Team USA Takes Rio Olympics Medal Race With Ease, Maryland Athletes Contribute Much Of The Gold

The U.S. Olympic Team made itself right at home in Rio.

The British, they had a Games to savor as well.

The host Brazilians got soccer gold that they craved, the Russians struggled on the heels of the exposure of a state-sponsored doping program, and the Chinese finished well below expectations.

So went the medal race at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where the Americans - with women leading the way - dominated both the gold and overall totals. The U.S. finished with 46 gold medals and 121 medals overall, its 51-total-medal margin over second-place China the largest in a non-boycotted Olympics in nearly a century.

But it was Maryland who helped to contribute to the large number of gold medals for the Olympic Team.

For the fourth consecutive games, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps left with more medals than anyone else. He won six in Rio, Katie Ledecky won five to lead a big haul from Maryland athletes.

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