RIO DE JANEIRO — Mediocrity is no longer acceptable. Or excusable.
While the U.S. women are set to collect the first of what will be many golds at these Olympics, continuing their six-year stranglehold atop the sport, the men stumbled to a fifth-place finish yet again. For those keeping track, it’s been eight years since the men won an Olympic team medal, 32 years since it was gold.
And the people at USA Gymnastics seem to be just fine with that. How else to explain the lack of accountability for the men in the years between Games while Martha Karolyi holds the women to an exacting standard from the day one Olympics ends until the moment they are standing on the medals podium at the next?