With youth, veterans and surprises, USA dominates medals in track and field

RIO DE JANEIRO — The sprint distances belonged to Usain Bolt and Jamaica, as they have for the past three Olympic Games. Likewise with the longer distances, in which Kenya (and Mo Farah of Great Britain) again led the way.

New marks were set. South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk shattered Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old record in the 400 meters. Kenyans set Olympic records in the men’s steeplechase and women’s 5,000. Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana set a world record in the women’s 10,000.

There were memorable scenes. Bolt celebrating after his ninth career gold medal, crowing, “I am now the greatest.” Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller diving through the finish line to capture gold in the women’s 400. Brazil’s Thiago Braz da Silva, the local hero, dueling France’s Renaud Lavillenie into the early hours of the morning before winning gold in the pole vault.

Then there was the USA. Leaving other countries to their individual stars and notable moments, the world’s dominant track and field power once again lapped the field.

Matt Centrowitz wins first U.S. gold in men's 1,500 since 1908

The USA claimed 32 medals: 13 gold, 10 silver and nine bronze. That's the most for the USA in track since Los Angeles in 1984 (40), and the most in a non-boycotted Games since Los Angeles again in 1932. Only one other time between 1956 and this year (30, in 1992) had the USA even reached 30.

Only two other countries in Rio, Kenya with 13 medals and Jamaica with 11, collected double-digit medals. Seven medals came from the middle distances and up.

To put the dominance into perspective, the USA took home as many medals as Kenya, Jamaica and Ethiopia combined.

They came from a variety of disciplines, from sprints through longer distances, in jumps and throws, from male and female athletes. There were some firsts (women.s 1,500, 3,000 steeplechase, shot put) and plenty of "first time sinces".

Ashton Eaton claimed his second gold medal in a row in the decathlon. Likewise with Christian Taylor in the triple jump, and with the women’s 4x100 relay. The USA made history in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, becoming the first country to sweep the medal podium in the event.

Allyson Felix, the underrated and often overlooked legend, won another three Olympic medals to push her career total to nine; she is the most decorated female track athlete in her country’s history.

U.S. women cruise to gold medal in 4x400 relay

There were the surprises. Sam Kendricks took bronze in the men’s pole vault. Ryan Crouser won the shot put — and set an Olympic record in the process — and Joe Kovacs took silver. Michelle Carter won the women's shot, the first gold ever for U.S. women in the event. A pair of medals came in the steeplechase; Emma Coburn was the first American to medal on the women’s side.

Matthew Centrowitz was the first American male to win gold in the 1,500 since 1908. Eventually, after appealing his original disqualification, Paul Chelimo (silver) became the first to medal in the men’s 5,000 since 1964. Jenny Simpson was the first to medal in the women’s 1,500 — ever.

There were records. Carter (20.63 meters) set the national record in the shot put.

Even in defeat, there were positives to come from the women’s marathon: Three runners finished inside the top nine, the best finish in the country’s history. On the men’s side, Galen Rupp became the first American male to medal since 2004 and just the third since 1924.

And, admittedly, there were disappointments. It’s hard to classify the failures of the men’s 4x100 relay as anything but a letdown: An exchange violation robbed the team of bronze, adding another footnote to the country’s inexplicable missteps in the discipline. Even before the DQ, the medal was merely bronze.

Yet the takeaway from the Rio Games won’t be simply of dominance. Come 2020, when the Olympics head to Tokyo, these Summer Games will be viewed as a changing of the guard, when the elder generation of USA track stars passed the baton to their younger teammates.

In sprints, 21-year-old Trayvon Bromell stands ready to fill void left by Bolt’s retirement from Olympic competition. Clayton Murphy and Boris Berian, 23,  give the USA medal another pair of medal contenders in the 800 — where Murphy, also just 21, already has a bronze to his credit.

Tori Bowie, 25, made the most of her Olympic debut, winning medals in the 100, 200 and the 4x100 relay. Coburn is 25, Centrowitz is 26, and each are hitting their prime.

Crouser, 23, and Kovacs, 27, are poised to dominate international competition in the shot put for years to come; likewise with Raven Saunders, the 20-year-old who finished fifth in the women’s event.

More than the medals themselves, it’s these performances that will linger into Tokyo, where the USA will again be expected to dwarf the competition. There’s the lesson from these Rio Games: The USA’s unequaled present in track and field is matched only by its future.

TRACK AND FIELD AT THE RIO OLYMPICS