Mackenzie Brown (pictured) of Team USA at the Olympic archery field during Mixed Teams round of 8 between Indonesia and USA
For the first time since 1972, Team USA failed to win any medals to open the Summer Olympics on Saturday in Tokyo.
Team USA Olympians endured several upset losses during the first day of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, taking home none of the 11 gold medals that were awarded on Saturday Japanese time, or Friday in the U.S.
The team also failed to win any of the silver or bronze medals for any of the opening day events, which included archery, cycling, fencing, judo, air rifle and pistol shooting, taekwondo, and weightlifting.
Brady Ellison, the number two seed Team USA archer who has won three Olympic medals in games past, was one of the American Olympic athletes to suffer an opening day upset loss.
‘I’m still a little shocked,’ Ellison said after Saturday’s event, according to a USA Today report.
‘I completely expected us to win a medal today.’
According to Olympic historian Bill Mallon, the U.S. team has gotten a medal on every first day that its athletes have played since 1972 in Munich.
Brady Ellison (pictured), the number two seed Team USA archer, was one of the American Olympic athletes to suffer an opening day upset loss
Allisha Gray, of the USA Women’s National 3×3 Team, dribbles during the game against France during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Saturday at Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo
Pictured: Nikhil Kumar of Team USA in action during his men’s singles preliminary round table tennis match on Saturday
As for archer Ellison, he said he was disappointed.
‘We got in that stadium, and I shot left. Mackenzie started getting it figured out there at the end. I shot left that entire match trying to aim off for the wind,’ he continued.
‘That finals venue kicked my ass,’ Ellison added. ‘I just didn’t see it, and that cost us the match.’
Meanwhile, China took home the first gold medal of the Tokyo Games on Saturday after defeating Yang Qian in the 10-meter air rifle competition.
Russian Olympic Committee’s Anastasiia Galashina narrowly took silver, while Switzerland’s Nina Christen won the bronze medal.
No. 2 world ranked American Mary Tucker, who competed in the event on behalf of Team USA, came in place sixth.
Pictured: Tennys Sandgren of Team USA plays a forehand during his Men’s Singles First Round match against Pablo Carreno Busta of Team Spain
Stefanie Dolson (pictured) of the USA Women’s National 3×3 Team looks on against the Mongolia Women’s National 3×3 Team
As for archery, Ellison and fellow Team USA member Mackenzie Brown lost to Indonesia five to four in a shootout in the first round of the competition.
However, Ellison will be eligible to win a medal in men’s individual and team competitions.
Ellison and the rest of Team USA set the unfortunate milestone to mark the first time in 49 years since day one of the Munich Summer Olympics back in 1972, according to a tweet by Olympic historian Bill Mallon.
As for the winter games, Team USA didn’t win any medals on opening day of the 2018 Winter Olympics as well.
Saturday’s opening day wasn’t a complete loss for Team USA, however, with several teams picking up qualifying round victories for other events, a highlight of which included the Team USA women’s basketball defeating France in the debut of the Olympic Games’ 3-on-3 competition.