The Summer Olympics have been a huge part of my very exciting summer. The 16 days are filled of 28 different events with over 11,000 athletes representing their homes of the 200 countries participating in these games. It continues to amaze me how incredible and athletics these Olympians are. Team U.S.A. has yet again been dominating the Summer Olympic games and continues to stand on the podium. It's easy to look up how many medals Team U.S.A. has received but here are some facts about the 2016 U.S.A. Team that you may have not known about before!
1. Team U.S.A. has 555 athletes representing USA, 263 men and 292 women, marking the most women who have competed for any nation at a single Games.
2. Team U.S.A. will be represented in 27 sports (40 disciplines) and 244 of the 306 medal events to be contested in Rio.
3. Team U.S.A. did not have a handball team.
4. The first time U.S.A. has received gold, silver, and bronze in a track event was this Olympics in the women's 100m hurdles by Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin.
5. U.S.A.'s own Ashton Eaton, track and field, is married to Brianne Theisen-Eaton, another track and field star who represents Canada.
6. There are six sets of siblings on Team U.S.A.
7. Winning gold in Women's Wrestling for Team U.S.A. was Helen Maroulis, the first time USA has ever received a gold medal in women's wrestling.
8. Track star Abbey D'Agostino tripped during her event, injuring her leg. She then picked up the opponent who she tripped over and has now formed a new friendship with Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand.
9. Shot put had its first American women, Michelle Carter, to win an Olympic medal in the event since 1960.
10. First Muslim women to represent U.S.A. while competing in a hijab at the Olympics was Ibtihaj Muhammad in women's sabre fencing.
11. USA has NFL Patriots' Nate Ebner as one of the players for men's rugby.
12. The event Steeplechase, the longest track race and an obstacle course race including barriers and water jumps, had U.S.A. Evan Jager taking the silver for men's and Emma Coburn taking the bronze.
13. The U.S.A. women's gymnastics team was lucky enough to spend some time with Simone Bile's big time celebrity crush, Zac Efron, while in Rio.
15. Golf has final returned to the Olympics after a 112-year absence, and representing Team U.S.A., Matt Kuchar was awarded the bronze for men's golf.
16. Synchronized swimmers must complete about three laps during their performances or else they will get points deducted, and because of this rule, U.S.A. came in ninth for women's duets.
17. Most of Team U.S.A.'s gold medals have been from our men's and women's swim team with 33 gold medals.
18. Michael Phelps is now the U.S. Olympian with the most gold medals with a total of 22 gold medals.
19. For the 2020 Summer Olympics, the sports that will be added are baseball, softball, karate, sports climbing, surfing and skateboarding. U.S.A. is planning on having athletes compete in all six of these new events in 2020!
