The United States of America (USA), represented by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. U.S. athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, which was boycotted by the American team and 65 other countries in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The USOC sent a total of 588 athletes to Beijing (310 men and 286 women), and competed in all Olympic sports except handball.

The USOC selected San Jose State University in San Jose, California, as the primary processing center for all Team USA members headed for Beijing 2008. They flew into San Jose via San Jose International Airport or San Francisco International Airport for at least two days of document checks, health examinations, cultural briefings, portrait sittings, uniform fittings, and last-minute workout sessions.

The U.S. did not win the most gold medals for the first time in a Summer Games since 1992, with China being the country that won the most golds (48–36). The United States never led the medal table during the games. However, the U.S. won its most medals ever (112) in a games not held on home soil, had the highest total medal count, and won more silver and bronze medals than any other participating nation. This edition of the games also saw a gold medal record for U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, who won 8 golds, surpassing Mark Spitz's record of 7 golds in a single Olympic event in 1972. Phelps also surpassed Spitz, Larisa Latynina of the USSR, Paavo Nurmi of Finland, and U.S. sprinter Carl Lewis to become the current record holder for the most Olympic gold medals (14).

The United States also saw milestones in women's swimming. Natalie Coughlin won 6 medals in Beijing, the most for a female Olympic swimmer. Dara Torres, who won 3 silver medals after her eight-year absence, became the oldest Olympic swimmer to win a medal, at age 41.

Gymnast Nastia Liukin became the third U.S. female to win a gold medal in individual all-around event. It was also a successful Olympics for U.S. team-based sports, as men's and women's basketball teams both won gold, as did men's volleyball, men's and women's beach volleyball, women's soccer, women's eight in rowing, and the men's and women's 4 × 400 meter-relay teams. The US won silver and bronze medals in several other team events; women's volleyball, softball, baseball, both men's and women's team gymnastics, men's fencing sabre team, women's fencing foil team, and both men's and women's water polo.

Medalists

The following U.S. competitors won medals at the games. In the discipline sections below, the medalists' names are bolded.

