United States At The 2008 Summer Olympics
The United States, represented by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. U.S. athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, which was boycotted. The USOC sent a total of 596 athletes to Beijing (310 men and 286 women), and competed in all Olympic sports except handball.
The USOC selected San Jose State University in San Jose, California, as the primary processing center for all Team USA members headed for Beijing 2008. They flew into San Jose via San Jose International Airport or San Francisco International Airport for at least two days of document checks, health examinations, cultural briefings, portrait sittings, uniform fittings, and last-minute workout sessions.
The U.S. did not win the most gold medals for the first time in a Summer Games since 1992, losing to China (51–36). However, the U.S. won its most medals ever (110) in a non-boycotted games, the total medal count, and more silver and bronze medals than any other participating nation. This games also marked the 8-gold medal record for U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, who surpassed Mark Spitz's record of 7 golds in a single Olympic event in 1972. Phelps also surpassed Spitz, Larisa Latynina of the USSR, Paavo Nurmi of Finland, and U.S. sprinter Carl Lewis to become the current record holder for the most Olympic gold medals (14).
The United States also saw milestones in women's swimming. Natalie Coughlin won 6 medals in Beijing, the most for a female Olympic swimmer. Dara Torres, who won 3 silver medals after her eight-year absence, became the oldest Olympic swimmer to win a medal, at age 41. Gymnast Nastia Liukin became the third U.S. female to win a gold medal in individual all-around event. It was also a successful Olympics for U.S. team-based sports, as men's and women's basketball teams both won gold, as did men's volleyball, men and women's beach volleyball, women's soccer, women's eight in rowing, and the men's and women's 4×400 meter-relay teams. Several other sports saw silver and bronze medals in women's volleyball, softball, baseball, both men's and women's team gymnastics, men's fencing sabre team, women's fencing foil team, and both men's and women's water polo.
Read more about United States At The 2008 Summer Olympics: Medalists, Archery, Athletics (track and Field), Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Diving, Equestrian, Fencing, Field Hockey, Association Football, Judo, Modern Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Softball, Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Water Polo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words united states, united, states and/or summer:
“Some of the offers that have come to me would never have come if I had not been President. That means these people are trying to hire not Calvin Coolidge, but a former President of the United States. I can’t make that kind of use of the office.... I can’t do anything that might take away from the Presidency any of its dignity, or any of the faith people have in it.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
“I incline to think that the people will not now sustain the policy of upholding a State Government against a rival government, by the use of the forces of the United States. If this leads to the overthrow of the de jure government in a State, the de facto government must be recognized.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“I make this direct statement to the American people that there is far less chance of the United States getting into war, if we do all we can now to support the nations defending themselves against attack by the Axis than if we acquiesce in their defeat, submit tamely to an Axis victory, and wait our turn to be the object of attack in another war later on.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“Hold hard, my county darlings, for a hawk descends,
Golden Glamorgan straightens, to the falling birds.
Your sport is summer as the spring runs angrily.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)