London 2012: The Countdown Series: United States, part 3

58 days to go until the first day of the London Olympics. Finishing the three-parter on the United States (USA), with a focus on team events, who's going to London and Olympic venues.

The USA has excelled a lot when it comes to the team sports in the summer Olympics. USA Basketball has been the most dominant program of Olympic basketball, since the sport's inception into the Olympics in 1936.

The United States have won gold in men's basketball every time in the summer Olympics with the exception of the infamous screw job against the Soviets in the final at Munich 1972, Seoul 1988, and at Athens 2004, where they ended up scoring the bronze. But everytime, they looked dominant. Check out these gold medal wins:

• Berlin 1936, defeated Canada in final
• London 1948, defeated France in final
• Helsinki 1952, defeated Soviet Union in final
• Stockholm 1956, defeated Soviet Union in final
• Rome 1960, defeated Soviet Union in final
• Tokyo 1964, defeated Soviet Union in final
• Mexico City 1968, defeated Yugoslavia in final
• Montreal 1976, defeated Yugoslavia in final
• Los Angeles 1984, defeated Spain in final
• Barcelona 1992, defeated Croatia in final "Dream Team," featuring guard Michael Jordan (pictured, above)
• Atlanta 1996, defeated Serbia & Montenegro in final "Dream Team II"
• Sydney 2000, defeated France in final
• Beijing 2008, defeated Spain in final

The women's basketball program has been successful since women's hoops were instituted in the summer Olympics in 1984. They won the first women's basketball gold at Los Angeles 1984, and also won again at Seoul 1988, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 (defeating Australia in final), Athens 2004 and at Beijing 2008. Center Lisa Leslie (pictured) was an integral part of the last four gold medal teams, as she is the only member of USA Basketball to win four gold medals as a player.

The first team medal for the United States in the summer games was in 1904, in the rugby. The US also won in rugby at Antwerp 1920 and Paris 1924.

The volleyball and beach volleyball programs have been successful. The US's first gold in volleyball in 1984, along with the first gold for the US on sand with Kent Steffes and Karch Kiraly at Atlanta 1996, made Kiraly the only volleyball player to win a gold indoors and on sand in Olympic history. The men's volleyball team would win another gold at Seoul 1988 and again at Beijing 2008. The second most successful duo on sand-Kerri Walsh and Misty May Treanor (pictured)-won the last two golds in the women's competition at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

Baseball won gold at Sydney 2000, while Softball won gold at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, before losing to Japan in the final at Beijing 2008. Both sports will no longer be on the schedule in the summer games.

As of now, 506 American athletes are headed to London to compete in 24 events. Among the events: athletics, boxing, cycling, equestrian, judo, modern pentathlon, swimming, taekwondo, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling. In addition these team have also qualified for London:

• men's and women's basketball
• women's (field) hockey
• women's football (soccer)
• men's and women's volleyball
• men's and women's water polo

The US has hosted the summer Olympics four times. The first time was at St. Louis in 1904. Los Angeles would also host the next two times for the US, in 1932 and 1984, with Atlanta the most recent in 1996.

Up next: Uruguay