Olympic Updates 2012: Breaking Down Top American Performances from Day 5

After a strong Day 4, the United States got off to another great start on Day 5 and now seems to be well on its way to winning the overall medal count. Team USA nabbed a pair of medals early in the day and put together several great performances that could lead to medals in the near future.

The Americans have been locked up in a tight battle with China for the medal lead, just as they were in Beijing, so every single medal is going to count for something. There is still obviously a long way to go in the London Games, but the United States has gotten things rolling in a positive direction.

Here are three of the best American showings from Day 5 thus far in London.

Kristin Armstrong (Women's Road Cycling)

American road cyclist Kristin Armstrong won her first Olympic medal at age 34 when she took gold in the individual time trial in Beijing. That may have been good enough for most Olympians, but Armstrong obviously has an insatiable hunger to win, and that led her to go for gold once again in London. The 38-year-old Armstrong certainly made the right decision as she defended her 2008 gold medal successfully on Day 5.

Not only did Armstrong win, but she blew away the rest of the field, beating second-place finisher Judith Arndt of Germany by more than 16 seconds, which is an eternity in a cycling race. Older Olympians can usually remain competitive in less physically-taxing sports like sailing or shooting, but for Armstrong to dominate such a demanding event at 38 years of age was nothing short of amazing.

Women's Quadruple Sculls Rowing Team

The United States hadn't won a medal in women's quadruple sculls rowing since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, but that drought has come to an end by virtue of the Americans' bronze-medal winning performance on Day 5. Kara Kohler, Megan Kalmoe, Adrienne Martelli and Natalie Dell finished in third behind Ukraine and a German squad that has typically dominated the event. Team USA held off Australia and also beat three-time defending silver medalist Great Britain.

Expectations weren't overly high for the American team in this event, so snagging the bronze should be considered a major victory. Team USA generally isn't a rowing power by any means, but showings such as this one have to give the American rowing program a great deal of hope moving forward as top-notch Olympic performances may inspire more athletes to explore the sport.

Serena Williams (Women's Tennis)

Tennis medals won't be awarded for quite some time, but Serena Williams proved that she is well on her way to gold in the women's singles competition as she decimated Russia's Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-0. Serena has breezed through this tournament quite easily thus far and will meet either Daniela Hantuchova or Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals. Williams has picked up where she left off at All England Club, as she won the Wimbledon title just a few weeks ago.

There could be some potential pitfalls in the bracket such as Maria Sharapova or Victoria Azarenka, but Serena has to be considered the odds-on favorite. She and her sister Venus are also top contenders in the women's doubles competition and are the defending gold medalists. Serena could very well come away from the London Games as a double gold medalist, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if she did.

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