Despite all of the United States’ great success in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there was next to nothing to cheer about its middle distance runners in the track and field competition.

America’s hopes rode squarely on the shoulders of Bernard Lagat and Ryan Hall. The Kenyan-born Lagat had become an American citizen and was a proven winner in international competition, and Hall had become our American-born hope to medal and perhaps win in the marathon. Lagat sought gold in the 1500 and 5000-meter runs.

In the end, neither of them was even close enough to think about sniffing a medal. Worse yet, all of America’s men and women competitors in the 800, 1500, 5000, 10,000, 3,000 steeplechase and the marathon could muster only 1 of 36 possible medals.

If it was not for Shalane Flanagan’s third-place finish in the 10,000, the United States would not have won a single medal in the middle distance events. Her 30:22.22 clocking was good enough for the bronze medal and an American record.

The next best American finish was Shannon Rowbury’s 7th place in the 1500 in 4:03.58. Rowbury’s 7th place was the highest finish ever by an American woman in an Olympic 1,500-meter final.

The United States did not even have any qualifiers who made it to the finals in the men’s and women’s 800 and the men’s 1500. Lagat was eliminated in the semifinal heat for the 1500. The medalists in the 1500 clocked 3:32.94, 3:33.11 and 3:34.16.