Posted: July 24, 2004

Athletics: Team USA hurdles, sprints bring Olympic success

When Team USA competes on the Olympic track, attention often is focused on the sprints and relays. For the United States it is in hurdles, shot put, long jump and pole vault where the American men have most often brought home the gold, silver and bronze.

Team USA’s 110-meter hurdlers have been the most successful in Olympic history across the board, winning gold in 18 of 24 Olympiads, in addition to 17 silver and 16 bronze – 51 total medals. Among the all-time greats earning the title of Olympic champion were two-time gold medalists Roger Kingdom (1984, ‘88) and Lee Calhoun (1956, ‘60), Harrison Dillard (1952), and four-time world champion Allen Johnson (1996), who is after his second gold in 2004.

Second in medal-hauling history is the men’s shot put, with 16 gold, 18 silver and 11 bronze, for 45 total medals. At the 2004 Olympic Games, John Godina will try to add to his Olympic silver (1996) and bronze (2000), while 2000 silver medalist Adam Nelson goes for his second medal and Reese Hoffa tries to make it a sweep in any order of finish. Parry O’Brien (gold ’52 and ’56, silver in ’60) and Ralph Rose (gold in ’04 and ’08, silver in ’12) set the standard with two gold and a silver each.

Men’s long jumpers, led by four-time champion Carl Lewis, have won 20 gold medals, 14 silver and 9 bronze for a total of 43 medals. Defending world championships gold medalist Dwight Phillips enters Athens as a gold-medal favorite.

The pole vault is double-digits in all three colors of medals, including 18 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze, for 42 medals. Among the notables in the vault have been two-time gold medalist Bob Richards in 1952 and ’56. Tim Mack, Toby Stevenson and Derek Miles will try to keep the tradition alive.

The men’s 200 meters’ 16 Olympic gold includes Michael Johnson’s world record of 19.32 in 1996. An additional 16 silver and 9 bronze bring the total medal haul in the event to 41. Shawn Crawford and Justin Gatlin had a powerful 1-2 finish at the 2004 Olympic Trials and are strong contenders to add to that total.

The men’s 400m dash sprint has been nearly as lucrative, yielding 17 gold, 11 silver and 9 bronze (37 medals), while American athletes have won 17 gold, 10 silver and 9 bronze in the men’s 400 hurdles (36).

Double-digit gold in men’s individual events include the 100 meters (15), discus throw (13) and high jump (13).

From USATF.org.