Team USA picked up its first two gold medals of the Olympics on Sunday after starting the Tokyo Games without any for the first time in a few decades.
Chase Kalisz got the U.S. on board in the pool, winning the 400-meter individual medley. It was the first of six medals the Americans won in the pool.
“I’m happy to be here and kick the U.S. off,” Kalisz said.
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Jay Litherland, who was born in Osaka, finished right behind Kalisz in the IM.
The U.S. swimming team had never won six gold medals in the first session of the finals.
“A pretty good start for the U.S.,” Kieran Smith added. “We executed today. I’m really proud of us.”
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Chase Kalisz of the US reacts after winning the Men’s 400m individual medley at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan(AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Smith added a bronze in the men’s 400 freestyle to the U.S. total.
The second gold medal came in the 10-meter rifle event.
Will Shaner was able to hold off China’s Yang Haoran and Sheng Lihao to pick up the first-ever gold medal for the U.S. in the event. He recorded a score of 251.6, better than Haoran’s 229.4 and Lihao’s 250.9.
Shaner, 20, was one of the top youth shooters in the country and has a decorated collegiate career at the University of Kentucky, finishing second in the NCAA championships and getting a team gold in consecutive seasons. He was a First-Team All-American as a freshman.
Saturday marked a disappointing day for the American’s competing in archery, cycling, fencing, judo, air rifle and pistol shooting, taekwondo, and weightlifting, with not a single athlete taking the podium to receive a medal.
William Shaner, of the United States, holds his gold medal on after the men’s 10-meter air rifle at the Asaka Shooting Range in the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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The last time Team USA walked away without any hardware on the first day of the Summer Olympics was at the 1972 Munich Games, USA Today reported. They previously failed to medal on day one of the 2018 Winter Olympics as well.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and the AP contributed to this report.
