The United States of America (USA) competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. 527 competitors, 332 men and 195 women, took part in 230 events in 27 sports.
Medal totals The United States finished outside of the top two in the overall medal count (third behind the Soviet Union and East Germany) for the first time and in the gold medal count for only the second time. It was revealed thereafter that the Soviet Union and East Germany operated extensive state-sponsored doping programs to prepare for the Games.
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"| MedalNameSportEventDateSwimmingWomen's 400 meter individual medleyDivingMen's 3 meter springboardMatt CetlinskiTroy DalbeyDoug GjertsenDan JorgensenCraig OppelSwimmingMen's 4 × 200 meter freestyle relaySwimmingMen's 100 meter freestyleSwimmingWomen's 400 meter freestyleTroy DalbeyDoug GjertsenChris JacobsTom JagerShaun JordanBrent LangSwimmingMen's 4 × 100 meter freestyle relayAthleticsMen's 100 metersAthleticsWomen's heptathlonSwimmingMen's 50 meter freestyleSwimmingWomen's 800 meter freestyleAthleticsMen's 400 meter hurdlesAthleticsMen's long jumpAthleticsWomen's 100 metersMatt BiondiChris JacobsTom JagerJay MortensonRichard SchroederSwimmingMen's 4 × 100 meter medley relayAthleticsMen's 110 meter hurdlesDivingMen's 10 meter platformAllison JollySailingWomen's 470AthleticsMen's 200 metersAthleticsMen's 400 metersAthleticsWomen's 200 metersAthleticsWomen's long jumpBasketballWomen's tournamentWrestlingFreestyle 62 kilogramArcheryMen's individualAthleticsWomen's high jumpRobert SegusoTennisMen's doublesPam ShriverTennisWomen's doublesWrestlingFreestyle 74 kilogramSteve LewisAntonio McKayButch ReynoldsKevin RobinzineAndrew ValmonAthleticsMen's 4 × 400 meter relayAlice BrownSheila EcholsFlorence Griffith-JoynerDannette YoungAthleticsWomen's 4 × 100 meter relayBoxingBantamweightBoxingHeavyweightCanoeingMen's K-1 1000 metersNorman BellinghamCanoeingMen's K-2 1000 metersBoxingLight heavyweightVolleyballMen's tournamentDivingWomen's 10 meter platformSwimmingMen's 100 meter butterflySwimmingMen's 400 meter individual medleySwimmingMen's 100 meter freestyleAthleticsMen's shot putAthleticsMen's high jumpShootingMen's 10 meter air pistolSwimmingMen's 50 meter freestyleSwimmingMen's 100 meter backstrokeJanel JorgensenTracey McFarlaneMary T. MeagherBetsy MitchellDara TorresMary WayteSwimmingWomen's 4 × 100 meter medley relayAthleticsMen's long jumpAthleticsWomen's 100 metersJudo–60 kilogramRichard KennellyDavid KrmpotichRaoul RodriguezRowingMen's fourRowingWomen's single scullsMark ReynoldsSailingStarRobert BillinghamJohn KosteckiSailingSolingAthleticsMen's 200 metersAthleticsMen's 400 metersJoe FargisLisa JacquinAnne KursinskiEquestrianTeam jumpingSynchronized swimmingSoloRichard McKinneyDarrell PaceArcheryMen's teamDiane DixonFlorence Griffith-JoynerDenean HowardSherri HowardLillie LeatherwoodAthleticsWomen's 4 × 400 meter relayBoxingLight flyweightSarah JosephsonSynchronized swimmingDuetTennisMen's singlesWater poloMen's tournamentWrestlingFreestyle 130 kilogramBoxingLight middleweightBoxingSuper heavyweightEquestrianIndividual jumpingDivingWomen's 10 meter platformSwimmingMen's 200 meter freestyleWrestlingGreco-Roman 100 kilogramJill SterkelDara TorresLaura WalkerMary WaytePaige ZeminaSwimmingWomen's 4 × 100 meter freestyle relayAthleticsMen's 100 metersCyclingWomen's sprintAthleticsMen's 400 meter hurdlesAthleticsMen's long jumpDivingWomen's 3 meter springboardGymnasticsBalance beamDoug BurdenJeffrey McLaughlinPeter NordellTed PattonJohn PescatoreJack RusherJonathan SmithMike TetiRowingMen's eightSwimmingWomen's 50 meter freestyleSwimmingWomen's 200 meter butterflyAthleticsMen's 110 meter hurdlesAthleticsWomen's 800 metersJudo–71 kilogramSailingMen's Division IIJohn ShaddenSailingMen's 470AthleticsMen's 400 metersBasketballMen's tournamentWrestlingFreestyle 100 kilogramDenise ParkerMelanie SkillmanArcheryWomen's teamBoxingLightweightBoxingWelterweightTennisMen's singlesTennisWomen's singlesWrestlingFreestyle 68 kilogram |style="text-align:left;width:22%;vertical-align:top"|
+ Medals by sportSportTotalAthletics137626Swimming86418Boxing3328Wrestling2136Diving2125Tennis2125Canoeing2002Sailing1225Archery1113Basketball1012Volleyball1001Rowing0213Equestrian0202Synchronized swimming0202Judo0112Shooting0101Water polo0101Cycling0011Gymnastics0011Total36312794
