Top Performances by the Men of Team USA in 2024

The men of Team USA took home an impressive 52 medals at the Olympic Games and 32 medals at the Paralympic Games. From breakout stars to returning fan favorites, here are some of the top moments from the men of Team USA this summer.

For the first time since 2008, the American flag was raised during the medal ceremony for the men’s gymnastics team competition. Paul Juda, Frederick Richard, Asher Hong, Stephen Nedoroscik and Brody Malone secured bronze Monday night, breaking a 16-year medal drought for Team USA. They posted a score of 257.793 to finish behind Japan, gold medal winners for the eighth time (259.594), and China (259.062). The last time the Americans took home a medal in the event was in Beijing, where they also earned the bronze.

“The crowd chanting ‘U-S-A’ was invigorating,” said Juda, who provided a solid leadoff in multiple events. “The first ‘U-S-A’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is awesome.’ I thought maybe it would fade, but it kept growing and growing and growing. As we went deeper into the competition, the crowd got exponentially louder. When you hear that…you get goosebumps.”

Juda and Malone both recorded higher scores than qualifications in the first and second spots, leaving Nedoroscik, the pommel horse specialist, to wrap things up for the U.S. In an effort to prepare and remain oblivious to scores, both from other countries and his own team’s, Nedoroscik had spent the the high bar and floor rotations off the competition floor in the warm-up gym. As Nedoroscik stepped up to compete, he said he was oblivious to the fact that his routine would decide if his country earned a team medal. He was only aware of the energy exuding from the teammates that went before him.

“I could hear all of them cheering… it sounded like things were going really well,” said Nedoroscik. “At that moment, I knew that every guy had hit every single routine. I have this thing where if everyone hits before me, I never miss.”

That tradition continued for Nedoroscik. Before his feet even hit the mat on the way down from his dismount the arena was filled with roaring applause and collective cheers. No time was wasted by his fellow teammates as he was greeted with a collection of bear hugs down on the floor. Once scores were finalized and the number “3” was displayed on the screen next to USA, it took only moments for American flags to be draped across the backs of each member of the team. A collection of ‘U-S-A’ chants began again, this time a little louder.

“It’s surreal,” said Richard. “We’re going to be written in history, all of us.”

At the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Liam Corrigan, Michael Grady, Justin Best and Nick Mead updated that stat. In rowing’s 2,000-meter men’s four final, they held off a charging New Zealand crew to win an Olympic gold medal.

“The words exist, I think, but I can't put them together right now about how that feels,” said Best, who could not hold back his tears on the podium.

“It's literally unbelievable,” added Corrigan, a Harvard University and University of Oxford grad who stroked the boat. “I crossed the line, and I thought I was going to have some kind of celebration. But it was just disbelief. My hands were on my head. It felt like a dream, it was crazy.”

 Corrigan, Grady, Best and Mead have rowed the four together for two years — a long time for U.S. rowers who typically make boats through yearly selection races and camps. And they have rowed in various boats together for a decade. Corrigan remembered rowing in the junior men’s eight with Grady in 2014, Grady and Best won the U23 world championships in the men’s eight, etc. Then in college — Corrigan at Harvard, Grady at Cornell Univesrity, Best at Drexel University, Mead at Princeton University — they rowed against each other in intercollegiate regattas. Since 2019, they have been in and out of various national team boats together and against each other.

The men had other motivation to keep their performance on track: they all thought back to their almost-podium-finishes at the Tokyo Games. Best has a recording of the men’s eight’s 2020 Olympic race saved on his computer. 

“On the very tough days, I'd pull it out and I'd watch it again and see us get fourth,” he said. “All of a sudden, when you're tired and you don't want to go to that training or you can't go out and have fun with your friends on a Friday night, you watch that recording, and all of a sudden, everything becomes a lot easier. 

“I watched it many, many times, and I remember the feeling of leaving that course. I said I never want to feel that that way again.”

As they have trained together over the past two years, the 2024 U.S. Olympic men’s four had time to truly bond.