|style="text-align:left;width:78%;vertical-align:top"| MedalNameSportEventDate FencingWomen's sabre SwimmingMen's 400 m individual medley Matt GreversCullen JonesJason LezakMichael PhelpsGarrett Weber-GaleBen Wildman-Tobriner SwimmingMen's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay SwimmingMen's 200 m freestyle SwimmingWomen's 100 m backstroke SwimmingMen's 100 m backstroke ShootingMen's double trap SwimmingMen's 200 m butterfly Klete KellerRyan LochteMichael PhelpsPeter VanderkaayErik VendtDavid Walters SwimmingMen's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay CyclingWomen's time trial SwimmingWomen's 200 m breaststroke SwimmingMen's 200 m backstroke SwimmingMen's 200 m individual medley GymnasticsWomen's artistic individual all-around SwimmingMen's 100 m butterfly ShootingMen's skeet Mark GangloffMatt GreversBrendan HansenJason LezakAaron PeirsolMichael PhelpsGarrett Weber-GaleSwimmingMen's 4 × 100 m medley relay Venus WilliamsTennisWomen's doubles Anna CumminsCaryn DaviesSusan FranciaAnna GoodaleCaroline LindElle LoganLindsay ShoopMary WhippleRowingWomen's eight AthleticsWomen's discus throw AthleticsMen's 400 m hurdles Beezie MaddenWill SimpsonMcLain WardEquestrianTeam jumping SailingWomen's Laser Radial class WrestlingMen's freestyle 55 kg GymnasticsWomen's balance beam AthleticsWomen's 100 m hurdles Kerri WalshBeach volleyballWomen's tournament AthleticsMen's 400 m FootballWomen's tournament Todd RogersBeach volleyballMen's tournament AthleticsMen's decathlon LaShawn MerrittDavid NevilleAngelo TaylorJeremy WarinerReggie Witherspoon AthleticsMen's 4 × 400 m relay Natasha HastingsMonique HendersonSanya RichardsMary WinebergAthleticsWomen's 4 × 400 m relay BasketballWomen's tournament VolleyballMen's tournament BasketballMen's tournament FencingWomen's sabre Kara Lynn JoyceLacey NymeyerEmily SilverJulia SmitDara TorresSwimmingWomen's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay SwimmingWomen's 100 m butterfly SwimmingWomen's 400 m freestyle SwimmingMen's 100 m backstroke SwimmingWomen's 100 m breaststroke EquestrianIndividual eventing Shawn JohnsonNastia LiukinChellsie MemmelSamantha PeszekAlicia SacramoneBridget SloanGymnasticsWomen's artistic team all-around ShootingWomen's skeet SwimmingMen's 200 m backstroke ShootingMen's 50 m rifle prone GymnasticsWomen's artistic individual all-around AthleticsMen's shot put SwimmingWomen's 200 m backstroke RowingWomen's single sculls Erinn SmartHanna ThompsonFencingWomen's team foil AthleticsWomen's heptathlon SwimmingWomen's 50 m freestyle Natalie CoughlinMargaret HoelzerMegan JendrickKara Lynn JoyceChristine MagnusonRebecca SoniDara TorresSwimmingWomen's 4 × 100 m medley relay SailingFinn class Jason RogersKeeth SmartJames WilliamsFencingMen's team sabre GymnasticsWomen's floor AthleticsMen's 400 m hurdles GymnasticsWomen's uneven bars AthleticsWomen's pole vault GymnasticsWomen's balance beam GymnasticsMen's horizontal bar AthleticsWomen's 400 m hurdles AthleticsMen's 200 m Water poloWomen's tournament SoftballWomen's tournament AthleticsWomen's 200 m TaekwondoMen's 68 kg AthleticsMen's 400 m AthleticsMen's 110 m hurdles CyclingMen's BMX VolleyballWomen's tournament Water poloMen's tournament AthleticsWomen's 10000 m ShootingMen's 10 m air pistol FencingWomen's sabre SwimmingMen's 400 m individual medley SwimmingMen's 400 m freestyle SwimmingWomen's 400 m individual medley ShootingWomen's trap SwimmingMen's 200 m freestyle SwimmingWomen's 100 m backstroke Raj BhavsarJoe HagertyJonathan HortonJustin SpringKevin TanGymnasticsMen's artistic team all-around SwimmingWomen's 200 m individual medley CyclingMen's time trial JudoWomen's 70 kg SwimmingMen's 100 m freestyle Natalie CoughlinKatie HoffChristine MarshallAllison SchmittJulia SmitKim VandenbergSwimmingWomen's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay Rebecca WardMariel ZagunisFencingWomen's team sabre WrestlingMen's Greco-Roman 96 kg SwimmingMen's 200 m individual medley SwimmingWomen's 100 m freestyle Mike BryanTennisMen's doubles AthleticsMen's 100 m WrestlingWomen's freestyle 63 kg Micah BoydSteven CoppolaBeau HoopmanJosh InmanMarcus McElhenneyMatt SchnobrichBryan VolpenheinDaniel WalshRowingMen's eight GymnasticsWomen's floor AthleticsMen's 400 meter hurdles AthleticsWomen's 400 meters AthleticsMen's 200 meters TaekwondoWomen's 57 kg AthleticsMen's 400 m AthleticsMen's 110 m hurdles EquestrianIndividual jumping AthleticsMen's pole vault CyclingWomen's BMX CyclingMen's BMX BoxingHeavyweight TaekwondoMen's 80 kg BaseballMen's tournament AthleticsWomen's high jump |style="text-align:left;width:22%;vertical-align:top"|

+ Medals by sportSportTotalSwimming 12 91031Athletics 7 10 825Volleyball 3 1 04Gymnastics 2 6 210Shooting 2 2 26Basketball 2 0 02Fencing 1 3 26Cycling 1 1 35Equestrian 1 1 13Rowing 1 1 13Sailing 1 1 02Wrestling 1 0 23Tennis 1 0 12Soccer 1 0 01Water polo 0 2 02Taekwondo 0 1 23Softball 0 1 01Baseball 0 0 11Boxing 0 0 11Judo 0 0 11Total 36 39 37112

