In the first modern archery competition at the Olympics, the United States entered three men and three women.

On the victory podium after the conclusion of the men's 400 meters final, gold medalist Vince Matthews and silver medalist Wayne Collett talked to each other and failed to stand at attention during the medal ceremony.

Since the third American competitor, world record holder John Smith, had pulled a hamstring while leading 80 meters into the final and had been ruled unfit to run, the United States were left unable to field a 4 x 400 relay team, and were thus forced to scratch from the event where they would have been heavily favored.

[2] Reggie Jones was controversially eliminated in the second round of the light middleweight division (– 71 kg) by Valeri Tregubov of the Soviet Union, nine years his senior, in a fight he was generally accepted to have won.

The Americans lost to Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Japan to finish last place in the division, sending them to the thirteenth- to sixteenth-place consolation round.