Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday failed to medal on the first day of Summer Olympics for the first time since Munich in 1972, despite multiple near-misses.
A total of 11 gold medals were won Saturday for events in archery, cycling, fencing, judo, air rifle and pistol shooting, taekwondo and weightlifting.
China took home three gold medals and 1 bronze. However, the U.S. athletes did not receive gold, silver or bronze in any of the events Saturday.
China’s YANG Qian won the first gold medal of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Saturday, clinching first place in the women’s 10m air rifle final.
The 21-year-old edged out ROC’s Anastasiia Galashina. Nina Christen of Switzerland took the bronze medal. USA’s Mary Tucker was the favourite for the event, but the 20-year-old finished sixth.
Other countries that have won gold in the ongoing games include Japan, Ecuador, Iran, Hungary, Kosovo, and South Korea.
Read more: Tokyo 2020 Olympics medal table
The US Weightlifter Jourdan Delacruz ended her day at seventh in the women’s 49kg division.
Team USA’s fencers did not make it past the table of 16, and archers Mackenzie Brown and world No. 1 Brady Ellison were upset in the first round in the mixed team.
Cyclist Brandon McNulty finished sixth as Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz brought home his country’s second-ever gold medal.
There was a stretch from 1960, ’64, ’68 and ’72 Summer Games when the U.S. did not medal on the first day. Team USA also failed to medal on day one of the Winter Olympics in 2018.
Despite the team winning no medal on Saturday, they were not winless. The United States 3×3 basketball team beat France 17–10 while softball team won Mexico 3–0. Women’s Water Polo dominated Japan, with a 25-4 victory.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
