Olympic 2016 Medal Count: Easy-to-View Nation Rankings for Friday Results
The United States has been adding to its medal total every day throughout the Olympics, and as we reach Day 7 of the event, it would be a shock if that does not continue in a bold fashion Friday.
That's because the athletes return to the swimming pool once again, and American swimmer Katie Ledecky will be seeking her fourth gold medal in Rio.
She is favored to get the job done with relative ease in the 800-meter freestyle event. Not only is she the defending Olympic champion in the event, she holds world and Olympic records. It would be somewhat shocking if she does not win the event, and a victory here would give her gold medals in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter events.
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Legendary American swimmer Debbie Meyer also swept those races for the United States at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968.
While Ledecky is clearly a brilliant athlete who combines excellent technique with impressive power and endurance, her coach Bruce Gemmell said her best characteristic may be her competitiveness.
"If we emptied the place out there and kept the media away and kept everyone else away and told her she was going to swim a fast race, I think she'd embrace that, too," Gemmell told Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times.
Michael Phelps does not appear to be finished securing medals in the Olympics, either. He won the 22nd gold medal of his career Thursday night in the 200-meter individual medley as he overpowered the field.
He has an excellent chance to secure his 23rd gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly on Friday. If he is victorious that event, he will have won gold in the 100-meter butterfly four times in his career.
Phelps and his competitors are scheduled to hit the pool at 10:12 p.m. ET, while Ledecky and the rest of the field in the 800 meters will race at 10:20 p.m.
The United States men's basketball team got its first test of the Olympic Games Wednesday when Australia had a fourth-quarter lead before the Americans finally took over and pulled away for a 98-88 victory.
The United States had blown away opponents throughout its pre-Olympics schedule and during the first two games of the Rio tournament before it ran into an Australian team that featured NBA players Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova and Andrew Bogut. The Australians played a physical game against Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving.
The Americans got a great effort from Anthony, who scored 31 points in the victory. Anthony made 11 of 21 shots from the field, and that was a good thing since Durant struggled to a 4-of-16 shooting effort.
The next test for Team USA comes Friday against Serbia.
The Serbians don't have the well-known talent that the Australian team featured, but they are a tough and competitive group that came within one point of beating France during Wednesday's game.
Look for a tough, physical effort from the Serbs as they try to throw the Americans off their rhythm and force a sloppy game.
Track and field events begin in earnest Friday, and women's shot putters will put their skills on display. This could be a showcase for Germany's Christina Schwanitz, who finished second in the event at the 2013 World Championships to 2012 Olympic gold medalist Valerie Adams of New Zealand.
Adams has been one of the best shot putters in the history of the event, as she has won two Olympic gold medals and earned four world championships. She will be attempting to win her third gold medal, but the field looks quite challenging.
In addition to Schwanitz, the other major challengers in the field are American Michelle Carter and China's Gong Lijiao.
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