Phil Noble | Reuters Soccer player and heartthrob David Beckham during the closing ceremony gave everyone a taste of what’s to come at London 2012.

BEIJING — A major success by some standards, a big disappointment by others, but record-setting no matter which way you view it.

That’s how the United States fared in the ultimate Olympic road test that ended Aug. 13, losing the gold-medal count 51-36 to China and winning the total-medal tally 110-100 over the suddenly powerful hosts of the Beijing Games.

The somewhat expected gold-medal rush by China — even U.S. Olympic Committee leaders hailed China the decisive favorite — snapped an American streak of dominance at the previous three Summer Games.

With 36 golds, the U.S. matched its total from the 2004 Athens Games and finished with one fewer than it had in 2000 in Sydney and eight fewer than in 1996 in Atlanta. It notched 38 silvers and 36 bronzes.

In claiming 110 medals, the U.S. broke its record for the most in a non-boycotted Olympics if you exclude the 242 it won at the 1904 Summer Games, attended by 12 countries. The previous record was 108 medals, set in 1992 in Barcelona.

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LOCAL OLYMPIANS

Liza Hunter-Galvan
Representing: New Zealand in women’s marathon
Results: She finished 35th out of 82 competitors, in 2 hours, 34 minutes, 51 seconds.
Dominic Grazioli
Representing: U.S. in men’s trap shooting competition
Results: Grazioli didn’t qualify for the finals. He finished strong, hitting 24 of 25 targets in the final round of the qualifying. His total of 113 out of 125 left him tied for 15th in the field of 35.

Mike Hazle
Representing: U.S. in men’s javelin throw
Results: Hazle’s 72.75 result in the qualifying round did not meet the 82.50 qualifying performance to move on to the final.

MARSHEVET HOOKER
Representing: U.S. in women’s track and field 200 meters
Results: Hooker ran another personal best in the 200 meters, finishing fifth in the finals. Hooker’s time was 22.34 seconds, lowering the career-best time she posted in the semifinals.

Kelley Hurley
Representing: U.S. women’s fencing — individual epee competition
Results: Hurley lost to Korea’s Jung Hyo Jung, 15-6, in the first round of the competition. Hurley did not compete up to par because of food poisoning.

Dusty Jonas
Representing: U.S. in men’s high jump
Results: La Vernia’s Jonas, struggling with a sore Achilles’ tendon, failed to clear 2.25 meters (7 feet, 41/4 inches) in the qualifying round of the high jump.

Leonel Manzano
Representing: U.S. in men’s track and field 1,500 meters
Results: Manzano’s mark of 3:36.67 was good enough to advance to the semifinal, where his result was 3:50.33. He did not advance to the final.

Keith Sanderson
Representing: U.S. in men’s 25-meter rapid-fire pistol
Results: Sanderson finished fifth with a final score of 776.6. His final-round total of 193.6 allowed him to be passed by the three medalists, who all scored just over 200.

David King | 210SA contributor