London 2012 Olympics: Power Ranking Top 20 American Performances of the Games

Every four years, athletes emerge from the shadows of their sports and find themselves on the biggest stage of their entire lives, the Olympic Games.

It is typically at this kind of level of athletic competition that everyone brings out their best. It is not unheard of to see things from athletes that you never saw before or that you didn't believe was capable of happening. Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt did it in Beijing, shattering the mold of what was the common belief of the human possibility, and even more athletes have done so and more in London.

For the USA, they are currently enjoying one of the best showings they have had in some time at the Olympic Games. Their women's swimming team was absolutely top notch and with team sports left that the U.S. is expected to dominate, a huge medal haul could be on its way.

With the accomplishments and medals in the books, with the line from what is possible and what is impossible blurred beyond visibility, here are the top 20 performances put in by U.S. athletes in the first week of the Summer Games.

20. Women's Soccer Hasn't Allowed a Goal Since the 14th Minute of Game 1

Just 14 minutes into their opening game, there was no sign of the U.S. women's soccer team that just barely lost the World Cup to Japan last year. Goalie Hope Solo made uncharacteristic mistakes and the defense didn't help, allowing two goals to go up on the board for France before the first 15 minutes of the game were played

But then, something in the U.S. woke up. They were stunned to be in this hole, but they knew they were better than France, that they were better than how they were playing. That's when captain and veteran Abby Wambach took over.

Wambach netted the first goal for the U.S. and not even 15 minutes later, Olympic rookie and standout Alex Morgan added another. Before the half was over, the U.S. and France were tied.

Since the 14th minute of that game, the women's squad, which has easily made its way into the semifinals, has not allowed another goal. They followed up the France game with a 3-0 victory over Columbia, a 1-0 victory over North Korea and a 2-0 victory over New Zealand in the quarterfinals.

They will face Canada in the semifinals.

19. Women's Basketball Crushes Angola by a Score of 90-38

The women's basketball team is a dynasty, plain and simple. They are the four-time defending gold medalists and clearly look like they will win once again in London. They have been dominant this entire tournament, never once being in danger of dropping a match or losing their 38 Olympic Games winning streak.

Against Angola especially though, they showed that even though they have only been training together for two weeks, that they are still the best team in the world.

The final score of the game was 90-38, but the rout really didn't begin until the second period when the U.S. outscored the African nation 19-6. Candace Parker, a two-time WNBA All-Star, 2008 Rookie of the Year and two-time National Champion at Tennessee, led the charge with 14 points and 12 rebounds. 

18. Women's 4x100 Medley Relay Features Four 2012 Gold Medalists

In one of the more dominant performances for the U.S., they actually fielded their women's 4x100-meter medley relay team with not one or two, but four gold medalists, all from their specialties in the London Games. Each of the four women swimming in the finals had great showings in London, and in the relay, it was more of the same as the U.S. easily won the gold and broke China's world record.

Here are the four swimmers from the finals and what they did in London:

1. Missy Franklin—backstroke (4 gold, 1 bronze, 3 American records, 2 world records)

2. Allison Schmitt—freestyle (3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze, 2 American records, 1 world, 1 Olympic record)

3. Rebecca Soni—breaststroke (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 world records)

4. Dana Vollmer—butterfly (3 golds, 1 world record)

17. Brendan Hansen Beats Kosuke Kitajima, Wins the Bronze in 100 Breast

When Brendan Hansen finished the Beijing Olympics, there was visible disappointment from the then 26-year-old swimmer. He had been one of the favorites in the breaststroke events, but only qualified to swim one of the two events at the Olympics. He failed to medal but was on the medley relay that saw Michael Phelps earn his eighth gold.

After Beijing, Hansen made the choice to retire but like most athletes just couldn't stay out of the pool too long. He was pushed especially by just wanting one more chance to beat his rival, Kosuke Kitajima. At the U.S. trials, he missed qualifying in the 200-meter breaststroke but did earn a spot for the 100 breast.

In London, from an outside lane, he made the final. Swimming next to Kitajima, it was Hansen who got his redemption, finishing with a bronze medal and beating his rival, who was kept off of the podium.

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"That's the shiniest bronze medal I'll ever have," Hansen said Sunday, after finishing third from an outside lane in the 100-meter breaststroke. "This is probably my favorite medal I've ever gotten in the Olympics." - courtesy of Philly.com

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16. Women's Eight Repeat as Gold Medalists

It was an impressive performance as once again the women's eight rowing crew led by coxswain Mary Whipple won the gold medal.