+ Medals by dayDayDateTotal1September 1801122September 1910123September 2010014September 2112145September 2221146September 2311027September 24452118September 25457169September 26102310September 27223711September 28231612September 29400413September 30512814October 16761915October 22305Total36312794
+ Medals by genderGenderTotalPercentageMale2423176468.1%Female127102930.8%Mixed01011.1%Total 36 31 2794100%
+ Multiple medalistsNameSportTotalMatt BiondiSwimming5117Florence Griffith-JoynerAthletics3104Janet EvansSwimming3003Chris JacobsSwimming2103Tom JagerSwimming2103Carl LewisAthletics2103Greg BartonCanoeing2002Troy DalbeySwimming2002Doug GjertsenSwimming2002Jackie Joyner-KerseeAthletics2002Steve LewisAthletics2002Greg LouganisDiving2002Evelyn AshfordAthletics1102Jay BarrsArchery1102David BerkoffSwimming1102Butch ReynoldsAthletics1102Danny EverettAthletics1012Zina GarrisonTennis1012Gregory BestEquestrian0202Mary T. MeagherSwimming0112Dara TorresSwimming0112Mary WayteSwimming0112Jill SterkelSwimming0022
Archery
The United States continued to be a strong contender in archery, though it found that South Korea had taken the top spot in the sport. Jay Barrs was the only non-Korean to win a gold medal for archery in Seoul. Two-time gold medallist Darrell Pace and 1984 silver medallist Richard McKinney joined Barrs in winning the team silver, while the women's team added a bronze medal despite not having any of the individual archers advance to the final. With her women's team bronze, 15-year-old Denise Parker become the youngest medalist in the history of Olympic archery.
Men AthleteEventPreliminary round1/8 finalQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankJay BarrsIndividual12943 Q31313 Q3264 Q3342 Q338Richard McKinney12884 Q3216 Q3273 Q3323 Q3246Darrell Pace125719 Q30618 Q3291 Q3229Did not advanceJay BarrsRichard McKinneyDarrell PaceTeam38392 Qcolspan=4 9921 Q972
Women AthleteEventPreliminary round1/8 finalQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankScoreRankDebra OchsIndividual122726Did not advanceDenise Parker126311 Q29821Did not advanceMelanie Skillman125215 Q30714 Q3189 Q31110Did not advanceDebra OchsDenise ParkerMelanie SkillmanTeam37424 Qcolspan=4 9882 Q952
Athletics
The men's 100 meter sprint was marred by the usage of performance-enhancing drugs when the initial winner, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, tested positive for banned substances after the race and was stripped of the gold medal and his world record time of 9.79 seconds, thus allowing Carl Lewis to repeat as gold medal winner. In 1989, Johnson admitted to further PED usage between 1981 and 1988 and his world record of 9.83 seconds from the 1987 World Championships was rescinded as well, allowing Lewis's 9.92 seconds in the Olympic final became the new world record. This put the United States in position to sweep the gold medals in the men's sprint distances, including a sweep of all medals at the 400 meter distance. The United States men also won medals while setting Olympic records at both hurdle distances. In the men's relays, a fumbled baton exchange in the heat of the 4 × 100 caused a heartbreaking disqualification for the favored American team. In the 4 × 400, however, the United States cruised to victory while equaling the 20-year-old world record which had been set in Mexico City. In men's field events, the highlight came from Carl Lewis defending his gold medal from Los Angeles and leading the United States to a medal sweep in the long jump. In the women's events, Florence Griffth-Joyner had dominating performances in the 100 and 200 meter sprints, lowering the Olympic record by over 0.2 seconds in the 100 and lowering the world record by almost 0.4 seconds in the 200. She also helped the United States to strong performances in the relays, winning gold in the 4 × 100 and coming in second, while beating the previous world record, to a record-shattering performance by the Soviet team in the 4 × 400. Meanwhile, in the heptathlon, Jackie Joyner-Kersee dominated the competition while setting a world record that has not been approached in the succeeding 30 years. Joyner-Kersee's long jump performance in the heptathlon was enough to set the Olympic record for the discipline, only for her to eclipse it in the final of the long jump event. The high jump event also saw Louise Ritter eclipse the Olympic record on the way to a gold medal. Finally, the only United States medal in the middle-distance events came from Kim Gallagher, who captured bronze in the 800 meters.
