Records fell, history was made and champions were born at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where Team USA athletes took home 121 medals — the most ever for a U.S. team at a non-boycotted Games. Of those medals, 46 were gold. Relive Team USA's golden moments from Rio 2016 with these 46 photos of your latest Olympic champions and find out what made each win so significant.
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1) Ginny Thrasher, 10-Meter Air Rifle (Shooting)
Setting an Olympic record with a score of 208.0, 19-year-old Ginny Thrasher won the women's 10-meter air rifle competition — the first gold medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games — on Aug. 6, 2016.
2) Katie Ledecky, 400-Meter Freestyle (Swimming)
Katie Ledecky shattered her own world record in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:56.46, nearly two seconds faster than her previous record, to win her first gold medal in Rio on Aug. 7, 2016.
3) Men's 4x100-Meter Freestyle (Swimming)
After coming in second to France at the London 2012 Olympic Games, the U.S. men had something to prove in the 4x100-meter freestyle — and the team of Nathan Adrian, Ryan Held, Michael Phelps and Caeleb Dressel did just that, with a time of 3:09.92 to win Team USA's third gold in Rio on Aug. 7, 2016. In his first opportunity to medal at his fifth Games, it marked Phelps' 23rd career Olympic medal and 19th gold.
4) Ryan Murphy, 100-Meter Backstroke (Swimming)
First-time Olympian Ryan Murphy kept Team USA's strong history in the 100-meter backstroke alive, earning gold with a time of 51.97 on Aug. 8, 2016, for Team USA's sixth straight Olympic win in the event.
5) Lilly King, 100-Meter Breaststroke (Swimming)
Lilly King brought home Team USA's first gold in the women's 100-meter breaststroke since 2000 by setting an Olympic record with a time of 1:04.93 on Aug. 8, 2016.
In Martha Karolyi's final year as the women's national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics, the Final Five team of Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman won gold in dominant fashion, beating second-place Russia by 8.209 points on Aug. 9, 2016. This is the first time the U.S. defended its team gold medal.
7) Katie Ledecky, 200-Meter Freestyle (Swimming)
As a distance swimmer, Katie Ledecky was in fifth place 50 meters into the 200-meter freestyle, but the 19-year-old phenom pulled up to second at the 100-meter mark and in the end managed to edge out Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden to win her second gold in Rio on Aug. 9, 2016.
8) Michael Phelps, 200-Meter Butterfly (Swimming)
After coming in second to South Africa's Chad le Clos at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Michael Phelps was determined to take back the 200-meter fly title that he earned in 2004 and 2008. He did so with a time of 1:53.36, narrowly beating second-place Masato Sakai of Japan (1:53.40) and third-place Tamas Kenderesi of Hungary (1:53.62) to win his first individual gold in Rio on Aug. 9, 2016.
9) Men's 4x200-Meter Freestyle (Swimming)
Team USA has won a medal in every 4x200-meter freestyle since the event made its Olympic debut in 1908. The 2016 team of Conor Dwyer, Townley Haas, Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps kept with tradition, with Phelps anchoring the race just an hour after winning gold in the 200-meter fly on Aug. 9, 2016.
10) Kristin Armstrong, Time Trial (Road Cycling)
A day before her 43rd birthday, four-time Olympian Kristin Armstrong won her third consecutive gold in the road cycling women's individual time trial, which she celebrated with her 5-year-old son, Lucas, on Aug. 10, 2016. She became the first cyclist to win gold in the same event three times and the oldest female cycling Olympic gold medalist.
11) Women's 4x200-Meter Freestyle (Swimming)
Keeping up Team USA's winning tradition in the women's 4x200-meter freestyle, the team of Katie Ledecky, Allison Schmitt, Leah Smith and Maya DiRado won the race nearly two seconds ahead of second-place Australia on Aug. 10, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. The U.S. has won the event at every Games but one since it debuted in 1996.
