A "Truly Exceptional" Olympic Games

BEIJING, China - With the conclusion of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Sunday, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) congratulates all Olympic athletes from around the world for participating in and contributing to the most competitive Olympic Games in history. The USOC also applauds and expresses gratitude to the Beijing Organizing Committee for its excellence in organizing and staging an event of this magnitude.

The USOC congratulates all 597 members of Team USA for one of the best U.S. performances in Games history. The U.S. Team concluded the 2008 Olympic Games with 110 medals (36 gold, 38 silver, 36 bronze), leading the overall medal standings for the fourth consecutive Olympic Games while setting a new U.S. record for medal production in a full-participation Games. The previous record for the U.S. Team was 108 medals won at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, followed by 107 medals won at the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games[1].

The U.S. Team won 36 gold medals in Beijing, on pace with those won at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (36), the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games (37), and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (37).

"We could not be more proud of our athletes for everything they accomplished here in Beijing, both on and off the field of play," said USOC Chairman Peter Ueberroth. "Our first priority going into these Games was to compete clean, and we are extremely proud that our athletes are sharing our commitment to this principle. They represented our country with pride and honor, and with one of the best U.S. Olympic performances in history."

"We consider this one of our most successful performances in the Olympic Games ever," said USOC Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr. "Our athletes have consistently conducted themselves in a manner reflecting the very best values and ideals of our country and the Olympic Movement. This team has represented our nation in an exemplary fashion and has inspired millions of young people to pursue their dreams."

Adding to its overall medal success, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team earned unprecedented achievements in team sports, with medals won by every U.S. Team participating in the Olympic Games with the exception of men's soccer and women's field hockey, both of which found success in qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games after absences in years past. USA team medals at the 2008 Olympic Games:

o Women's basketball: gold

o Men's basketball: gold

o Women's soccer: gold

o Men's volleyball: gold

o Women's volleyball: silver

o Women's water polo: silver

o Men's water polo: silver

o Softball: silver

o Baseball: bronze

These remarkable performances on the field of play are even more significant given how competitive these Olympic Games have been, with more than 40 World Records and more than 120 Olympic Records set in Beijing. In addition, 86 countries have won medals throughout the 17 days, further underscoring the competitive nature of these Olympic Games.

In addition to the medal count, the U.S. Team finished the 2008 Olympic Games with 203 top-8 finishes, which is seven ahead of the total the U.S. Team earned at the 2004 Olympic Games. The 203 top-8 finishes places Team USA first, 34 ahead of China's 169, with Russia third at 165.

The 2008 Olympic Games is also on pace to become the most watched television event in history in the United States on the networks and platforms of NBC Universal. Through the first 15 days, 208.7 million Americans have watched the Beijing Olympic Games, just 300,000 below the 209 million who viewed the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games[2].

At 208.7 million viewers, 85 percent of all U.S. TV households have tuned in. This number is also 11 million more than the first 15 days of Athens (198 million) and 5 million more than the first 15 days of Atlanta (204 million). The Beijing Olympic Games' 15-day average primetime viewership is 28.1 million, 11 percent ahead of Athens in 2004 (25.3 million).

The 2008 Olympic Games have set records throughout, from athlete performances on the field of play to worldwide viewership. With 110 U.S. Team medals, it also goes down in history as one of the greatest performances ever for a United States Olympic Team.

[1] Does not include the boycotted Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games or the St. Louis 1904 Olympic Games.

[2] According to Neilsen Media Research