MIDAS TOUCH IS BACK

Freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs came to the Olympics with two objectives: to become the champion in the 163-pound weight class and to restore Team USA to what he considered its rightful place atop the gold-medal list.

China had capitalized on its home-country advantage four years ago to win 51 gold medals, 15 more than the U.S. And although the U.S. won more medals overall in Beijing, 110-100, some experts give greater weight to the number of gold medals when ranking Olympic performances. Burroughs was so determined to avoid a repeat that he downloaded an app to his smartphone that allowed him to track the daily medal count and vowed to do his part for Team USA.

“I wanted to be the guy who helped us out,” said Burroughs, who did just that when he defeated Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi of Iran in the gold-medal match. “Even though China makes all our clothes, they can’t beat us in medals.”

Thanks to Burroughs and 45 other triumphant team or individual performances, the U.S. had regained the top spot in both the gold-medal and overall tallies before Posh and the rest of the Spice Girls reunited to perform at Olympic Stadium during Sunday’s closing ceremony.

The total of 46 gold medals was the highest for the U.S. in an Olympics contested on foreign soil. Those gold medals were supplemented by 29 silver medals and 29 bronze medals for a grand total of 104, giving Team USA the lead in the medal count for the fifth straight Games.

China finished second in gold (38) and overall medals (87). Russia had 82 total medals, including 24 gold. Host Britain had more golds (29) but 65 overall.

“We had very, very high expectations coming into the Games, and I think our expectations have been exceeded both on the field of play and off,” Scott Blackmun, chief executive of the U.S. Olympic Committee, said before Sunday’s final events.

“One of our primary objectives is to get as many American athletes on the podium as we can. If you look at the team sports, we’re going to put more than 200 on the podium while we’re here, which is something that’s very, very important to us.”

Swimmers won the most medals for Team USA, 31. That equaled the Beijing team’s total, but the London swimmers won 16 gold medals, four more than the Beijing team.

Michael Phelps dominated the pool here by winning six gold medals and eight overall to pad his career total to 22, the most in Olympic history. Missy Franklin, Ryan Lochte and Allison Schmitt each won five medals and U.S. swimmers set five world records, two by breaststroke specialist Rebecca Soni.

The second-biggest contribution was 29 from a track and field team whose distance renaissance softened the sting of losing three of four individual sprint races to Jamaicans.

Galen Rupp’s silver medal in the 10,000 meters was the first by an American in that race since Billy Mills in 1964, and Leo Manzano’s silver in the men’s 1,500 was the first by an American at that distance since Jim Ryun won silver in 1968. Brigetta Barrett’s high-jump silver medal was the first for the U.S. in that event since Louise Ritter won gold in 1988.

Allyson Felix of Los Angeles won three gold medals and Carmelita Jeter of Gardena won gold, silver and bronze. Eighteen athletes or relays recorded national-best performances as the track and field team increased its medal total from 23 at Beijing and gave the overall U.S. total a big boost.

“I personally feel like it’s important for us to take the title home because I feel like we’ve worked very hard and it’s part of our expectations,” said DeeDee Trotter, who won bronze in the 400 and gold with the dominant 1,600-meter relay team.

“I think that it’s important in a way that we just want to maintain a level of talent and the level of medals that we’ve always been able to bring home, and to fall short of that would mean that we’re not bringing our ‘A’ game. And we always want to bring our ‘A’ game.”

That happened in several other sports too. Divers won one gold medal and four overall after being shut out in Beijing, and Wimbledon provided a venerable backdrop for four tennis medals, up from two at Beijing.

“I was there the day that Serena [Williams] played Maria Sharapova and that was the most dominating performance that I have ever seen by a female tennis player, ever,” Larry Probst, chair of the USOC board, said of the women’s final. “It was just unbelievable.”

But that wasn’t true across the board.

Gymnastics’ medal total dropped from 10 to six, though Gabrielle Douglas became the first American to win team and individual all-around gold medals. “Overall, I think we’re happy with the way gymnastics turned out,” Probst said.

