Why does the USA team have up to 3 athletes on any one track event?

Question

And then all three win...wtf?! Wonder wonder USA screws up the medal tables every Olympics and a reason why they like arranging their tables based on total of medals.

Answer 1

A country can have up to 3 competitors - as long as they make the A-qualifying time. It isn't only the US though. Take Kenya at the last Olympics, they had about 40 odd athletes make the A-qualifying time for the marathon. 3 can get selected. The US had 1make the A time, so the US only had one competitor in the marathon

Answer 2

there are these things that they call qualifier rounds, where all the people from around the world that made the olympic teams have to compete to see who gets to the finals. the usa just happened to have three runners that made it through the qualifiers, semi-finals, and quarter-finals in the event that you were watching.

Answer 3

For track and field events, each athlete has to run in preliminary heats before the final race.  You advance to the next heat (round) if you place high enough in the current heat.

That's why the USA has 2-3 athletes on many track & field events.  The IOC doesn't give the USA these spots automatically.  Each athlete has to earn their chance to run in the final heat for a medal.  The American athletes are fast enough to qualify for the final heat, while many other athletes are not.  It's a testament to how well trained American track and field athletes are.

It's the same with swimming and diving too.  Why do the Chinese get 2-3 divers in each diving event?  Because they're good enough.

Answer 4

UR STUPID!!!!!!! I ALMOST ALWAYS SEE 3 jAmAICANS VS 3 AMERICANS. U NUB

Answer 5

Dude i totaly agree, i guess us english are just not good enough

Answer 6

Insurance. Be glad that they one and gave "us" a medal.

Answer 7

Just out of curiosity, do you think Americans are going against some standard by sending the number of athletes they do to the Olympics? Should only two athletes events? Because many countries have at least two (often more) who participate in at least qualifying, even if none or only one actually qualify for the final event.

This does not only happen to America, and not just in the track events.

Answer 8

3 is better than 2

Answer 9

All countries all allowed up to 3 in each event, as long as they meet the Olympic qualifying standard prior to the games. Great Britain have 3 in most events, just not as many get to the final.

Answer 10

They qualified to be there like everybody else.

Answer 11

noting is wrong with having up to three...........i wish Jamaica had more tooo......it's all about the best of the  best....JAMAICA & USA!

Answer 12

Other countries does too like Jamaica, Kenya, Ethiopia etc. It is allowed as long as they qualified. Don't blame USA for that. In one event, all Jamaican won the three medals as well.

Answer 13

The USA regards sport as a powerful political statement of strength so they take more athletes you are allowed 3 athletes / event if you are good enough to advance through the heats then the final beckons and there you go 3 athletes in the final

The question I would have preferred is who has introduced things like beach volley ball soft ball basket ball maybe if we had more clout we would have tossing the caber or morris dancing conkers ( maybe the season is wrong but Tesco's would supply them from somewhere ) well the Americans have to win something I suppose