“We have a group of four guys who love each other,” said Best. “It’s special, I can't describe it because it really is just like that ethereal bond we've created over the last few years. I'm just so happy to see all that we put into it come out on the right side of things. 

“Now we have a physical reminder of everything that we put in,” Best added, as he clutched his Olympic gold medal, “And we'll have this for the rest of our lives.”

 Ryan Crouser may go down as the greatest shot-putter to ever heave the 16-pound implement – the burly American athlete became an Olympic champion for the third consecutive time, under the lights, on Saturday night at Stade de France.

Crouser opened his quest for an Olympic shot put triple with an excellent first round throw of 21.64 meters, demonstratively expressing his approval to the equally loud and energetic crowd in Paris. The 31-year-old from Fayetteville, Arkansas, then improved upon that with a second-round toss of 22.69m, and progressed yet again, with a third-round mark of 22.90m.

It was an impressive display and sheer dominance by the hulking 6-foot-7 athlete, especially considering a shoulder injury and other injuries that he has been dealing with this Olympic season. All three of Crouser’s throws were far enough for him to become the first shot putter in 128-years of Olympic history to win three consecutive gold medals.

“Throwing a 16-pound ball is not easy on the body – throwing it as hard as you can, as far as you can beats you up,” Crouser told reporters, after the record-breaking triumph. “Being the first to win three is a testament to just how much shot does beat you up.

“It’s been a total commitment, being Olympic champ for three consecutive is testament to the total dedication and hard work that has gone into it. Just focusing and realizing it is a 365-day a year job,” he said. “It’s a lot of sacrifices and years upon years to committing to that has allowed me to get to the level that I’m at.”

The 35-year-old Kovacs was far from at his best for five throws and sat out of the medals. As rainfall at Stade de France began to increase and four opponents encountered problems with grip and traction inside the ring, Kovacs unleashed a huge toss of 22.15m, that tied Jamaican Rajindra Campbell for second place. Considering that the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania shot putter possessed a longer second throw from his third round, the silver medal belonged to him.

“This one I felt more emotions than the others, who knows if this will be my last Olympics – I felt really proud because my wife is the Olympic coach for the women here, so we are both here on a mission,” Kovacs said, noting wife Ashley, who also serves as his personal coach.

Crouser’s third straight gold-medal winning performance at the Olympic Games, surpasses fellow American shot putters Ralph Rose (1900 & 1904), and Parry O’Brien (1952 & 1956), both of whom won two consecutive titles.

“The self-doubt, the injuries and so lucky to have my family here, I haven’t seen them, they’ve been running around Paris,” Crouser said. “I’m looking forward to seeing them.

“The goal for me is to retire in 2028, as an American, on home soil, at an American Olympics,” Crouser says, referring to the LA28 Olympics. “That would be a dream come true.”

Scottie Scheffler added an Olympic Golf gold medal to his two Masters Green Jackets.

The Texas golfer did so shooting a tremendous final round, that resulted in a thrilling conclusion all coming down to the 18th hole. Scheffler was leader in the clubhouse, but still the distinct possibility of a gold medal playoff existed.

Scheffler, whose grandfather served in the Korean War, talked about his emotions when the American flag was raised and the national anthem played at the medal ceremony near the 18th green.

“I’m proud to be an American, and I take tremendous pride coming over here and representing the country,” Scheffler told journalists in the post-tournament news conference. “It was just very emotional being up there on the podium as the flag was raised.”

“I just tried my best to stay in the moment, to relax and get ready for the playoff. I turned on some music and tried to stay warm.”

Coming to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, men on the U.S. swimming team had won at least one gold medal in an individual event in every Olympiad since the Olympic Games Paris 1900. But by the final day of Swimming in Paris, they had yet to win one.

Until Bobby Finke stepped onto the pool deck.

The defending Olympic gold medalist in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle held off Gregorio Paltrinieri from Italy to bring home his third Olympic gold medal in world-record time — and fourth medal total. Finke won silver in the 800 freestyle earlier this week, to go with his two golds from the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in the distance freestyle events.