+ Medals by dayDayDateTotal1August 9 1 1 242August 10 1 1 353August 11 1 2 144August 12 4 3 3105August 13 3 1 376August 14 0 1 457August 15 4 5 2118August 16 2 4 289August 17 3 5 31110August 18 3 3 1711August 19 4 2 1712August 20 0 2 1313August 21 3 6 41314August 22 2 1 5815August 23 3 1 2617August 24 2 1 03Total 36 39 37112

+ Medals by genderGenderTotalPercentageFemale1525165650.0%Male2014215549.1%Mixed10010.9%Total363937112100.0%

+ Multiple medalistsNameSportTotalMichael PhelpsSwimming 8 0 08Natalie CoughlinSwimming 1 2 36Nastia LiukinGymnastics 1 3 15Ryan LochteSwimming 2 0 24Shawn JohnsonGymnastics 1 3 04Matt GreversSwimming 2 1 03Aaron PeirsolSwimming 2 1 03Jason LezakSwimming 2 0 13Rebecca SoniSwimming 1 2 03Dara TorresSwimming 0 3 03Margaret HoelzerSwimming 0 2 13Katie HoffSwimming 0 1 23LaShawn MerrittTrack & field 2 0 02Angelo TaylorTrack & field 2 0 02Garrett Weber-GaleSwimming 2 0 02Kerron ClementTrack & field 1 1 02Allyson FelixTrack & field 1 1 02Jeremy WarinerTrack & field 1 1 02Beezie MaddenEquestrian 1 0 12David NevilleTrack & field 1 0 12Sanya RichardsTrack & field 1 0 12Peter VanderkaaySwimming 1 0 12Mariel ZagunisFencing 1 0 12Kara Lynn JoyceSwimming 0 2 02Christine MagnusonSwimming 0 2 02Jonathan HortonGymnastics 0 1 12Sada JacobsonFencing 0 1 12Julia SmitSwimming 0 1 12Walter DixTrack & field 0 0 22Becca WardFencing 0 0 22 Athletes who participated in the preliminaries but not the final.

Won all medals in one event Women's sabre Men's 400 m Men's 400 m hurdles Won all gold medals in one sport Basketball (2 gold) Beach volleyball (2 gold) Won gold medals in both men's and women's events 100 m backstroke 4 × 400 meter relay

Archery

The United States men's archery team took sixth place at the 2007 World Outdoor Target Championships, earning the nation a full complement of three qualification spots for the Olympic men's competitions. The women's team finished in eleventh place, not qualifying the team. Jennifer Nichols earned a spot via individual qualification in that tournament. Karen Scavotto earned the United States another women's spot by finishing second in the Pan American championship.

The United States announced its Olympic team on May 5, 2008, following a national selection tournament. The women's roster included 2004 Olympian Jennifer Nichols and three-time Olympian Khatuna Lorig, who previously represented the Unified Team (1992) and Georgia (1996 and 2000) at the Olympics. On the men's side, first-time Olympian Brady Ellison joined four-time Olympian Butch Johnson and two-time Olympian Vic Wunderle.

AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankBrady EllisonMen's individual66415W 111–89L 107–113Did not advanceButch Johnson65340W 109 (26)–109 (25)L 106–115Did not advanceVic Wunderle65241W 106–102W 108 (19)–108 (17)W 113–111L 106–113Did not advanceBrady EllisonButch JohnsonVic WunderleMen's team196910colspan=2 L 218–222Did not advanceKhatuna LorigWomen's individual63526W 107–105W 112–109W 107–95L 105–111Did not advanceJennifer Nichols63724W 114–101L 103–105Did not advance

Athletics (track and field)

The 2008 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials were held in Eugene, Oregon, at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field from June 27 through July 6, 2008. Hayward Field had previously hosted the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1972, 1976 and 1980.

Men Track & road events