Daily Mail Article: "Is this the worst USA athletics team ever?"

[allezfred]

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The United States will send a team of 127 to compete in athletics at the London Olympics.

They will have four defending Olympic champions and eight world champions. The States comfortably topped the medal table inside the Bird's Nest Stadium four years ago, but there are 'monumental problems' afflicting a nation with such a proud, prestigious history in track and field.

The US will probably still win the most medals in athletics anyway though.

[gingercrush]

o.o I can't believe they're sending 127 athletes. That is basically our whole team during the Olympics.

I know for New Zealand there is an expectation that you will finish in the top 16 at the Olympics and if you can't meet that criteria then you're very unlikely to make the Olympics.

[SpeedySucks]

I think this year's U.S. team is much stronger overall than the 2008 team, especially in the field events. Outside of the shot put, the U.S. men had only one finalist in the field events in Beijing. The sprinters should be more competitive with the Jamaicans this year, and the distance team is also deeper than in the past.

With that said, I agree that the U.S. team is aging and there aren't a lot of young stars coming up the ranks.

[OnyxRose81]

Yeah, I think the team is better than 2008. That team was dire. But also, like you said, the team is aging and that's a cause for concern in the next cycle.