Men Track and road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankCarl Lewis100 m10.141 Q9.991 Q9.971 Q9.92 Dennis Mitchell10.371 Q10.132 Q10.233 Q10.044Calvin Smith10.281 Q10.161 Q10.152 Q9.99Joe DeLoach200 m20.98 1 Q20.561 Q20.061 Q19.75 Carl Lewis20.722 Q20.571 Q20.231 Q19.79Roy Martin20.651 Q20.542 Q20.626Did not advanceDanny Everett400 m45.631 Q44.331 Q44.362 Q44.09Steve Lewis45.311 Q44.411 Q44.351 Q43.87Butch Reynolds46.283 Q44.461 Q44.331 Q43.93Tracy Baskin800 m1:50.384Did not advanceMark Everett1:49.864Did not advanceJohnny Gray1:48.831 Q1:45.961 Q1:45.044 Q1:44.805Jeff Atkinson1500 m3:38.332Qcolspan=2 rowspan=3 3:39.125 Q3:40.8010Mark Deady3:41.912 Q3:39.478Did not advanceSteve Scott3:41.572 Q3:38.201 Q3:36.995Terry Brahm5000 m13:45.2813 qcolspan=2 rowspan=3 14:04.1215Did not advanceSydney Maree13:47.852 Q13:22.612 Q13:23.695Doug Padilla13:58.455 Q13:37.1111Did not advanceBruce Bickford10,000 m28:16.167 Qcolspan=4 rowspan=3 29:09.7418Steve PlasenciaDid not advancePat Porter28:45.0411Did not advanceArthur Blake110 m hurdles13.661 Q13.652 Q13.522 Q13.968Tonie Campbell13.451 Q13.471 Q13.472 Q13.38Roger Kingdom13.401 Q13.17 1 Q13.371 Q12.98 Edwin Moses400 m hurdles49.381 Qcolspan=2 rowspan=3 47.891 Q47.56Andre Phillips49.341 Q48.191 Q47.19 Kevin Young49.351 Q48.562 Q47.944Brian Abshire3000 m steeplechase8:36.564 Qcolspan=2 rowspan=3 8:27.789Did not advanceBrian Diemer8:38.404 Q8:23.897Did not advanceHenry Marsh8:33.896 Q8:18.947 q8:14.396Lee McNeillDennis MitchellAlbert RobinsonCalvin Smith4 × 100 m relaycolspan=2 Did not advanceDanny EverettSteve LewisAntonio McKayButch ReynoldsKevin RobinzineAndrew Valmon4 × 400 m relay3:02.161 Qcolspan=2 3:02.841 Q2:56.16 Mark ConoverMarathoncolspan=6 rowspan=3 Ed Eyestone2:19:0929Pete Pfitzinger2:14:4414Jim Heiring20 km walkcolspan=6 rowspan=3 1:27:3038Tim Lewis1:31:0044Gary Morgan1:27:2637Marco Evoniuk50 km walkcolspan=6 rowspan=3 3:56:5522Andrew Kaestner4:12:4934Carl Schueler3:57:4423
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalResultRankResultRankCarl LewisLong jump8.063 Q8.72Larry Myricks8.192 Q8.27Mike Powell8.341 Q8.49Willie BanksTriple jump16.577 Q17.036Robert Cannon15.6929Did not advanceCharles Simpkins16.3510 Q17.295Hollis ConwayHigh jump2.28=5 Q2.36Jim Howard2.25=13 q2.3110Brian Stanton2.25=9 q2.3111Earl BellPole vault5.40=4 q5.704Billy Olson5.40=9 q5.5012Kory Tarpenning5.40=4 q5.5010Randy BarnesShot put20.833 Q22.39Jim Doehring19.7311 q19.8911Gregg Tafralis19.7112 q20.169Mike BuncicDiscus throw63.166 q62.4610Randy Heisler59.0817Did not advanceMac Wilkins62.487 q65.905Brian CrouserJavelin throw72.7229Did not advanceTom Petranoff77.4818Did not advanceDave Stephens78.4214Did not advanceLance DealHammer throw73.6617Did not advanceKenneth Flax72.7018Did not advanceJud Logan72.6419Did not advance
Combined event – Decathlon