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The much-awaited 32nd edition of the Summer Olympics is just a few months away from getting kickstarted in the Japanese capital city of Tokyo. World-class athletes from sporting powerhouses like the USA, Russia, Germany, China, and hosts Japan will once again fight for supremacy.
The USA has reigned over the Summer Olympics by winning a plethora of medals in the past editions of the Games. Given their sheer dominance at the grandest sporting spectacle, the Americans have ended on pole position in the overall medal tally standings in most of the Games.
With over 2500 medals, the United States occupies the numero uno position in the all-time medal tally at the Summer Olympics. The sheer hegemony of the USA is evident from the fact that it has stood atop the medal tally in five of the six previous editions of the Games.
Heading into the 2021 Tokyo Games, let us look at the 4 major factors which have been integral to America's stellar success at the Summer Olympics.
#1 Dominant in sports with multiple disciplines
One of the most important factors for American success at the Summer Olympics is medalling consistently in sporting events like athletics, gymnastics, boxing, and shooting, which have multiple disciplines. Despite a stiff challenge from rival nations like Soviet Union, Russia, China, and Germany, the USA has stood tall and won a large chunk of medals in these events.
#2 Legendary male athletes at their disposal
The US has been fortunate enough to have a galaxy of sporting legends, who have won a heap of medals and stood on the podium multiple times at the Olympics.
Prominent among the male athletes are Carl Lewis, Al Oerter, Mark Spitz, Maurice Greene, Gary Hall Jr., Carl Osburn, Edwin Moses, Jesse Owens, Michael Phelps, and Justin Gatlin. These superstars not only medaled consistently but some even went on to retain their titles in successive Olympic editions.
#3 Top class female Olympians who have won multiple medals
The female athletes from the USA have stood neck-to-neck with their male counterparts in dominating their events at the Olympics. They have consistently contributed a huge chunk to America's ever-growing medal tally. Notable among them are Jenny Thompson, Natalie Coughlin, Allyson Felix, Gail Devers, and Allison Schmitt.
#4 Best silver-to-gold conversion among leading medal-winning nations
The number of gold medals won in a specific edition of the Olympics determines the nation's standings in the overall medal tally. America has one of the best silver-to-gold medal conversions among leading medal-winning nations at the Summer Olympics. It has been observed that American athletes making it to the final of an Olympic event have gone on to win that event more often than athletes of other countries.
Unlike many other competing nations, who have been dominant at one particular sport at the Summer Olympics, American sportspersons have medaled across a wide spectrum of sports. While the US has been a force to reckon with in athletics, swimming, boxing, wrestling, and diving, they have won many medals in basketball, tennis, rowing, equestrian sports, and sailing as well.