Coming into this race, not only was the U.S. crew favorites, but they have also dominated the event ever since winning a silver in Athens. They won the gold in Beijing and went on a remarkable run. Since that gold medal they have yet to lose a race on any circuit, a truly amazing feat.

15. Troy Dumais Finally Wins an Olympic Medal

Troy Dumais was one of the most notable divers that Americans can say they have heard of. He has certainly been around, making 2012 his fourth Olympic Games. He has done both individual and synchro 3-meter springboard but for all of the appearances and for all of the world medals, before this year he'd never won an Olympic medal.

Things really began to change for Dumais when after the 2008 Beijing Games, he was partnered with the young and talented Kristian Ipsen. The partnership proved to be a beneficial one, and the focus the U.S. put into their synchro programs also paid off.

He and Ipsen didn't miss any of their dives in the finals and were pretty spot-on throughout. Both performed well individually, and they also had good scores in terms of their synchronization.

As a result, Dumais left London with an Olympic bronze medal, a great way to end such a long career as an Olympian.

14. Galen Rupp Medals in 10,000-Meter Race

As a white, blond haired, blue eyed kid from Portland, Oregon, Galen Rupp's decision to become a long distance runner was looked at with shock. He wasn't Kenyan, Ethiopian or of any other African descent, so there was speculation of what he could even do with a career in this sport. Even if he did make the Olympic Games, there was no shot for him to land on the medal podium.

Wrong.

Rupp, who ran alongside training partner and 10,000-meter gold medalist Mo Farrah, crossed the line in second, doing something no American had done since Billy Mills won the gold 48 years ago.

His medal is inspiring for athletes that look like him, of American descent, that want to run long distance. He serves as a role model for kids, who can now believe if he could do it, so can they.

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"If I could be an inspiration to others, that would be the greatest compliment ever," Rupp said. "I hope I get the chance to show people that with a lot of discipline and hard work, you can get there. It's not easy by any means. That's the one thing about distance running — you can't really take shortcuts. You have to run a lot of miles, and you have to do a lot of really fast stuff. It is not easy. But it is possible." - courtesy of USA Today

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13. Sanya Richards-Ross Wins Gold in Women's 400-Meter Race

Sanya Richards-Ross really had something to prove when she stepped on to the track for the 400-meter women's race. She was coming off of a pretty disappointing bronze medal finish in Beijing, but since then has really focused solely on London, including winning the 2009 World Championships and having a great 2012 Diamond League season.

She was the favorite to medal, but once again she would have to contend with a tough field including her American teammates. When the race started, however, Ross seemed to have let all of the demons from 2008 wash away.

Instead of fading down the stretch in 2008, she powered to the line, finally winning the gold medal that eluded her and the one that she spent every day working towards.

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“I worked so hard for that, and I prepared for this moment over and over for the last four years,” Richards-Ross said. - courtesy of The Washington Post

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12. Bryan Brothers Win Men's Doubles Gold Medal

When one of the best doubles teams in the history of tennis walked away with just a bronze from the 2008 Olympic Games, there was a bitter taste in their mouths. Bob and Mike Bryan had been favorites to win the gold, as they were the No. 1 ranked team in the world and one of the only teams in the draw that had actually been playing together as a doubles team for more than just Davis Cup and the Olympic Games.

They faced that same situation in London.

Once again, they found themselves the top team in the world as the No. 1 ranked doubles team was forced to split based on country obligations. Even with defending gold medalists Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, the Bryans were favored to win the gold. Unlike in Beijing, however, this time they actually emerged as champions, capping a great run and adding the one title that their great resume was missing.

11. Kim Rhode Shoots 99-of-100 Targets En Route to Fifth Medal in Five Games

It is an Olympic career that began in 1996 and that has featured a trip to the games ever four years since then. It is also remarkable in the fact that for each Olympic Games shooter Kim Rhode has been to, beginning in Atlanta and most recently carrying over to London, she has won a medal in each of them.

Completing this feat made Rhode the only American athlete to ever medal in five Olympic Games.

In London, Rhode won her third overall gold, first in skeet shooting. She put on a great performance and was just inches away from hitting all 100 of the clay targets launched toward her. She hit 99 of them, setting the Olympic record and tying the world record. 

10. Men's Basketball Shatters Scoring Records Against Nigeria

If you were to look up the definition of dominance in the dictionary, you would find a picture of the U.S. men's basketball team, specifically Carmelo Anthony from their match against Nigeria.