12) Kayla Harrison, 78 kg. (Judo)
No. 1-ranked in the world and the defending Olympic champion, Kayla Harrison became the first U.S. judoka to win Olympic medals as back-to-back Games, defeating Audrey Tcheumeo of France in the women's 78 kg. gold-medal match on Aug. 11, 2016. In 2012, she became the first American ever to win judo gold.
13) Simone Biles, All-Around (Gymnastics)
Coming back from behind, Simone Biles gave Team USA an unprecedented fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the individual all-around with a score of 62.198 on Aug. 11, 2016. Biles is the first reigning world champion to win Olympic gold since 1996. Teammate Aly Raisman came in second with a score of 60.098, rectifying the fourth-place finish she earned in London.
14) Ryan Murphy, 200-Meter Backstroke (Swimming)
Ryan Murphy beat reigning 200-meter backstroke world champion Mitch Larkin of Australia with a time of 1:53.62 to win his second individual gold medal on Aug. 11, 2016. The last swimmer to win both the 100 and 200 backstroke events was Aaron Peirsol in 2004.
15) Michael Phelps, 200-Meter Medley (Swimming)
Michael Phelps won his fourth gold of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and his fourth consecutive 200-meter individual medley title with a time of 1:54.66 on Aug. 11, 2016. Only four other Olympians, none of which are swimmers, have a four-peat in an individual event. With his 13th individual Olympic title in the bag, Phelps broke his tie with Leonidas of Rhodes, who won 12 individual titles in the Ancient Olympic Games.
16) Simone Manuel, 100-Meter Freestyle (Swimming)
Setting an Olympic record with a time of 52.70, Simone Manuel tied Canada's Penny Oleksiak for gold in the 100-meter freestyle on Aug. 11, 2016. The 20-year-old Manuel made history by becoming the first African American female swimmer to win an individual Olympic medal.
17) Maya DiRado, 200-Meter Backstroke (Swimming)
Completing her medal collection, first-time Olympian Maya DiRado won her first individual Olympic gold medal with a time of 2:05.99 in the 200-meter backstroke on Aug. 12, 2016. Earlier in the Games, she had won individual silver in the 400 IM and bronze in the 200 IM, in addition to her 4x200 free gold.
18) Katie Ledecky, 800-Meter Freestyle (Swimming)
Katie Ledecky defended her London 2012 Olympic title in the 800-meter free by breaking yet another world record — again her own — with a time of 8:04.79 on Aug. 12, 2016. She is the second woman ever to sweep the 200, 400 and 800 freestyles. Ledecky left Rio with five medals from the five events she competed — four golds and one silver.
19) Anthony Ervin, 50-Meter Freestyle (Swimming)
As a teenager, Anthony Ervin tied for gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in the 50-meter freestyle. As the oldest member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team at age 35, he reclaimed his title in the splash 'n' dash at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, beating reigning Olympic gold medalist Florent Manaudou of France with a time of 21.40 on Aug. 12, 2016. Ervin became the oldest swimmer ever to win an Olympic gold medal.
20) Michelle Carter, Shot Put (Track and Field)
Michelle Carter won Team USA's first shot put gold, breaking her American record with a throw of 67 feet, 8 ¼ inches on Aug. 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. Carter one-upped her Olympian father, Michael Carter, who won silver in the event in the Los Angeles 1984 Games, and the two became the first father-daughter pair to win medals for the United States at the Olympic Games.
The U.S. women's rowing eight team maintained an 11-year winning streak in international competition, winning a third-straight Olympic gold medal for Team USA in the event with a time of 6:01.49 on Aug. 13, 2016. While the lineup has changed over the years, the 2016 team of Amanda Elmore, Tessa Gobbo, Eleanor Logan, Meghan Musnicki, Amanda Polk, Emily Regan, Lauren Schmetterling, Kerry Simmonds and Katelin Snyder did their predecessors proud.
22) Jeff Henderson, Long Jump (Track and Field)
With a season-best leap of 27 feet, 6 inches, Jeff Henderson beat defending Olympic champion Greg Rutherford of Great Britain to win long jump gold on Aug. 13, 2016.
