The 7 Biggest Losses in Summer Olympics History

While Olympic fans love talking about the incredible wins of some of their favorite athletes, there are also many losses in the Olympics worth discussing. Most Olympians have been competing since they were kids, and although they do everything they can to prepare for the Games, things don’t always go as planned.

The Summer Olympics are underway in Paris, and at this year’s Games, we’ll see many of the athletes from the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics returning to compete. Additionally, we’ll see the newest Olympic sport of breakdancing.

Participating in the Olympics is quite an achievement for a professional athlete but it’s no secret that Olympians want to bring home the gold. Some of the most devastating losses in the Olympics are unexpected or happen at the last second.

One of the most incredible parts of watching the Olympics is that despite some of these losses, we also see incredible displays of sportsmanship at every event. Most of us watching at home will never have the athletic abilities of an Olympic athlete. However, watching the emotions that come along with winning and losing at the Olympics reminds us that these athletes are only human. (After this article, check out 7 iconic stories of sportsmanship from the Summer Olympics .)

To create this list of the biggest losses in Summer Olympic history, 24/7 Tempo consulted sources like Forbes, NBC, and NPR. Here are seven of the biggest losses at the Summer Olympics in no particular order.

US Men’s Basketball Team Loses Their Winning Streak

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the United States men’s basketball team started with confidence. The team had reigned as the winner of Olympic basketball since the sport first debuted at the Olympics in 1936.

In 1972, the U.S. men went in expecting to continue their winning streak when competing against the Soviet Union. However, confusion surrounding how much time was left on the clock after the Soviet Union called for a timeout led to a devastating loss for the U.S. team.

Madame Butterfly Loses to Misty Hyman

Susie O’Neill, also known as Madame Butterfly, was the reigning champion in the 200-meter butterfly swimming event. Everyone expected her to win at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney after she set a world record in the previous Olympic games.

American Misty Hyman, a fellow Olympic swimmer, wasn’t expected to be much of a threat to O’Neill’s title. Even O’Neill admitted that she didn’t think Hyman was a “legitimate competitor” for her. However, Hyman surprised everyone when she took the lead and won the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly event.

US Men’s Basketball Team Faces Devastating Loss

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the U.S. men’s basketball team faced a shocking loss. Since the team had only lost three times in Olympic history, they weren’t expecting such a major loss during this Olympiad.

On Aug. 14, 2004, the Puerto Rico men’s basketball team beat the U.S. team 92-73. What made the loss even more shocking was the fact that it was still close before the second quarter of the game began. However, Puerto Rico had a significant lead by halftime.

U.S. Men’s Basketball Team Takes Third Place

The 2004 Summer Olympics were full of disappointments for the U.S. men’s basketball team. After losing to Puerto Rico, they lost another game to Lithuania — but that wasn’t the end of the story for the U.S. team.

After making it to the semifinals, the U.S. men went up against Argentina and faced another disappointment, losing the game to take home the bronze medal. Although the U.S. men’s basketball team has won every Olympic event since 2004, this loss greatly impacted their record.

Aleksandr Karelin Experiences First Loss

Aleksandr Karelin was a wrestler from Russia who was undefeated for 13 years. His first Olympic event was the Seoul 1988 Olympics where he won his first gold medal in the Super-Heavyweight, Greco-Roman event.

Karelin won the gold medal in the same event at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics and the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Everyone expected him to win the gold again in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics but he lost to Rulon Gardner, an American wrestler competing in his first Olympic Games.

Ron Clarke No Longer the World Record Holder

Ron Clarke was an Australian athlete who became one of the greatest long-distance runners of all time. During his athletic career, Clarke set 17 world records, including a world record in the 10,000-meter event.

American Billy Mills, one of Clarke’s competitors in the 10,000-meter at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics, wasn’t considered a threat to Clarke’s title. However, Mills kept up with Clarke during the race and passed him in the final moments. Mills ended up setting a new world record.

US Softball Team Loses for First Time in 8 Years

Going into the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the U.S. softball team was undefeated since 1996. The team had won three gold medals and was expected to win again at the 2008 Games. They were even off to a great start at the beginning of the event.

But instead of taking home another gold medal, the U.S. softball team lost to Japan, the first time they had lost since 2000. Even more devastating was that it was the last Olympic softball game until 2020. (Don’t miss the most iconic Summer Olympics moments in history .)

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