Odds may be good for Some U.S. Decoration in mountain biking and In swimming, jogging and lots of different occasions in which the U.S. will control the podium, but when is the last time we watched a U.S. success in ping pong? We have to wondering about that which sport Americans simply can not master and that are the very best equal nations in these occasions top ping pong paddle. And Olympic historian David Wallechinsky is with us to get longer.

i there, David.

Hi. Just how are you?

So which of those sports are those who the U.S. just Can not win?

The USA is unlikely to acquire anything in ping Pong, team handball, that is a fantastic game, weightlifting. Not many awards in wrestling, badminton, archery, canoeing. The occasional trophy could pop up once every so often in these types of sports, but they are few and far between.

The listing was getting somewhat long there. You have me worried. I mean, let us take one or 2 of these.

I cut it short.

Yeah. Well, state weightlifting. I mean, give me a good illustration. Which are the explanations for why this is an occasion where our opponents have us overcome?

The United States of America used to be very powerful in weightlifting in The '40s, '50s, on in the '60s, then only fell by the wayside. And I feel a great deal of it has to do with financing and function models. By way of instance, if you're from - a large, heavy, powerful man from, say, Russia or Ukraine or Iran or Bulgaria or Turkey, you then understood - you understand that if you won a golden medal in weightlifting, then you might turn into a hero.

However, in the Event That You won a golden medal in weightlifting to the United States, nobody is going to hear you the day following the closing ceremony. So someone - the exact same person who is a fantastic athlete, powerful, a major individual is rather likely to enter soccer rather than turning into a weightlifter ping pong tables. So we have seen a whole collapse of awards for the USA in weightlifting.

Then you mentioned financing. What is the matter there?

Well, the United States doesn't have government-supported Sports, so in the event that you choose just about any significant nation on the planet, they're financing a national sports program so they can build up people. If someone's interested in an odd game, a little game like weightlifting...

So ping pong is a great example, right?

Ping pong is ideal, weightlifting. I lived in France and that I Noticed there have been weightlifting clubs. As you mention, there have been ping pong clubs therefore, on the childhood level, not on the upper level, they are building up individuals who may be interested in this game and encouraging them. You do not have this in the USA. Each game is independently funded.

Therefore any chance of a comeback to the U.S. this season, state, in badminton or canoeing? Any events which we ought to be watching intently in hopes of eventually seeing an American buy the gold?

Allow me to think about it. No. I believe that what - you understand, What makes the United States distinct than other sports abilities, such as China, Russia, Germany, is our awards have a tendency to be narrowly focused. By way of instance, I believe that you can imagine - you can imagine that three-quarters of those gold medals the United States will profit in London will arrive in just a small number of sport. Significantly, swimmingpool, track and field, women's gymnastics, basketball and tennis.

These additional powerhouses - they have their gold awards and Their awards generally distribute over a larger quantity of sport.

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David Wallechinsky, thank you.

Thank you.

Olympic historian David Wallechinsky, talking with us about Those Olympic events in which nations aside from the U.S. possess the advantage.