2008 Woodie Awards
U.S. Nets 103 Medals In Athens
The 2004 Olympic Games wraps up, but not without controversy.
Emil Eshaya
Issue date: 9/8/04 Section: Sports
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ATHENS- The 2004 Olympic Games, full of drama and surprises, came to a close August 29 with the United States leading the pack with 35 gold medals. Though the men's basketball team was a disappointment, swim champion Michael Phelps ore than made up for it, tying for the most individual medals since 1980 and Carly Patterson brought the women's all-around gold back to America for the first time in 20 years.
The United States flexed its Olympic dominance once again by taking the most medals in the Summer Games with 103, as Russia came in a close second with 92 medals. Host country Greece finished with 16.
Swimming:
After eight days of competition, Michael Phelps swam away with six gold and two bronze medals. Phelps gave up his spot on the 4 x100 meter relay to teammate Ian Crocker after beating him out for the gold in the 100 meter butterfly by four-hundreths of a second. However, Crocker didn't disappoint. Along with teammates Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen and Jason Lezak, he pulled in another gold for the United States.
Gymnastics:
Sixteen-year-old Carly Patterson tumbled into the spotlight becoming the first U.S. woman to win gold in the all-around competition in a non-boycotted Olympic Game since Mary Lou Retton won in Los Angeles in 1984.
Though, scandal found its way into this summer's games. Gymnast Paul Hamm received the gold for men's all-around only after South Korean Yang Tae-Young's score was reduced by a tenth when he received an incorrect start value from the judges on his parallel bars routine, dropping him to second.
Young, who ended up with the bronze, filed with the International Court of Arbitration for sport asking that the results be changed and Hamm is now being pressure to willingly hand over the gold to Young. He has already been denied by international gymnastics officials and both the U.S. and International Olympic committees.
Track and Field:
Americans swept all three medals in both the 200 meter and the 400 meter in track and field, making the track and field medal count 25, the most since 1992's games in Barcelona. Among the winners were 19-year-old Jeremy Wariner and 22-year-old Justin Gatlin, who also won gold in the 100 meter.
Women's softball and basketball:
The U.S. women's softball and basketball teams easily breezed through their play as both went undefeated and picked up two gold medals, making the U.S. the first country to win three consecutive golds in women's basketball.
Men's basketball:
Unlike the women, the men's basketball team labeled the "Dream Team," with Allen Iverson, LeBron James and Lamar Odom among others, struggled and failed to pick up gold for the first time since 1988, and instead walked away with bronze, while losing games to Puerto Rico, Lithuana, and Argentina.
The United States flexed its Olympic dominance once again by taking the most medals in the Summer Games with 103, as Russia came in a close second with 92 medals. Host country Greece finished with 16.
Swimming:
After eight days of competition, Michael Phelps swam away with six gold and two bronze medals. Phelps gave up his spot on the 4 x100 meter relay to teammate Ian Crocker after beating him out for the gold in the 100 meter butterfly by four-hundreths of a second. However, Crocker didn't disappoint. Along with teammates Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen and Jason Lezak, he pulled in another gold for the United States.
Gymnastics:
Sixteen-year-old Carly Patterson tumbled into the spotlight becoming the first U.S. woman to win gold in the all-around competition in a non-boycotted Olympic Game since Mary Lou Retton won in Los Angeles in 1984.
Though, scandal found its way into this summer's games. Gymnast Paul Hamm received the gold for men's all-around only after South Korean Yang Tae-Young's score was reduced by a tenth when he received an incorrect start value from the judges on his parallel bars routine, dropping him to second.
Young, who ended up with the bronze, filed with the International Court of Arbitration for sport asking that the results be changed and Hamm is now being pressure to willingly hand over the gold to Young. He has already been denied by international gymnastics officials and both the U.S. and International Olympic committees.
Track and Field:
Americans swept all three medals in both the 200 meter and the 400 meter in track and field, making the track and field medal count 25, the most since 1992's games in Barcelona. Among the winners were 19-year-old Jeremy Wariner and 22-year-old Justin Gatlin, who also won gold in the 100 meter.
Women's softball and basketball:
The U.S. women's softball and basketball teams easily breezed through their play as both went undefeated and picked up two gold medals, making the U.S. the first country to win three consecutive golds in women's basketball.
Men's basketball:
Unlike the women, the men's basketball team labeled the "Dream Team," with Allen Iverson, LeBron James and Lamar Odom among others, struggled and failed to pick up gold for the first time since 1988, and instead walked away with bronze, while losing games to Puerto Rico, Lithuana, and Argentina.