Fencers won six medals at Beijing but only one here. Sailing was blanked for the first time since the 1936 Berlin Games. Most noticeably, the male boxers went home without a medal. In the Olympic debut of women’s boxing, middleweight Claressa Shields won gold and flyweight Marlen Esparza won bronze.

“We’re disappointed in boxing. We want to do better, particularly in men’s boxing,” Blackmun said. “And by saying disappointed in boxing, I don’t mean in the people. We’re disappointed that we didn’t do better in boxing because I know we can do better and we have to focus on how we can do better.”

Probst said Team USA’s success here can also be measured by athletes’ behavior away from the field, court, pool and track. On that score, he said, they all earned gold medals.

“The other thing I would add is when we leave London, do people perceive our athletes as good ambassadors for the United States? And the answer is a resounding yes,” Probst said. “I think they have done an amazing job representing our country and we’re really proud of them.”

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helene.elliott@latimes.com

twitter.com/helenenothelen

BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX

COMMON GROUNDS

United States medalists with ties to Southern California:

ATHLETE SPORT MEDALS WON SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONNECTION

Tumuaialii Anae Water polo 1 gold Hometown, Newport Beach; college, USC

Haley Anderson Swimming 1 silver College, USC

Betsey Armstrong Water polo 1 gold Residence, Long Beach

Dotsie Bausch Cycling 1 silver Residence, Irvine

Ricky Berens Swimming 1 gold, 1 silver Residence, Los Angeles

Shannon Boxx Soccer 1 gold Birthplace, Fontana; hometown, Redondo Beach

Mike Bryan Tennis 1 gold, 1 bronze Birthplace and hometown, Camarillo

Bob Bryan Tennis 1 gold Birthplace and hometown, Camarillo

Kobe Bryant Basketball 1 gold Residence, Los Angeles

Rachel Buehler Soccer 1 gold Birthplace and hometown, Del Mar

Tyson Chandler Basketball 1 medal Hometown, Compton

Lauren Cheney Soccer 1 gold College, UCLA

Tyler Clary Swimming 1 gold Birthplace, Redlands; hometown, Riverside; residence, Fullerton

Will Claye Track and field 1 silver, 1 bronze Residence, San Diego

Charlie Cole Rowing 1 bronze Residence, Chula Vista

Kami Craig Water polo 1 gold Birthplace and hometown, Santa Barbara; residence, Long Beach; college, USC

Nicole Davis Volleyball 1 silver Residence, Newport Beach; college, USC

Lashinda Demus Track and field 1 silver Birthplace, Inglewood; hometown, Long Beach; residence, Palmdale

Annika Dries Water polo 1 gold Birthplace, La Jolla; hometown, Laguna Beach

Troy Dumais Diving 1 bronze Birthplace and hometown, Ventura

Brady Ellison Archery 1 silver Residence, Chula Vista

Allyson Felix Track and field 3 golds Birthplace and residence, Los Angeles; college, USC

Missy Franklin Swimming 4 golds, 1 bronze Birthplace, Pasadena

Sarah Hammer Cycling 2 silvers Birthplace, Redondo Beach; residence, Temecula

Tayyiba Haneef-Park Volleyball 1 silver Birthplace, Upland; residence, Laguna Hills

James Harden Basketball 1 gold Birthplace, Los Angeles; hometown, Lakewood

Jessica Hardy Swimming 1 gold, 1 bronze Birthplace, Orange; hometown, Long Beach; residence, Los Angeles

Dawn Harper Track and field 1 silver Residence, Los Angeles; college, UCLA

Carmelita Jeter Track and field 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze Birthplace, L.A.; hometown, Torrance; residence, Glendora; college, Cal State Dominguez Hills

Jake Kaminski Archery 1 silver Residence, Chula Vista

Jen Kessy Beach volleyball 1 silver Birthplace and residence, San Clemente; hometown, San Juan Capistrano; college, USC