23) Women's 4x100-Meter Medley (Swimming)
When the team of Simone Manuel, Kathleen Baker, Dana Vollmer and Lilly King won gold in the women's 4x100-meter medley on Aug. 13, 2016, they did more than just add another gold medal to the count. The medal marked Team USA's 1,000th gold in summer competition, making the United States the first country to hit the milestone number.
24) Men's 4x100-Meter Medley (Swimming)
The team of Nathan Adrian, Michael Phelps, Ryan Murphy and Cody Miller continued a history of dominance in the 4x100-meter medley, setting an Olympic record with a time of 3:27.95 to win Team USA's ninth consecutive medal in the event on Aug. 13, 2016. The final night of swimming also marked Michael Phelps's final race of his historic career. The five-time Olympian left Rio with five gold medals and one silver, bringing his Olympic medal count to an unprecedented total of 28 total and 23 golds.
25) Simone Biles, Vault (Gymnastics)
With an average score of 15.966 points, Simone Biles beat 2015 world champion Maria Paseka of Russia by more than 0.7 points on Aug. 14, 2016 to become the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in vault. The win gave Biles her 17th medal in Olympic and world competition, surpassing Shannon Miller as the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history.
26) Mattek-Sands and Sock, Mixed Doubles (Tennis)
First-time Olympians Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock beat fellow Team USA athletes Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram to win the mixed doubles gold medal on Aug. 14, 2016, denying Williams of her fifth Olympic gold medal. Sock also won men's doubles bronze earlier in the Games.
27) Christian Taylor, Triple Jump (Track and Field)
Christian Taylor defended his Olympic title in men's triple jump with a season-best distance of 58 feet, 7 ¼ inches, while teammate Will Claye secured the silver medal on Aug. 16, 2016. Taylor was the first man to repeat as champion in the triple jump since Viktor Saneyev of the Soviet Union won three straight from 1968-76.
28) Simone Biles, Floor Exercise (Gymnastics)
Simone Biles ended her Olympic debut with a fourth gold medal (fifth total), this time in the floor exercise. She and teammate Aly Raisman went 1-2 for a second time, with Biles scoring a 15.966 ahead of Raisman's 15.500 to end a storybook Olympics for the women of USA Gymnastics on Aug. 16, 2016.
29) Tianna Bartoletta, Long Jump (Track and Field)
With a personal best jump of 23 feet, 6 ¼ inches, Tianna Bartoletta won her first Olympic gold in women's long jump on Aug. 17, 2016 — a title she has had on her mind since she won her first world title in 2005. Teammate and defending gold medalist Brittney Reese took silver with a 23-5 ½ jump.
30) Brianna Rollins, 100-Meter Hurdles (Track and Field)
Brianna Rollins led Team USA to its first-ever women's track and field Olympic sweep, winning the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 12.48 on Aug. 17, 2016. Teammates Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin were close behind, finishing in 12.59 and 12.61, respectively, to earn silver and bronze.
31) Kerron Clement, 400-Meter Hurdles (Track and Field)
After taking silver in the 400-meter hurdles at the Beijing 2008 Games, Kerron Clement fought through injuries and surgery to get the gold in on Aug. 18, 2016 in Rio. He became the first 400-meter Olympic medalist to come back and win gold in the event.
32) Helen Maroulis, 53 kg. Freestyle (Wrestling)
Helen Maroulis made history when she defeated Japan's 13-time world champion Saori Yoshida on Aug. 18, 2016, giving Team USA its first women's wrestling gold in Olympic history.
33) Ryan Crouser, Shot Put (Track and Field)
Ryan Crouser broke an Olympic record that has stood since 1988 with a 22.52-meter throw on Aug. 18, 2016, while teammate Joe Kovacs took the silver. Crouser's is the 18 gold medal won by a U.S. men's shot putter, while it was the first time in 20 years Team USA went 1-2 at the Olympic Games.
34) Ashton Eaton, Decathlon (Track and Field)
Ashton Eaton successfully defended his Olympic title as world's greatest athlete with a score of 8,893 points to win decathlon gold on Aug. 18, 2016. He became the first U.S. repeat champion in the event since 1952.
35) Dalilah Muhammad, 400-Meter Hurdles (Track and Field)
First-time Olympian Dalilah Muhammad won gold in the 400-meter hurdles on Aug. 18, 2016 with a time of 53.13, while teammate Ashley Spencer took bronze in 53.72 to give Team USA its 99th and 100th medals of the Rio Games, respectively.
36) Connor Fields, BMX (Cycling)
Connor Fields won Team USA's first-ever BMX Olympic gold on Aug. 19, 2016, just four months after having surgery on a broken bone in his hand.
The U.S. women's water polo team successfully defended its London 2012 gold with a dominant 12-5 win over Italy in the final on Aug. 19, 2016, becoming the only nation to win back-to-back women's water polo golds. The U.S. women have medaled in the event at every Games since the sport made its Olympic debut in 2000.
38) Women's 4x100-Meter Track and Field
After appealing their disqualification from their qualifying heat, the U.S. women's relay team had the opportunity for a one-of-a-kind re-run to make it into the final. The team of English Gardner, Allyson Felix, Tianna Bartoletta and Tori Bowie had something to prove, and they did so in a time of 41.01 seconds to successfully defend Team USA's 2012 gold, running the second fastest time ever in the event.
After winning 17 races in the ITU World Triathlon Series, including a 12-race win streak, Gwen Jorgensen was the favorite to win triathlon gold in Rio. She did just that in a time of 1:56:16 on Aug. 20, 2016 to give Team USA its first Olympic gold in triathlon.
With a win over Spain in the women's basketball final on Aug. 20, 2016, the U.S. extended its Olympic winning streak to 49 straight games. The win marks the women's team's sixth consecutive Olympic gold, and the dominant program now boasts a 66-3 all-time Olympic record. By scoring more than 100 points in six of its eight games, this edition of Team USA is the most prolific Olympic scoring machine, exceeding the five 100-point games in 1996
41) Matthew Centrowitz, 1,500-Meter (Track and Field)
Matthew Centrowitz was eager to improve on his fourth-place finish from four years prior and he did that in stunning fashion, becoming the first American to win the 1,500-meter since 1908, finishing in a time of 3:50 on Aug. 20, 2016. Centrowitz's father competed in the same event at the 1976 Games.
42) Women's 4x400-Meter (Track and Field)
The relay team of Allyson Felix, Phyllis Francis, Natasha Hastings and Courtney Okolo continued a 20-year winning streak for the U.S. in the 4x400-meter, winning a sixth straight gold in the event in 3:19.06 on Aug. 20, 2016. With her ninth Olympic medal and sixth gold, Allyson Felix became the most decorated female track and field Olympian of all time.
43) Men's 4x400-Meter (Track and Field)
The relay team of LaShawn Merritt, Gil Roberts, Tony McQuay and Arman Hall brought the U.S. back to the top of the podium in the 4x400-meter on Aug. 20, 2016. The U.S. men have medaled in all but three of the 4x400-meter races since the event made its Olympic debut in 1912.
44) Claressa Shields, 75 kg. (Boxing)
When women's boxing made its Olympic debut in 2012, 17-year-old Claressa Shields made history as the first U.S. woman to win Olympic boxing gold. Four years later, she made history again, becoming the first American boxer to defend her gold on Aug. 21, 2016.
45) Kyle Snyder, 97 kg. (Wrestling)
On Aug. 21, 2016, reigning world champion and NCAA champion Kyle Snyder earned a new title: Olympic champion. The 20-year-old Ohio State student is the youngest U.S. wrestler to win Olympic gold.
46) Men's Basketball
In the final event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Coach Mike Krzyzewski's final game as head coach of the national team, the U.S. men's basketball team delivered, claiming its third-straight Olympic gold medal with a 96-66 win over Serbia on Aug. 21, 2016.