The U.S. absolutely crushed Nigeria and no doubt put together one of the best shooting performances, archery and actual shooting events included, that an Olympic Games has ever seen.

With an absolute blowout win over Nigeria, the U.S. placed their names in the record books in several categories that likely will never be erased. Here are just a few of the records they shattered when they won the game 156-73:

*best single game performance by one player: Anthony (37 points, 10-12 three-pointers)

*most points in the first half: 78

*American record for largest margin of victory: 83

*most points by one team: 156 (passed the previous record of 138 with 4:37 minutes left in the third)

*American records for most field goals made (59), field goal percentage (71) and three-pointers (26)

9. Men's Archery Team Wins Surprise Silver Medal

Coming into these Olympic Games, the U.S. boasted one of the best men's archery teams they had in years. The trio of No. 1 in the world Brady Ellison, along with fellow Chula Vista training partners in Jake Kaminski and Jacob Wukie, put on the performance of a lifetime when they shocked top team South Korea in the semifinals.

Beating Korea was huge as just a round before, the South Koreans had set a new world record for points in a round. They seemed nearly invincible, that it was clear this would be a challenge for the U.S.

After defeating Korea, the U.S. team came so close to winning their first team archery gold since 1996. With a nine-point lead going into the final round, all they needed was for the Italian archer to shoot anything but a 10.

He shot his arrow, and it was a perfect bull's eye. The U.S. left with silver, still a huge accomplishment and as it turned out, the first of Team USA's so far 60 medals in London.

8. Kayla Harrison Wins First Ever U.S. Judo Gold

Getting to the Olympic Games was not an easy road for the 22-year-old Kayla Harrison. After suffering sexual abuse from the hands of her former coach, Harrison hated everything about the sport and wanted to leave it in her past.

She found refuge with Jimmy Pedro, America's most decorated judo athlete, having won two bronze medals. He convinced her to stay with the sport, and he trained her to be a champion.

Standing atop the podium, all of his training had worked out. Harrison played a great match against Britain's surprise silver medalist, Gemma Gibbons, and with tears in her eyes, became the U.S.'s first to win gold in judo.

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"Kind of just reflecting back on my life. Everything it's taken to get here, and everything that I've gone through," Harrison said. "I'm America's first gold medalist in judo -- and always will be." - courtesy of ESPN

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7. Danell Leyva Finishes Strong, Wins the Bronze in Men's All-Around

When Danell Leyva qualified first overall in the men's all-around, there was a combination of shock and possibility. Before the London Games began, Leyva, the U.S. trials champion and former national champion, was thought to be a contender for a medal, but not a gold. When he made the finals, however, he was just determined to do the best he could, to get some piece of mind for the performance he had the night prior to the finals.

The highly hyped American team came into the finals as the top qualifying team, head and shoulders above everyone including China and Japan. When the finals came, however, they were just a shell of that team, performing very inconsistently and making many uncharacteristic mistakes.

Leyva, one of the team's strongest competitors, turned out to be one of the biggest offenders in terms of mistakes.He wasn't himself in the team finals but for the all-around, with his coach and step-father back on the mats right alongside him, he performed up to expectations.

After a fall on the pommel horse set him back and looked to keep him off of the podium, Leyva responded. He nailed his routines on the parallel bars and high bar and got some help from his competitors.

When the final score came out, Leyva managed to land on the podium after all, with a brilliant performance and a bronze medal to be proud of.

6. Ryan Lochte Dominates 400 IM, Wins Gold in Deciding Fashion

Before the London Games, Ryan Lochte made a bold statement in declaring the 2012 Olympic Games, "his time." He believed it was his turn to be Team USA's star and had every reason to be confident that he would finally step out from under Michael Phelps' always looming shadow.

Well, despite an overall underwhelming Olympic showing, Lochte did step out from his biggest rival's shadow. With his win in the 400-meter individual medley, if only for one moment of glory, he could say that he had bested Phelps and that he was the best swimmer in London.

In the 400 IM, Lochte pulled away in the last 100 meters, showing that all of the training and fitness he had put in had paid off. He crushed the entire field, including Phelps, and finished with a great performance for Team USA.

In addition to winning his first gold medal in London, his 400 IM win served as the first individual gold medal for a U.S. athlete in the 2012 edition of the Olympic Games.

He finished his 2012 Olympic Games with two gold, two silver and one bronze.