Jordan Larson Volleyball 1 silver Residence, Anaheim

Sydney Leroux Soccer 1 gold College, UCLA

Jason Lezak Swimming 1 silver College, UCLA

Esther Lofgren Rowing 1 gold Birthplace, Long Beach; hometown, Newport Beach

Kevin Love Basketball 1 gold Birthplace, Santa Monica; college, UCLA

Tianna Madison Track and field 1 gold Birthplace, Long Beach; hometown, Newport Beach

Joshua Mance Track and field 1 silver Birthplace, Pomona; hometown, Chino; residence, Los Angeles; college, USC

McKayla Maroney Gymnastics 1 gold, 1 silver Birthplace, Long Beach; residence, Laguna Niguel

Adrienne Martelli Rowing 1 bronze Birthplace, Glendale

Courtney Mathewson Water Polo 1 gold Birthplace, Orange; hometown, Anaheim Hills; college, UCLA

Misty May-Treanor Beach volleyball 1 gold Birthplace, Los Angeles; hometown, Costa Mesa; residence, Long Beach; college, Long Beach State

Francena McCorory Track and field 1 gold Birthplace, Los Angeles

Alex Morgan Soccer 1 gold Birthplace and hometown, Diamond Bar

Bryshon Nellum Track and field 1 silver Residence, Los Angeles; college, USC

Glenn Ochal Rowing 1 bronze Residence, Chula Vista

Candace Parker Basketball 1 gold Residence, Los Angeles

Chris Paul Basketball 1 gold Residence, Los Angeles

Heather Petri Water Polo 1 gold Residence, Long Beach

Jennie Reed Cycling 1 silver Residence, Long Beach

Kim Rhode Shooting 1 gold Birthplace, Whittier; residence, El Monte; college, Cal Poly Pomona

Jason Richardson Track and field 1 silver Residence, Inglewood

Amy Rodriguez Soccer 1 gold Birthplace, Beverly Hills; hometown, Lake Forest; college, USC

Kyla Ross Gymnastics 1 gold Residence, Aliso Viejo

April Ross Beach volleyball 1 silver Birthplace, Costa Mesa; residence, Newport Beach; college, USC

Kelly Rulon Water Polo 1 gold Birthplace and hometown, San Diego; residence, Sunset Beach; college, UCLA

Henrik Rummel Rowing 1 bronze Residence: Chula Vista

Danielle Scott-Arruda Volleyball 1 silver Residence, Anaheim

Eric Shanteau Swimming 1 gold Residence, Marina del Rey

Rebecca Soni Swimming 2 golds, 1 silver Residence, Manhattan Beach; college, USC

Maggie Steffens Water polo 1 gold Residence, Seal Beach

Jessica Steffens Water polo 1 gold Residence, Seal Beach

Jeneba Tarmoh Track and field 1 gold Residence, Los Angeles

Diana Taurasi Basketball 1 gold Birthplace, Glendale; hometown, Chino

Logan Tom Volleyball 1 silver Residence, Long Beach

Dee Dee Trotter Track and field 1 gold 1 bronze Birthplace, Twentynine Palms

Jake Varner Wrestling 1 gold Birthplace, Bakersfield

Brenda Villa Water polo 1 gold Birthplace, Los Angeles; hometown, Commerce; residence, Long Beach

Kerri Walsh Jennings Beach volleyball 1 gold Residence, Hermosa Beach

Amanda Weir Swimming 1 bronze College, USC

Lauren Wenger Water polo 1 gold Birthplace, Anaheim; residence, Long Beach; college, USC

Russell Westbrook Basketball 1 medal Birthplace, Long Beach; hometown, Lawndale

Serena Williams Tennis 2 golds Hometown, Lynwood

Venus Williams Tennis 1 gold Birthplace and hometown, Lynwood

Jacob Wukie Archery 1 silver Residence, Chula Vista