What Team USA medal milestones to watch for at Paris Olympics

Team USA is poised to have a huge medal haul at the 2024 Paris Olympics, their 592 athletes competing in 31 of the 32 sports on the program. And with those medal opportunities, Americans and their teams can etch their name into history books, including star swimmer Katie Ledecky and gymnast Simone Biles. 

So, here’s a look at some of the Olympic medal milestones Americans can reach during these Summer Games, citing data compiled by OlyMadMen.com.

Team USA Olympic medal milestones to watch

• With five gold medal wins, the U.S. women’s track and field team would have 50 Olympic gold medals all time.
• With seven gold medal wins, the U.S. men’s track and field team would have 250 Olympic gold medals all time.
• With one gold medal win, the U.S. women’s swimming team would have 100 Olympic gold medals all time.
• The U.S. women’s basketball team has won every Olympic gold medal since 1996. A 2024 Paris Olympic win would mark its eighth straight gold medal and 10th all time. The Americans have lost just one (1) Olympic game since 1992, when they fell in the semifinals to the Soviet Union.
• A gold medal win for the USWNT would snap an Olympics gold drought. The Americans’ last gold medal win on an Olympic pitch was at the 2012 Olympics.
• If the American women win the team all-around in gymnastics, it will be their first gold in the event since 2016 and third win in the event this century.
• If the U.S. men’s basketball team wins gold, it will be its fifth straight, seventh since 1992 and 17th overall.

Olympic swimming medal milestones to watch for

• With one gold medal win, Katie Ledecky (7) would tie swimmer Jenny Thompson (8) with the most gold medals by an American woman at the Summer Olympics. 
• With two gold medal wins, Katie Ledecky (7) would have the most gold medals by an American woman, regardless of sport, at the Summer Olympics, surpassing Jenny Thompson (8), who won all of her golds in relays.
• With three medal wins, Katie Ledecky (10) would become the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history, surpassing Jenny Thompson, Natalie Coughlin and Dana Torres, who each have 12. 
• With one medal win, Katie Ledecky (10) would tie Allyson Felix (11) to become the second-most decorated U.S. female athlete at the Summer Olympics.
• With three medal wins, Katie Ledecky would surpass Jenny Thompson, Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin and Dana Torres, who have 12 medals each, to become the second-most decorated American Summer Olympian of all-time, behind only Michael Phelps and his untouchable record of 28 total medals.
• With three gold medal wins, Katie Ledecky would hold the second-most U.S. Olympic gold medals, behind Michael Phelps’ ridiculous record of 23 golds.
• With three gold medal wins, Caeleb Dressel (7) would move to second on the list of most Olympic gold medals by a men’s American swimmer, surpassing Matt Biondi (8) and Mark Spitz (9).
• With four medal wins, Caeleb Dressel (7) would tie Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi for third-most Olympic swimming medals by American men.

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

Olympic gymnastics medal milestones to watch for

• If Suni Lee wins the gymnastics all-around, she would be the first back-to-back Olympic champion since Věra Čáslavská won gold in the event in 1964 and 1968.
• If an American woman wins the gymnastics all-around, it would be the U.S.’s sixth consecutive gold in the event.
• Simone Biles enters the Paris Olympics with seven medals: four gold medals, one silver and two bronze. 
• With one medal win, Simone Biles (7) would break a tie with Shannon Miller (7) to become the most decorated American gymnast of all time at the Olympics.
• With four medal wins, Simone Biles (7) would join Věra Čáslavská as the second-most decorated Olympic gymnasts of all time, behind only Larisa Latynina’s 18 medals.
• With three gold medal wins, Simone Biles (4) would join Věra Čáslavská (7) with the second-most Olympic gymnastics golds all time, behind Larisa Latynina’s nine.
• With four gold medal wins, Simone Biles (4) would surpass Věra Čáslavská (7) with the second-most Olympic gymnastics golds all time.
• With five gold medal wins, and there are only six total up for grabs, Simone Biles (4) would tie Larisa Latynina (9) for most Olympic gymnastics gold medals all time.
• If an American woman wins gold on floor, it would be the fourth straight win for the U.S. in the event, extending the streak built by Jade Carey (2020), Simone Biles (2016), Aly Raisman (2012).
• If an American woman wins gold on vault, it would be just the second win for the U.S. in the event this century; Simone Biles took home the gold on vault in 2016.
• If an American woman wins gold on bars, it would be a first for the U.S. in Olympic history.
• If an American woman wins gold on beam, it would be the first win for the U.S. in the event since Shawn Johnson took home gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Olympic track and field medal milestones to watch for

• Any medal for Sha’carri Richardson would be her first Olympic medal.
• If Sha’carri Richardson (or any American) wins the 100m gold, she would be the first American woman to win the event since Gail Devers at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
• If Sha’carri Richardson (or any American) wins the 200m gold, she would be the first American woman to win the event since Allyson Felix at the 2012 London Olympics.
• If Noah Lyles (or any American) wins the 100m gold, he would be the first American man to win the event since Justin Gatlin in 2004.
• If Noah Lyles (or any American) wins the 200m gold, he would be the first American man to win the event since Shawn Crawford at the 2004 Athens Olympics.