The voyage and the events on board, later called the "Mutiny of the Matoika", were still being discussed in the popular press years later.

The Matoika was a last-minute substitute for another ship and, according to the athletes, did not have adequate accommodations or training facilities on board.

[2] The conditions on the Princess Matoika were terrible, as the hold reeked of formaldehyde from the dead bodies of the recently deceased American World War I soldiers, and there was no place to train.

Furthermore, the athletes were dissatisfied with the quality of food and huge numbers of rats present on the ship.

[3] Near the end of the voyage, the athletes published a list of grievances and demands and distributed copies of the document to the United States Secretary of War, the American Olympic Committee members, and the press.

The Americans won their first gold medals in the sport since 1904, winning championships in three of the five diving events in 1920.

Twenty-two swimmers, sixteen men and six women, represented the United States in 1920.

Bleibtrey bettered her own new record, leading the American women to a sweep of the medals in that event.

Bleibtrey took her second world record and second gold medal in the 300 free, as the Americans swept that event as well.

Her third gold medal and third world record came as part of the 4x100 free relay team along with Schroth, Guest, and Woodbridge.

The United States competed in the Olympic water polo tournament for the second time in 1920.

It was the sixth appearance of the nation in athletics, a sport in which the United States had competed at every Games.

The American team was one of two to send the maximum number of boxers, two in each weight class, along with Great Britain.

None of the individual fencers reached an event final, though both teams which had to compete in semifinals did advance.

The United States competed in the inaugural Olympic ice hockey tournament.

Canada came out the better, winning 2–0 to send the United States into the silver medal tournament.

There, the Americans beat Sweden and Czechoslovakia by a combined score of 23–0 to emerge winners of the silver medal, using the Bergvall System.

It was the nation's second appearance in the sport; Sweden was one of three countries to compete in both Summer Olympics figure skating competitions.

Weld took the bronze medal in the ladies' singles, with Niles finishing sixth in the men's.

The military rifle events gave the United States more trouble; the team won no medal in the individual 300 metre prone event, and took only silver in the team 300 metre standing competition.

The Americans joined the British in tying Sweden's mark for most appearances in the short life of tug of war at the Olympics at three of five.

The Americans lost in the quarterfinals to eventual gold-medallist Great Britain, thus putting the United States in contention for the silver medal.

Metropoulos and Pendleton competed in both freestyle and Greco-Roman events, as the United States entered two wrestlers in each weight class.