The Olympics will soon be upon us. The summer event is scheduled to take place in and around Tokyo, Japan from the end of July to the start of August.
The games showcase the best in team sports, athletics, and individual events. A medal at the games is potentially the highest reward an athlete can win for their discipline.
This summer, the USA looks set to build on the strong showing they made in the last Olympics of 2016.
In the Rio, Brazil hosted Olympics of 2016, the USA finished top of the medals tables.
The nation won an impressive 46 gold medals, 37 silver, and 38 bronzes. This set them significantly above the next nearest teams Great Britain, and China.
Rio 2016 was the third most successful US performance at the Olympics ever, and the most successful ever outside of the USA.
The USA was able to record this strong medal haul thanks to a series of excellent performances across the games. This was thanks to a resilient belief in their abilities instilled by the best coaches and managers.
Talented and gifted individuals were then able to showcase that confidence in the most competitive arena of all. The USA team benefitted from a formidable team spirit that helped to bring home a record number of medals.
This year the American talent pool is looking as strong as ever. There are high hopes that the team will be able to do as well or even better this time around.
Historically speaking, the USA is often expected to do well in track and field, aquatic, and ballet events at the Olympics.
Medal winners at the 2016 games are strongly tipped to make a claim on holding onto their medals this summer.
These include Alyson Felix in the women’s track and field. Felix has won medals in four Olympics in a row, and is the most decorated American female track and field athlete.
This year Felix is once again set to compete for Team USA. She will be among the favorites for the 400 meters race, and will be looking to add to the nine medals she has previously won at the Games.
The 613-member team is looking so strong this year as there is a good balance of established stars and new prospects.
Among the young competitors is Noah Lyles. The men’s track and field athlete is widely tipped to make a big impact in the games this year.
Lyles only just missed out on inclusion in the 2016 games when he was barely out of high school.
He won gold in the 200 meters sprint at the 2019 World Championships, an excellent indicator that he is one to watch. He is without a doubt a hot favorite for the 200 in Tokyo.
The US soccer team is always expected to do well in major competitions and this year’s Olympics is no exception. The team has won gold four times, in 1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012.
In the 2016 Olympics they went out to Sweden in the quarter-finals. This year they will be geared up to make up for that disappointment.
A world Cup win in 2019 following a 28-game unbeaten streak proved the team will be as powerful as ever.
Team USA also traditionally does well in the swimming events. Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps are legendary American Olympians in the water. But a new generation lead by Caleb Dressel are again among the favorites in the online sports betting market.
Dressel could be competing in up to seven events in the pool this year. The freestyle and butterfly specialist may well add to the gold he helped the 4x100m relay team win five years ago.
The Olympic Games will also see karate, BMX freestyle, surfing, and skateboarding, making their competitive debuts. Of these, American hopes will be keenly projected onto the skateboarding and surfing events.
Gymnastics is another specialty that the US traditional excels at. Simone Biles in the women’s gymnastics events is the leader of American success.
Regularly referred to as the Greatest of all Time, Biles won five medals, four gold and one bronze, at the Rio Olympics and shows no signs of slowing down. Still only 24 years old, Biles has not lost an all-around competition since debuting in 2013.
She is expected to lead the team to overall victory as well as securing more medals for herself.
Another young athlete that Team USA is looking to for more medals is Grant Holloway in the 110-meter hurdles.
The world number one in his event, the 21-year-old is ahead of the pack in many ways. Setting a new 60-meter world record earlier this year, Holloway is on form and still getting better. He is the one to beat for his event.
The US team at the Olympics will be a talented group of experienced athletes and young skilled performers. They will be favorites to replicate their success at the last Olympics, and finish top of the overall medal table.
But whatever happens, the Games promise to be an entertaining display of the nation’s best athletes and sportspeople.