5. Missy Franklin Wins Four Gold Medals in Olympic Debut

For as much as Lochte's 2012 Olympic Games was a disappointment, 17-year-old Missy Franklin's were the opposite, as in her debut she won six medals, four of which were gold.

Franklin and Lochte were the two most hyped swimmers heading into the London Games, and Franklin certainly didn't disappoint.

She set two world records, one as part of a relay team and another in her specialty the 200-meter backstroke. She won the gold in this event, and also took the gold in the 100-meter back. 

Still just a teenager, Franklin is emerging as the next star for the U.S. In terms of her dominance in the backstroke, Franklin is to this event what Phelps was to the butterfly. She truly seems unstoppable and could go on to have one of the best careers of any swimmer, male or female.

When all is said and done, she will have had the best performance by a female athlete in these Olympic Games and instead of retiring or taking time off, she will be going right back to the pool, back to anchor the swim team at Regis Jesuit High School in her senior year of high school.

4. Rebecca Soni Sets and Breaks Own World Record in 200 Breast

It was amazing enough when Rebecca Soni, long regarded as the best breaststroker in the world, broke the world record in the semifinal heat of the 200-meter breast. It was even better when just a few races later, in the finals, she broke her own world record again.

For a single race performance, it was one of the best you'll ever see, as Soni proved why she is considered the queen of the breaststroke. She absolutely dominated the field and took home the much favored gold for the second Olympics in a row.

In the 100-meter breast, she also repeated as silver medalist and for the second Olympics in a row, swam the breaststroke leg as the U.S. medaled in the 4x100-meter medley.

3. Serena Williams Wins Singles and Doubles Gold Medals

Coming off of winning the Wimbledon Championship, Serena Williams took the first step in quieting those who believed her career was coming to an end. Winning again at the Olympic Games, once again on the courts of Wimbledon, she proved once again that no matter what, she is still one of the best in the world.

Once again for Serena, it wasn't so much that she won, it was how she won. She went the entire tournament without dropping a set and didn't lose her serve once. When she reached the final against Maria Sharapova, it was expected the two would have a hard-fought match, but it turned out this wasn't the case.

Serena dominated in every facet of the word and steamrolled Sharapova, 6-0, 6-1.

It was her first gold medal, and with it she became the first player ever to complete both the singles and doubles Golden Slams.

Speakings of doubles, just like at Wimbledon, Serena went on to reach and then win the doubles final with sister Venus. It marked her third gold in the doubles event and second in a row as her and Venus successfully defended their Beijing title.

2. Women's Gymnastics Takes Home the Gold, Gabby Douglas Wins All-Around

It was truly a team effort for the U.S. women's gymnastics team as they did something no other U.S. squad had done since the efforts of the "Magnificent Seven" in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and that was win the gold medal.

Qualifying in the top spot for the finals, the women showed the same heart, spirit, determination and passion that made them the 2011 World Champions and Olympic gold medal favorites.

They had earned the nickname of the "Fab Five" from Bela and Marta Karolyi, and they certainly lived up to it when they beat China, Russia and the rest of the world in a pretty deciding fashion.

All five of the girls did what they needed to do on their apparatuses, and they all wowed the crowds as well. Even Jordyn Weiber, who was distraught when she didn't qualify for the all-around, picked it up for her team and had the performance of a lifetime.

Captain Aly Raisman was on floor exercise when the gold was clinched and noting how much it meant to her and all of the girls, tears formed in her eyes before her routine was over. This is what they had worked for and getting the gold was the best they could have hoped for.

A few nights later, Gabby Douglas carried on the winning theme from the night before as she won the all-around gold. It was a complete performance from Douglas, who didn't have any major mistakes and completely rocked the uneven bars, her best event.

1. Michael Phelps Wins Six Medals, Becomes Winningest Olympian of All Time

What more can be said about this feat that hasn't already been said?

Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time. He is the most decorated with 22 medals, 18 of which are gold. His career spans four Olympic Games from just 15 years old in his Sydney debut to 27 in London when he took his final bow.

Even with a slow start that included not medaling in the 400 IM, Phelps still had a phenomenal Olympic showing. He medaled in the rest of his six events, including winning gold in the 200-meter IM over Ryan Lochte and the 100 butterfly. He also helped lead the U.S. to two relay victories.

What he did in London is something that will never be duplicated. He took a career and turned it into a legacy, one that likely will stand for a very, very long time.

In addition, for the third Olympic Games in a row, he walked away as the winningest Olympian of the entire Games, a truly remarkable feat for someone that had already accomplished everything and more in his 16-year Olympic run.