Americans lambasted for historic golden duck
“It was a total embarrassment, and completely unacceptable — they did everything wrong,” said Carl Lewis.
“It’s embarrassing and ridiculous, but it’s what we’ve seen for so many years with the US team,” said Michael Johnson.
Harsh words from athletics greats for a nation that has won more medals in Tokyo than any other country, and yet there were few dissenting voices given the shambolic way the Americans spurned their chance of reaching the men’s 4x100m final.
Their second changeover — when Fred Kerley tried to hand the baton to Ronnie Baker — was particularly gruesome. Baker grasped first at air, then at Kerley’s shoulder. The pair looked completely out of sync, with Kerley eventually needing to use his loose hand to guide his teammate to the right spot.
Lewis was among those questioning the wisdom of using Baker, a 60m and 100m specialist, to run the third leg given his lack of experience around bends. By contrast, Kerley, whose best event is 400m, was given the straight second leg.
“The passing system is wrong, athletes [are] running the wrong legs, and it was clear that there was no leadership,” said Lewis.
The sprint relay team may have been the chief targets of American angst but at least they can console themselves in the knowledge they are not alone — on the men’s side, at least (the United States do have two gold medallists in women’s track and field). Grant Holloway was a hot favourite to win the 110m hurdles but lost for the first time this year, settling for silver behind Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment. Trayvon Bromell, thought to be in contention for the 100m title, did not make the final, and Noah Lyles could manage only third when favourite for the 200m.
It is shaping up to be the first time since 1896 that the US men have come away from an Olympics without a gold in track events, and their failings have contributed to the country trailing China in the chase for gold medals.
If the US do not draw ahead in what remains of these Games, it will be only the second time since 1996 they have finished off top spot in the final standings, after China beat them on home soil in 2008.
The US do not have a comfortable relationship with losing. They cannot even stomach draws, hence infinite overtime until a victor is found in baseball and basketball. At home, the track travails are not being viewed charitably.
“People are embarrassed,” said Johnson. “With the amount of talent, we should be doing a lot better.”
American publications, including The New York Times, have been sorting their medal tables by total won rather than golds, as is usual practice.
And it is not just athletics facing angry questions. Gymnastics has not delivered the hoped-for haul, largely because of Simone Biles’ reduced involvement.
In swimming, the US won the most golds but managed only two more than Australia. The gap to second, again Australia, was 13 in Rio. This is the first Olympics of the millennium without Michael Phelps in the team, a man whose collection of 23 Olympic golds would place him 39th on the all-time list — of countries.
The men’s basketball team are into their final but lost a game along the way for the first time since 2004. This year, LeBron James decided to stay home and promote a film in which he plays alongside Bugs Bunny.
Even more shocking were the struggles of the women’s footballers, humbled 3-0 by Sweden in the group stage and losing 1-0 to Canada in the semifinals. “It sucks,” said Megan Rapinoe. Her team settled for bronze.
In rowing, the US managed a grand total of zero medals.
“We have already started the process of reviewing our national team programmes,” said US Rowing performance director Matt Imes.
These are still minor aberrations in the grand scheme of the all-time Summer Olympics medal table, where the US have nearly 1500 more than their closest competitors. They are the only country with more than 1000 golds; the next best are the Soviet Union with 395.
By The New York Times’ measure, and to use an American sports term, the US will still be the “winningest” nation at this Olympics. But it is hard to shake the notion that they are not quite as winningest as they used to be.