“I really wanted to get on top of the podium again and hear the anthem all over again like I did for the first time in Tokyo,” said Finke. “To be able to do that, listen to it, hand over my heart, it was a dream.”

This not-as-golden performance at the Paris Olympic Games is not a sign of weakness, however. Rather, the swimmers see it as a sign of the sport’s strength.

“The world's getting faster, and I think it's a really good thing,” explained Finke. “It's a really healthy thing for the sport. If one country is always dominating, I can't really sit there and say the sport is growing. 

“So as much as it sucks that we're not dominating anymore, it's good for the sport.”

A rematch of 2021’s Olympic final occurred in tonight’s gold-medal match between Team USA and France. The outcome played out the same as the U.S. men’s basketball team claimed its fifth consecutive gold medal in the tournament at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Thanks to Steph Curry’s team-high 24 points, and clutch 3-pointers during the last three minutes of the game, the U.S. kept Olympic hosts France from completing a late-game comeback. Team USA secured a 98-87 win against the French on Saturday night.

The U.S. was thrown into another demanding match against France, who the Americans had previously faced three times in the Olympic finals (1948, 2000, 2021) and were 3-0 against. The French notably gave Team USA its last loss in Olympic competition, having beaten the U.S. in a group-stage meeting at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Head coach Steve Kerr believed France kept the pressure on the Americans.

“I thought they did a great job in the fourth quarter of putting pressure on us,” Steve Kerr told Team USA. “They finished the third quarter strong too. There were several moments where it felt like we were gonna push it from 10 to 15 and we were gonna be in the clear.”

Unfortunately for France, it ended there. Enter, Curry’s flurry.

LeBron James, who had 14 points, six rebounds and 10 assists in the final, was glad to have Curry on his side for the first time in major competition.

“I’ve seen it before in a different uniform,” James said. “So it’s good to be on this side.”

James, 39, added three-time Olympic gold medalist and Olympic MVP of the men’s basketball tournament to his already stellar resume. The four-time NBA champion believed winning gold was the only thing on his mind, commending his self-dubbed, “Avengers,” for their composure throughout the entire Olympic campaign to claim gold.

“It’s a big moment for USA Basketball, and we came together,” James said. “We stayed even-keeled no matter what was going on throughout the preliminary games, throughout the tournament games. We got our moment. This is what we wanted. We all came here for one common goal and we took care of business.”

While James ruled out any chance of competing at the Olympic Games L.A. 2028, he continues to focus on enjoying the remaining moments.

“I’m just living in the moment,” said James in response to his future. “I’m super humbled that I can still play this game, play it at a high level, play with 11 other great players and coaching staff, and go out and do it for our country. It was a great moment.”

Team USA’s all-time leading scorer, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker found themselves on the scoresheet with 15 points each, as well. Durant, 35, earned his first start in what eventually earned him his fourth Olympic gold medal, the most by a U.S. men’s basketball player.

It was a historic Olympic run in what may be the last time fans get to see all-time great James, Curry and Durant share the court together. Team USA bowed out with a flawless 6-0 journey.

“And we had a really wonderful group of guys,” Kerr said. “They were all very committed to winning and to each other, and they didn't let anything get in the way of the gold medal.”

Coming into the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Team USA’s Sam Watson was holding the world record with a time of 4.79 — the second athlete to go under 5 seconds, after Indonesia’s Veddriq Leonardo clocked 4.984 in a world cup semifinal and then 4.900 in the final. That record held for a year until Watson broke it twice at a world cup in Wujiang, China in April, making 4.798 the new goal — until all that changed in Paris.  

Because it wouldn’t be an Olympics if records weren’t broken multiple times.

In the early heats, it was Indonesia’s Leonardo again who tied Watson’s world record, but it didn’t stand for long after the 18-year-old American returned with a run of 4.75 later the same day.

