USA
stand on the top of medal stand and heard the National Anthem, I got chills.
For those moments we all are united on the same team. I’m a proud American and
our Olympic Athletes make America Star Spangled Awesome!
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