The USA will also seek to continue its success in team sports, with the women’s basketball team chasing a record sixth straight gold and the men’s basketball team aiming to win a third straight gold and 15th title overall. That number is the largest of any nation competing in Brazil next month, which is the first time the USA will have more competitors than any other nation in the Summer Olympics since 2004 in Greece.
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“I am especially excited for the historic achievement of our women’s delegation, which is a true testament to the strength and growing number of women’s sport opportunities in the United States”, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said.
Runner Allyson Felix, the most decorated U.S. Olympic woman with four gold medals and six overall, makes a fourth Games appearance, competing in the 400 meters and probably the 4×400 relay.
The US will compete in 27 sports and 244 of the 306 medal events that will be contested in Rio.
Three members of the US team will be making their sixth appearance in an Olympic Games: equestrian Phillip Dutton, along with shooters Emil Milev and Kim Rhode.
At London 2012, the American team finished with a tally of 45 gold, 29 silver and 29 bronze medals and their squad for the forthcoming Games contains 53 athletes who are looking to defend titles from four-years ago.
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, will look to increase his 22-medal haul as the first American male swimmer to qualify for five Olympic teams.
The women footballers will try to become the first World Cup champions to win the following year’s Olympic title while the USA women’s rowing 8 hasn’t lost an Olympic or world title since 2006.
Dutton is the oldest U.S. Olympian at 52.
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“For both returning and first-time Olympians, the pursuit of an Olympic dream is never an easy journey”, said Alan Ashley, United States’ Chef de Mission and USOC chief of sport performance. Ready or not, Brazil, here we come.