Coming into the finals on Thursday morning the first-time Olympian broke his own world record to go the fastest time of the day (4.74), shaving another one one-hundredths of a second off his world record time to become the fastest climber in the world. And he did it in the bronze medal match.

Stumbling in the first of the semifinal races near the top of the wall against China’s Peng Wu, Watson finished behind, sending him to the second final match to fight for the bronze.

“No regrets,” Watson said about the grip error that caused a slower time. “I don't think the pressure really got to me or anything like that. I think just a tiny little stumble at the top, just a few millimeters off a certain hold allowed me to get less power out of it and slow down a lot.”

The Paris Games was the second time climbing has been contested at an Olympics but this was the first year speed Climbing was its own discipline. In Tokyo, bouldering, lead and speed were one event, with Team USA’s Nathaniel Coleman winning the silver in the men’s combined — the first Climbing medal for the U.S.

Watson is now taking home the second — but he doesn’t expect it will be his last.

“I really want to get under 4.6 seconds,” Watson said.

“If you don’t know how the sport works, the reaction time off the ground must be at least point one. So, under 4.6 means that you do the route in under four and a half seconds. That really does mean a lot to me. That was the next goal after sub-five proved to be possible and now decently easy for all these athletes. So just keep going, no limits.”

The 41-year-old Stutzman competed at his fourth Paralympics this year in the French capital. The game-changing and well-known armless archer indicated that these will most likely be his final Paralympics.

The Fairfield, Iowa, native was optimistic that he could fire enough accurate arrows to bring home his first Paralympics gold medal. Stutzman won a silver medal at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, 12 years ago.

For his Paralympics swansong, Stutzman is accompanied by his partner Jessica and additinonal family members here. Their family together consists of five sons between the ages of 12 and 21.

“I was very emotional seeing my family – I tried not to cry,” Stutzman said. “Just being here, having my family watching me underneath this awesome venue with the Eiffel Tower – whatever happens from here on out, I’m happy and satisfied.

“This moment is special I don’t know how you really top today, other than winning a gold medal. I feel like there has been a gold medal in my heart already.”

On night one of his competition, Ezra Frech shocked the field by winning Gold in the mens 100m T63. Frech added a second gold in the after he leaped a Paralympics high jump T63 record of 1.94m/6ft 4 ½ in.

“I’ve actually sacrificed and dedicated literally everything in my entire life to this – I’ve been writing down every morning that ‘I’m the Paralympic champion’ and writing it down at night, and speaking it out loud and into the mirror,” Frech revealed. 

“I’ve brought the journal with me – I have hundreds and hundreds of pages of the same sentence over and over and over again, just convincing myself for this.” 

Frech addressed the amazing atmosphere and unwavering support that he received on a dream-fulfilling night.

“The stadium was electric and winning this gold in front of my family and friends meant so much to me – I had 60-plus people coming out here for me and I didn’t want to give them a bad experience,” Frech said about the large contingent, many from California.

“It was honestly really difficult to come from such a high of winning the 100 and then trying to forget that – I was struggling to sleep last night,” he revealed. “People kept messaging me, luckily at about 2 p.m I was able to forget that I won the 100m and was able to focus and get the job done tonight.”

The 400m race was never in doubt as Blackwell led from start to finish. The 20-year-old showman increased his lead around every corner and down the homestretch.

Blackwell’s triumphant performance and world record equaling time of 48.49 seconds was a staggering 1.25 seconds faster than his teammates Ryan Medrano, who took silver, while posting a personal best of 49.74 seconds.

"I could've broken the world record because I was looking at the clock, giving it a few glances, and that probably slowed me down a little bit,” Blackwell said. “But I still tied it, so I'm happy about that and everything.

For Blackwell, who likes to consider himself the "Noah Lyles of Adaptive Track & Field," it was his second gold medal in Paris, following victory in the 100m.

"I'm glad, appreciative and really excited that I've been able to do this twice in a row now,” Blackwell said. “I'm really happy that I've got the abilities to do what I need to do on that track and get two golds."