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Last time U.S. swimming failed to win gold on first night: 1996

Jeff Passan
From left, Simone Manuel, Abbey Weitzeil, Dana Vollmer and Katie Ledecky show off their silver medals Saturday. (AP)
(From Left) Simone Manuel, Abbey Weitzeil, Dana Vollmer and Katie Ledecky show off their silver medals Saturday. (AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO — For the first time in 20 years, the United States swimming team failed to win a gold medal on the first night of Olympic competition, missing out on four opportunities but still scratching out three silver medals at the Rio Games.

After posting the best qualifying time, Chase Kalisz came through with a silver in the men’s 400-meter individual medley (4:06.75). Nobody was going to beat Hungarian Katinka Hosszu, who set a world record in the women’s 400 IM (4:26.36), but Maya DiRado delivered a respectable second-place finish (4:31:15).

Despite star Katie Ledecky anchoring the 4×100-meter freestyle race, the American team with Abby Weitzeil, Simone Manuel and Dana Vollmer had to settle on silver as it could not overcome a powerhouse Australian team that also set a world record.

But the Americans need not worry too much. Ledecky is overwhelmingly expected to win the 400 free Sunday, and the rest of the team is favorites for gold in at least a half-dozen other races.

Check out all the medalists from Day 1 of the Games: