BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The Summer Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 drew to a close Thursday following 12 days of competition between approximately 4,000 athletes from 206 nations. The Games, which featured 32 sports, saw Team USA collect 18 medals, including six golds, five silvers and seven bronzes.
While U.S. athletes experienced world-class competition, they also participated in the fifth installment of the International Olympic Committee’s Learn & Share program. A unique element of the Youth Olympic Games, the program offers athletes the opportunity to learn about the Olympic values, explore other cultures and develop the skills to become true ambassadors of their sports.
“It was thrilling to watch our athletes compete at the Youth Olympic Games,” said United States. Olympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland. “I was so impressed with their dedication on the field of play, but it was even more impressive to see the character of these young athletes and their enthusiasm to embrace the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence. I’d also like to commend our hosts in Buenos Aires for providing our athletes with an incredible Games experience and thank them for their warm hospitality.”
Team USA competed in 24 disciplines across 21 sports. Overall, U.S. athletes won medals in 15 sports – including archery, badminton, basketball, boxing, diving, equestrian, fencing, golf, gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, track and field, weightlifting and wrestling. U.S. athletes also medaled in five mixed-country team events where athletes were partnered with international competitors.
Five U.S. athletes leave Buenos Aires as multi-medalists. Fencers Kenji Bravo and May Tieu each won individual bronze in addition to a mixed continental team bronze. Golfer Akshay Bhatia won two silver medals: one in individual play and one in the team event with Lucy Li. Brandon Briones won two medals in gymnastics: gold in the vault and bronze in the mixed country multi-discipline team event. Trenton Cowles won an individual gold as well as a mixed country team bronze.
“We had an unbelievable Games experience in Buenos Aires,” said Lynn Wentland, Team USA chef de mission. “It was very rewarding to see our athletes’ success in competition and to see how they grew together as a team and embraced the entire experience of the Youth Olympic Games. The organizing committee and the people of Buenos Aires made this an unforgettable trip that will undoubtedly leave a lasting imprint on these young athletes.”
The next edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 9-22, 2020, and the next Summer Youth Olympic Games will take place in Dakar, Senegal, in 2022.
U.S. Medalists
Gold (6)
Aliyah Boston, Sam Brunelle, Paige Bueckers and Hailey Van Lith, women’s 3x3 basketball
Brandon Briones, gymnastics vault
Trenton Cowles, archery recurve
Robert Howard, wrestling 55 kg.
Emily Shilson, wrestling 43 kg.
Grace Stark, track and field 100-meter hurdles
Silver (5)
Akshay Bhatia, golf men’s individual
Akshay Bhatia and Lucy Li, golf mixed team
Kenji Bravo, fencing foil
Athing Mu, track and field 800-meter
Anastasija Zolotic, taekwondo women’s 49 kg.
Akshay Bhatia & Lucy Li, golf mixed team
Bronze (7)
Peyton Brown, weightlifting 58 kg.
Heaven Garcia, boxing flyweight -51 kg.
Kanak Jha, table tennis men’s singles
Bridget O’Neil, diving 3-meter springboard
Nicholas Ramey, track and field 400-meter
May Tieu, fencing foil
Rhyan White, swimming 100-meter backstroke
Mixed International Team Events*
Kenji Bravo, Isaac Herbst, May Tieu, Emily Vermeule and Robert Vidovszky, fencing mixed continental team event (bronze)
Brandon Briones, gymnastics multi-discipline mixed-country team event (bronze)
Trenton Cowles, archery mixed international team event (bronze)
Jennie Gai, badminton mixed relay team event (gold)
Mattie Hatcher, equestrian team jumping (gold)
*Not included in Team USA’s overall medal count