US Women Dominate 2024 Olympics -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Photo from NPR

The 2024 Summer Olympics has concluded and Team USA took home the title. In the overall medal count, the United States finished with 126 medals: 40 gold, 44 silvers, and 42 bronze.

China tied the United States in gold medals but fell way behind in overall medals. China had 91 total medals: 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze. The next three countries to follow in line are Great Britain (65: 14, 22, 29), France (64: 16, 26, 22), and Australia (53: 18, 19, 16).

For the United States, the women dominated. Of Team USA's 126 total medals, women were responsible for 67 (53.17%). Women did account for 26 of Team USA's 40 gold medals (65%). This was the first Summer Olympics where we saw an equal number of men and women athletes participating.

Photo from NPR

Here are a few of the US women accomplishments:

-Bronze Rugby Sevens, Team USA's first ever rugby sevens medal

-Gold Women's Soccer

-Gold Women's Soccer, an Olympic record setting eighth straight gold

-Torri Huske, five swim medals

-Katie Ledecky, four swim medals including ninth career gold and most decorated US Female Olympian

-Simone Biles, four gymnastics medals becoming the most decorated US Female Gymnastics Olympian

-Gold 4x400m relay, an Olympic record setting eighth straight gold

-Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, gold in 400m hurdles

-Silver Indoor Volleyball

-Gold Women's Team Fencing

-Olivia Reeves, gold in women's weightlifting

Photo from Getty Images

These are just a few of the many Olympic medals the women athletes for the United States earned. In fact, the 26 gold medals accounted for by the women would rank third if they were their own country. 

Here at Cardinal Couple, we emphasize the joy and excitement of UofL women's athletics, but we certainly have admiration and appreciation for women athletes around the world who continue to have success and the growth in women's athletics around the world.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Love for the Olympics -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Every four years, the world gets to witness the best athletes in the word compete against each other in the Summer Olympics. For me, this has meant spending hours each day on the couch watching tv. It doesn't matter what sport is on, I'm gladly watching.

I always cheer harder when I see a Louisville athlete or Team USA competing. Team USA women's indoor volleyball fell in a tight five-setter yesterday that included former Kentucky player Avery Skinner. Over the weekend, Lee Keifer won gold in the women's fencing. Keifer is another Kentucky alum. Many of the Louisville alums have not participated in their respective sports yet other than Carlik Jones and South Sudan, who won their opening men's basketball game in pool play.

The public certainly has their favorite sports such as swimming and diving, track and field, gymnastics, and basketball, but there are plenty of exciting sports to watch. Over the last couple Summer Olympics, I have become quite interested in water polo, handball, and rugby.

You might hear well-known names such as Simone Biles (gymnastics), Coco Gauff (tennis), Katie Ledecky (swimming), and LeBron James (basketball), all who are favored to reach the podium for their respective sports.

Team USA has fared well so far in the overall medal count and leads all countries, but the gold medals have been sparse. The United States are several gold behind countries such as Japan, China, France, Australia, and South Korea. The Olympic Games are still in their youth for 2024 with two weeks to go, so we will keep an eye out how things play out. We will also make sure to share any news and updates of our beloved Louisville athletes competing in the games.

USA gold medal count:

-Lee Keifer, women's fencing

-Torri Huske, women's 100m butterfly

-Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, and Caeleb Dressel, men's 4x100m freestyle relay

Happy Tuesday, Go Cards, and Go Team USA!

Jared