Americans out of the blocks slowly

Told to avoid inflaming anti-American sentiment, US athletes may have toned down the bravado too much in the early days of the Games.

After four days of competition, the sporting superpower has just three golds and is struggling to build momentum.

At the same stage four years ago in Sydney, the US had already claimed six Olympic titles.

Of course, they are still confident of ending up top of the medals table as they did at the 2000 and 1996 Games. Their strength in track and field will not be felt until the second week of the 16-day Games.

So far, though, US sports fans have seen their mighty basketball team humbled by Puerto Rico and teenage swimming star Michael Phelps fall at the second and third hurdles of his much-hyped attempt to claim a record eight gold medals in a single Games.


In the pool, the US team have failed to live up to their billing as the strongest since the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Last night they were bumped out of the men's 100 freestyle for just the third time in Games history.


Americans are still winning medals, but they are tending to be silver and bronze. In the men's gymnastics team final yesterday they finished second behind Japan, who won their fifth gold.

The US experience over the first four days was exemplified by Dain Blanton and Jeff Nygaard.

The team's top hopes for a medal in men's beach volleyball, they lost their second straight match, which makes it virtually impossible for them to move past the preliminary rounds.

- NZPA