London Olympics: 5 Things We Learned About Team USA on 1st Day

The first official day of the London Olympics was filled with surprises, both good and bad.

But overall, it was a productive day for the Americans, with five medals being earned for the red, white and blue.

Out of the slew of events that occurred on the opening day of medal counting, a few in particular stood out among the rest in the Games.

As the start of the 30th Olympiad begins, we look back at what we learned about the U.S. teams and athletes upon the conclusion of Day 1.

Women's Soccer Has Too Many Weapons to Lose

The U.S. women's soccer team wasn't at the top of their game for most of their matchup with Colombia. But the fact they won 3-0 despite that is what shows how dominant they can really be.

Between Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Heather O'Reilly and even Carli Lloyd, the Americans are loaded with goal-scoring threats, far too many for their opponents to keep up.

Yes, it was Colombia, but it may have been their comeback and complete control-shifting win against France that showed just how dangerous they are.

On the defensive side, there is some cause for concern, but nothing that can't be quickly adjusted. Colombia only managed one shot on goal, so it's nitpicky to say it's much of a problem.

And besides, the offense is too much for any foe to handle. The duo of Wambach and Morgan alone are enough for the U.S. to win this tournament. But the abilities of this squad have no limitation.

And because of that, they may have no competition either.

The Rest of the World Is Finally Closing in on May-Treanor and Walsh

They've never lost a game, or even a set, in the Olympic Games.

But it looks as if the time of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh at the top of beach volleyball is starting to dwindle.

After narrowly escaping in both sets against a 22nd-ranked Australia team, the two Americans should no longer be considered the favorites by any means.

But that doesn't mean they won't be wearing gold when the tournament concludes. Not with their dedication and unmatched drive.

With that said, Brazil's Larissa Franca and Juliana Felisberta da Silva may be the women to beat on the beach, and that's not the only pairing that could take down the dynamic duo of Americans.

It could have just been a slow start out of the gate, but May-Treanor and Walsh can't be expected to be as strong as they were in Athens and Beijing.

USA Archery Is Good...and Worth Watching

Without naming names, there are certain sports that shouldn't be in the Olympics.

Archery, though put to the side by many other events, is not one of those sports.

The Americans ended up with the silver medal after a disappointing loss to Italy. But what happened earlier in the day is what was certainly worth watching.

In a tense match with Korea in the semifinals, the Americans refused to deliver a bad shot, scoring nines and bullseyes at will. There was nothing the Korean team could do to slow the perfect momentum.

This is the same Korea, by the way, that has won the last three gold medals in Olympic archery.

The Americans? Well, they had never even won a medal in archery. That is until they brought their arrows to London, and earned their spot at the podium.

Talk about surprises.

The U.S. Is Kicking Themselves for Sitting Natalie Coughlin

Natalie Coughlin is one of the most decorated women's swimmers to ever jump into an Olympic pool.

And her own coach, Teri McKeever, sat her in the 4x100 freestyle swim that would have been a great moment in Coughlin's career.

Why is that? Well, Coughlin was going for her 12th career medal, which would put her in a class with Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson for the most Olympic hardware.

While she still received the historic medal, she was only used as a reserve and didn't race in the relay final after a solid performance in the race earlier in the day.

Not only a better result (the U.S. won bronze) could have transpired, but it would have been a memorable moment for Coughlin.

Though she may not express a problem with not swimming in the final, it was the opportunity she deserved.

Ryan Lochte Is the King of the Pool

Move over Michael. The pool isn't big enough for two swimming giants.

Ryan Lochte expressed his dominance over the rest of the swimming world, including Michael Phelps, with his win in the 400-meter individual medley race.

Once to the backstroke, Lochte's signature style, it was all over. His lead only grew from there, pulling away from the field.

Lochte's tremendous performance was worth crowning him the poster boy of swimming, while Phelps' performance, or lack thereof, was something that was far more surprising than Lochte's victory.

Phelps failed to even reach the podium, sparking questions on how much is left from the demi-god that Americans saw in Beijing.

But one thing is for sure. Lochte is the next great American swimmer, and has a serious chance to grab six gold medals in London.