United States at the Olympics

The United States of America has sent athletes to every celebration of the modern Olympic Games with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics, during which it led a boycott in protest of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee for the United States.

American athletes have won a total of 2,765 medals (1,105 of them gold) at the Summer Olympic Games, and another 363 (126 of them gold) at the Winter Olympic Games, making the United States the most prolific medal-winning nation in the history of the Olympics. The U.S. has placed first in the Summer Olympic medal table 19 times out of 30 Summer Olympics, but has had less success in the Winter Olympics.

The United States has been the host nation for the modern Olympics on eight occasions, and the 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, making it nine times in total. The United States Olympic team is unique because it receives no government funding for training, development, or prize money.

Hosted Games

The United States has hosted the modern Olympic Games eight times, more than any other nation. These events took place from the 1904 St. Louis Olympics up to the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. The U.S. has helped shape the Olympics through its athletic success, new ideas for sports facilities, and cultural influence. For example, the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics introduced electronic timing devices, and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics set new standards for opening and closing ceremonies.

Hosting the Olympics has brought lasting benefits to cities, such as better infrastructure and increased tourism. In 2028, Los Angeles will host the Olympics again, marking the ninth time the U.S. will have been an Olympic host.

Main article: United States Olympic Committee

Main articles: International Olympic Committee

Medal tables

See also: All-time Olympic Games medal table

The United States first competed in the Olympics in 1896 in Athens. The U.S. had its best performance in 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri, where it won more medals than ever before. During the 1920s and 1930s, the U.S. did very well in the Summer Olympics, winning the most medals for several Games. After World War II, the Soviet Union became a strong competitor, and the U.S. did not lead the medal count again until 1996. The U.S. did very well in the 1984 games in Los Angeles, winning a record number of gold medals.

The United States did not become a top country in the Winter Olympics until the 2002 games in Salt Lake City. Since then, U.S. athletes have always placed in the top four in the medal count. The U.S. won the most Winter Olympics medals in 2010 in Vancouver but fewer medals in 2018 in Pyeongchang.

The United States has never won Olympic medals in badminton, handball, rhythmic gymnastics, table tennis, or trampoline gymnastics. In Winter Olympics sports, the only one where the U.S. has not won a medal is biathlon.

Flagbearers

See also: List of flag bearers for the United States at the Olympics

The United States has had many honored athletes carry their flag at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. These flagbearers are chosen to represent the pride and spirit of the team. Each one has played an important role in showing respect and leading the athletes into the competition.

History

For the early history, see History of the United States at the Olympics.

U.S. athletes have participated in every Summer Olympics since 1992, improving their performance in many sports. They have finished second in the medal count in some years and first in many others.

At the 2016 Summer Games, Kim Rhode became the only female Olympian to win a medal in six straight Games. In the 2020 Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunisa Lee won the gymnastics all-around gold medal, making history as the first Hmong American and the first gymnast of Asian descent to achieve this. The U.S. also saw successes in swimming, golf, and shot put.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, the U.S. did not send high-level officials due to a diplomatic boycott but allowed athletes to compete. American athletes won medals in skiing, figure skating, speed skating, and snowboarding.

Amateurism and professionalism

The idea of only allowing amateur athletes in the Olympics caused some problems. For example, Jim Thorpe, who won two gold medals in the 1912 Olympics, lost them when it was found out he had played baseball for money before the games. His medals were given back to his family many years later.

Later, athletes from countries like the Soviet Union were supported by their government to train full-time, which made it hard for athletes from other countries who had to pay their own way. Because of this, the rules changed, and professional athletes were allowed to compete in the Olympics in the 1990s.

Main article: Amateurism

Prize money

When a U.S. athlete wins an Olympic medal, they receive money from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). As of 2016, gold medalists received $25,000, silver medalists $15,000, and bronze medalists $10,000. In 2017, these amounts increased to $37,000 for gold, $22,500 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze. Since 2018, Paralympic athletes receive the same payments as Olympians.

In 2025, the USOPC received a historic $100 million donation to support athletes. Starting with the 2026 Milan Games, each athlete will receive $200,000 per Olympic appearance. This money helps athletes manage financial challenges they face due to intense training schedules. The donation aims to provide long-term financial security for athletes after their careers end.

Doping

The United States has had eight Olympic medals taken away because of doping rule violations. These decisions were made by individual athletes, not by the government or the United States Olympic Committee. One famous case involved swimmer Rick DeMont, who won a gold medal in 1972 but was later asked to give it back because a medicine he used for his asthma showed up in a test. The committee later agreed he did nothing wrong, but the international group in charge has not given his medal back.

Some documents showed that many American athletes failed drug tests between 1988 and 2000 but were still allowed to compete. This led to questions about fairness and rules. For example, athlete Carl Lewis admitted to failing tests but said it was because of a supplement he took by accident. These cases caused debate about how rules were followed and who was responsible for making sure everyone played fair.

Main article: List of stripped Olympic medals

The United States has had eight Olympic medals stripped, which is fifth in the ranking of countries with the most stripped medals.

• 1972 Summer Olympics, Rick DeMont – first place, gold medalist, Swimming, Men's 400 m freestyle
• 2000 Summer Olympics, Marion Jones – first place, gold medalist, Athletics, Women's 100 m
• 2000 Summer Olympics, Marion Jones – first place, gold medalist, Athletics, Women's 200 m
• 2000 Summer Olympics, Marion Jones – third place, bronze medalist, Athletics, Women's long jump
• 2000 Summer Olympics, Relay team (Antonio Pettigrew, Jerome Young) – first place, gold medalists, Athletics, Men's 4 × 400 m relay
• 2000 Summer Olympics, Lance Armstrong – third place, bronze medalist, Cycling, Men's road time trial
• 2004 Summer Olympics, Tyler Hamilton – first place, gold medalist, Cycling, Men's road time trial
• 2012 Summer Olympics, Relay team (Tyson Gay) – second place, silver medalist, Athletics, Men's 4 × 100 m relay