Competitive Success 2021

For Olympians and Paralympians, earning a spot on the team is the ultimate dream with winning a medal the next moment to amplify their success. It is our job to give athletes the opportunity to achieve this by supporting them with world-class resources and the latest technology.

Facing extraordinary challenges amid the pandemic and year-long postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games, we were dedicated to preserving athletes’ opportunities to compete. We are proud to say that Team USA was well-prepared and well-supported at every turn, both leading up to and during the Tokyo Games.

“I’ve been thinking about this moment for the past five years… there are so many emotions [in] finally seeing all my hard work pay off. Representing my country and [winning] a gold medal is just crazy.”

GIA PERGOLINI, PARA SWIMMING

“My first Olympic Games was one I’ll always remember and being a part of Team USA has been an incredible experience. We are here with each other and for each other, and to be a part of such historic performances makes this a truly special games.”

NEVIN HARRISON, CANOE

Team USA’s 626 competing athletes topped the medal chart with 113 total medals across 28 sports. 

Team USA’s 242 Paralympic athletes returned home with 104 total medals across 15 sports.

During the Tokyo Paralympic Games, we celebrated historic firsts:

The USOPC directs more than half of our resources to foster athlete excellence and well-being, on and off the field of play. In addition to athlete wellness resources, this also includes high-performance grants and rewards, sports medicine and science, Games operations and support and training facilities and tools delivered either directly to athletes or through National Governing Bodies.

The Technology and Innovation Fund utilizes groundbreaking technology, analytics and human performance to benefit Team USA athletes. With support from Technology and Innovation Advisory Committee members – composed of global technology, venture capital and sport leaders – the fund bridges the gap between innovation and utilization to put the USOPC at the forefront of competitive excellence and athlete well-being.

*Does not include Athlete 360, which supports most U.S. teams, except men’s basketball and a few Paralympic sports.

During the Tokyo Games, Ryan Crouser set the men’s shot put Olympic record three times en route to his repeat gold-medal performance from 2016, optimizing his technique through radar technology that tracks shotput velocity, release height and release angle.

We also utilize Athlete 360, a world-class human performance and athlete management system that empowers athletes, coaches and service providers to manage, select, track and visualize metrics that matter to them. The project aims to drive better communication between athletes and providers, and target performance improvement and injury reduction.

Innovation can mean optimizing equipment for athletes, which the USOPC and USA Triathlon did with a custom handcycle and racing wheelchair for Paralympian Kendall Gretsch, who went on to win a gold medal in Paratriathlon in Tokyo – the fifth American to win a gold medal at both the summer and winter Paralympic Games.  

No matter the circumstances, we remain committed to maintaining Team USA athletes’ chance to compete. In 2021, this meant navigating the unique challenges of the Games.

To ensure we delivered world-class sport services to athletes, we provided Team USA with private, safe and flexible training space during the Games at an off-site training center in Setagaya City, Tokyo, and relocated many of our high-performance staff. The multi-use facility gave Team USA athletes daily access to practice facilities, strength and conditioning, sports medicine, recovery zones and nutrition services.

The High-Performance Center was utilized for both Olympic and Paralympic Games, servicing 336 athletes – including 144 medalists – across 17 sports.