First Opening Day Since 1972 With No Team USA Medals

Women's soccer team got a win and Team USA softball is on a perfect streak
By Liz MacGahan,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 24, 2021 11:05 AM CDT
First Opening Day Since 1972 With No Team USA Medals
A coach pitches batting practice for Team USA during a training session at the 2020 Summer Olympics Friday in Yokohama.   (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

The USA Olympic team has scored at least one medal on the opening day of the Summer Games for almost 50 years. Not this year, though. Olympic historian Bill Mallon tweeted that USA was winless on day 1 for the first time since the 1972 Games in Munich, the Hill reports. The day was marked by upsets all around. Team USA archers Brady Ellison and Mackenzie Brown were seeded second but brought home no medals. A USA cyclist pulled ahead in the cycling road race near the end, but wound up in sixth place at the end, per Sports Illustrated.

China won the first medal of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Yang Qian won in the women’s air rifle event, the New York Times reports. Team USA did put in some stellar performances Friday. The women’s soccer team bounced back from an egregious loss to Sweden and dominated New Zealand 6-1. And the USA softball team beat Mexico Saturday, continuing their perfect streak and leaving them well-positioned for a medal later, NBC reports. (More 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X