The US got back atop the medal stand Tuesday with two golds on a day where the US had an impressive four medal in gymnastics and went 1-2 in both the events they won gold. There was also the first sailing medal for the US since Beijing and the first EVER women’s 1500m medal in the 44 year history of the event for the US. The women’s basketball and volleyball teams also advanced but there was an upset in beach volleyball.
Monday was the first time in Rio that the US failed to take home a gold medal and the six total medals were the lowest number for a single day since the first day of the games. The two biggest highlights of the day were Allyson Felix barely losing a photo finish in the women’s 400m as she took silver and Laurie Hernandez winning a silver on the balance beam as the US women’s gymnastics team has four medals through three apparatus finals.
The US took home nine medal on Sunday in Rio including the first ever gold and silver for one country in the same tennis event, Simone Biles’ 3rd gold of Rio, a medal in the first ever Olympic golf event, and the first US medal in 16 years in weightlifting.
The US wrapped up a remarkable Olympics in the pool where the US won HALF of the events and 33 medals in 32 events. In addition on Saturday there was a gold in rowing and a gold in the long jump. Swimming is done but track and field is kicking into full speed going into a Sunday that features two marquee events in the 100m and the 400m.
Thursday may be remembered as the day that three Americans who are the greatest Americans ever in their sport, had their signature moment. Kayla Harrison on the judo mat is now not only the only American to ever win gold, she’s won it twice in a row. Simone Biles became the first American woman to win the Olympics all-around and the World Championships all-around (and she has three of those!). And finally in the pool Michael Phelps became the first swimmer ever to win the same event in four straight Olympics and has *22* gold medals now.
Only two golds on Wednesday in the Olympics as the US started the day with an early morning gold in the women’s road time trial thanks to 37-year-old Kristin Armstrong and won a gold to end the day in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay thanks to 19-year-old Katie Ledecky. While the US won two other medals in swimming they also added their second silvers in both diving and fencing.
Bobby Lea completed a stellar USA Cycling Track Nationals as he wrapped things up with a gold in the men’s madison race on Sunday with teammate Zachary Kovalcik. Lea defended last year’s national title in the event, though with a different partner this year. His partner from last year, Jacob Duehring, won silver with Daniel Holloway. Roger Ainslie and Eric Geier took the bronze.
Previous USA Cycling Track Nationals Coverage:
Preview
Monday Update
Tuesday Update
Wednesday Update
Friday Update
Saturday Update
Only one elite title was decided on Saturday as Kimberly Geist and Kimbely Ann Zubris won the national title in the madison race. Christina Birch won silver for the second straight year, this time with Tela Crane, while Melissa Erickson and Colleen Gulick won bronze.
Sunday will be the men’s madison race. Both Bobby Lea and Jacob Duehring will try to defend last year’s national titles though with separate partners this year. Lea is racing with Zachary Kovalcik while Duehring is teamed with Daniel Holloway. Kovalcik finished fifth last year. Silver medalist from last year Mat Stephens is teamed with Kenyon Ralph this time while Chris Carlson and Zachary Carlson will try to improve on their third place finish from last year.
Previous USA Cycling Track Nationals Coverage:
Preview
Monday Update
Tuesday Update
Wednesday Update
Friday Update
Bobby Lea won another national title on Friday taking home the title in the men’s points race with 57 to 53 for Zachary Kovalcik. It was the second straight title for Lea while Kovalcik had finished third last year. Last year’s runner-up, Jacob Duehring, finished third this year with 38 points. On the women’s side Colleen Gulick won the title with 32 points to 20 for Christina Birch who narrowly held off Valerie Brostrom who had 19. It was a big rise for Birch who finished 12th last year.
In the other event of the day Melissa Erickson won the scratch race with Gulick in second and Tela Crane in third. Gulick had finished tenth last year in the event while Crane won bronze for the second straight year. On the men’s side Kovalcik took the title with Duehring in second. It was the same top three as the points race as Lea finished third. Duehring had won the event last year over Kovalcik with Lea in fifth.
Previous USA Cycling Track Nationals Coverage:
Preview
Monday Update
Tuesday Update
Wednesday Update
Mandy Marquardt continued a stellar week at the USA Cycling Track Nationals as she added two more national titles on Wednesday to the two she won on Tuesday. Marquardt opened the day winning the 500m time trial over Anissa Cobb and Mckenzie Browne. Marquardt had won silver in the event last year with Cobb fifth and Browne 11th. Marquardt’s second title of the day came in the team sprint event where she teamed with Colleen Gulick to beat Browne and Cobb by over a second and a half. Dana Feiss and Kimberly Ann Zubris finished third. Marquardt won the title last year when teamed with Madalyn Godby while Cobb and Feiss were second and while Zubris finished fourth.
The women’s elite team pursuit event wasn’t much of an event as only one team entered, Erin Goodall, Catherine Moore, Clarice Sayle, and Amanda Seigle. Goodall and Moore had won bronze last year while Seigle was part of the gold medal winning team. In the men’s event Zachary Carlson, Jordan Marhanka, Kyle Perry, and Ryan Shean won gold by over two seconds over Ian Holt, Alexandre Darville, Lucas Clarke, and Charles Cassin. Kenyon Ralph, Ryon Graf, Eric Geier, and Roger Ainslie won the bronze.
The men’s team sprint was won by Jamie Alvord, James Mellen, and David Espinoza in 1:02.796, almost two seconds ahead of Dominic Suozzi, Joe Christiansen, and Joshua Hartman. Kyle Kato, Edward Horvet, and Brian Abers finished third. Espinoza and Mellen had won gold last year as well while Christiansen was part of the sixth place team and Abers was part of the seventh place team. Kato and Horvet won bronze for the second straight year. Suozzi won the men’s time trial with Karl Baumgart in second and Horvet in third. Horvet finished eighth last year in the event.
Previous USA Cycling Track Nationals Coverage:
Preview
Monday Update
Tuesday Update