102 Days to Paris 2024
Best Week Ever: USA Badminton Team
Other nominees:
Scottie Scheffler 2nd Masters win before his 28th birthday put him in some elite company with Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus
Casey Kaufhold double gold at the Pan Am Archery Championships to secure USA Archery - 3 spots for Paris 2024 and the 20 year old Kaufhold will head to Paris looking to end a 36 year old medal drought for US women in archery at the Olympics
But the winner for best week ever is USA Badminton who won titles in 4 of 5 events (women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles) at the Pan Am Badminton Championships for the first time ever. The Pan Am Badminton Badminton had been happening since 1977 and Team USA headed into the Pan Am Championships as underdogs to Canada. Canada won all 5 events at the 2023 Pan Am Badminton Championships and if Canada repeated the feat in 2024 in women’s and mixed doubles it would have left Team USA out of the Olympics in these events. Team USA dominated to clinch six more spots in Badminton (Beiwen Zhang had already mathematically clinched her spot) as Vinson Chiu/Joshua Yuan (Men’s Doubles), Kerry Xu/Annie Xu (Women’s Doubles), and Vinson Chiu/ Jenny Gai (Women’s Doubles) all booked their ticket to Paris.
Also because Vinson Chiu qualified in two events - it will open up a reallocation spot in men’s singles that could allow Howard Shu (the US top in men’s singles) to qualify for Paris and Team USA could send an athlete in all 5 badminton events something they have only done once.
20 year old Presley Smith and 19 year Allison Lee won two titles in doubles and moving to a career high in Mixed Doubles. Though Smith/Lee as of now are not headed to Paris 2024 - the breakout performance at PanAm Championships should cement as the face of the future of USA Badminton and a team to watch for LA28.
Allison Lee became only the 2nd American and first female in 47 years (Pam Brady 1977) to win a double crown for USA Badminton at Pan Am Championships. Presley Smith became the 2nd US man to win a double crown at Pan Am Champ and first in 23 years since Kevin Han did it in 2001 (Han did it men’s singles and men’s doubles twice).
Breakthrough Team for Laris 2024: USA CYCLING
Team USA athletes Chris Blevins and Riley Amos won both the men’s and U23 men’s UCI Mountain Bike World Cup stop to start the season in Maripora, Brazil. The US men have moved into position to qualify two athletes for the first time since London 2012 and continues a season where USA Cycling have seen big wins across all 5 cycling disciplines (road, track, BMX racing, BMX freestyle, mountain bike).
USA Cycling’s Instagram Post summed it up well- “ We were excited for this first World Cup, but none of us were ready for that. What a time for American mountain biking. Oh, and it’s an Olympic year. #PedalingtoParis”
Team USA only won 3 medals (gold, silver, bronze) in 22 cycling events in Tokyo. Barring injuries there should be an increase in Paris for USA Cycling as they will try to bring in their largest medal haul since 1984 (10) sending 3 defending World Champions and multiple medal contenders to 14 to 15* events they will likely be competing (*it looks like they won’t qualify in about half of the track cycling events).