(Beijing, China)  --  Team USA returns from the Beijing Games as the overall leader in medals.
   The U.S. led all nations with 110 total medals.
   However, host nation China led the way in the gold count.

   The Chinese were second on the overall table with 100, but had 51 golds.
   The U.S. finished with 36 gold, 38 silver and 36 bronze medals.
   Russia was third in both counts, with 72 overall medals, 23 of which were gold.

   Eight of the U.S.' gold medals came from swimmer Michael Phelps.
   The 23-year-old from Baltimore set a number of Olympic and world records when it came to being in the pool and collecting medals.

   The eight golds was a record for a single Olympics, passing the mark of seven set by Mark Spitz at the 1972 Games.
   Phelps also became the all-time leader in Olympic gold with 14.
   Not including the U.S., only seven countries had more gold than Phelps.
   His performance was the centerpoint of the U.S. dominance in the pool.

   Team USA led the way with 31 total and 12 golds in swimming.
   Forty-one-year-old Dara Torres collected three silvers while competing in her fifth set of Summer Games.

   The U.S. men's basketball team returned to the top in Olympic hoops.
   After taking the bronze four years ago in Athens, the "Redeem Team" won its fourth gold at the last five Summer Games.
   The U.S. went undefeated in Beijing, beating Spain 118-107 in the final.
   Not to be outdone, the U.S. women continued their Olympic basketball dominance.
   They won their fourth consecutive gold, beating Australia for the third-straight time in the final.

   The United States suffered tragedy and triumph when it came to volleyball.
   On the first day of competition, the father-in-law of men's indoor coach Hugh McCutcheon was stabbed to death by a Chinese attacker while visiting a tourist attraction.
   In the wake of the attack, the team went on to beat Brazil in the final and win its first Olympic medal in 12 years.
   In a reversal of fortunes, it was the Brazilians beating the U.S. for the gold in women's indoor volleyball.
   However, the U.S. took golds on both the men's and women's sides in beach volleyball.

   Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor picked up their second-straight Olympic gold while running their winning streak to 108 matches.
   Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser won the men's gold.

   Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt became the world's fastest man while competing in Beijing.
   Bolt became the first person to set world records in the men's 100-meters and 200-meters at one Summer Games.
   He received three golds overall, as his Jamaican team finished first in the men's 400-meter relay.
   In the same event, both the U.S. men and women failed to make it to the final after each team dropped their batons in their respective qualifiers.
   Overall though, the Americans led the way in track and field medals, taking 23 total and seven golds.

   The United States collected ten medals in gymnastics, four less than leader China.
   Nine of those for the U.S. came from the combination of women's gymnasts Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, who took a gold apiece.
   However, questions regarding the ages of some of the Chinese gymnasts have arisen.
   He Kexin, who won two golds, reportedly participated in the Games at the age of 14, while the rules call for athletes to be 16.

   The U.S. women's soccer team collected gold on the pitch.
   In a rematch of the Athens final, Team USA defeated Brazil 1-nil in overtime.
   The win, which may have come as a surprise to soccer fans, comes in the wake of the retirement of stars such as Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and Julie Foudy, and with star forward Abby Wambach out with a broken leg.
   On the men's side, it was Argentina winning its second-straight medal, besting Nigeria in the final.
   The U.S men did not make it out of the group preliminary round.

   However, things were not as happy for the United States on the diamond.
   The favorite U.S. softball team was stunned by Japan in the final, despite beating the Japanese twice previously at the Games.
   The U.S. settled for the bronze in baseball, with South Korea winning the final Olympic gold in the sport and Cuba taking the silver.
   Both softball and baseball will not be part of the 2012 London Games, and it is uncertain if the sports will ever return to the Olympics.

   Now that the Beijing Games are over, there is a four-year break before the next Summer Games.

   As the flag was lowered in Beijing, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge asked the athletes to converge on London in 2012.



   (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions)