Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Jamaica's Elaine Thompson, second from top, wins the 100-meter final on Saturday, August 13. Third-placed teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce fell short in her bid to win the event for a record third successive Olympics.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  US swimmer Michael Phelps competes in the 4x100-meters medley relay, where he earned his 23rd gold medal.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Swimmers Michael Phelps, Cody Miller, Ryan Murphy and Nathan Adrian of the United States embrace after winning the 4x100-meters medley. Murphy led the team early on with his world record backstroke leg, and the team ended up solidifying gold with an Olympic record finish.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Simone Manuel, Kathleen Baker, Dana Vollmer and Lilly King of the US swim team pose with their gold medals after winning the 4x100-meters medley relay.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Mo Farah became the first British track athlete to win three Olympic gold medals as he retained his 10,000-meter title.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  American Jeff Henderson won gold in the men's long jump final with a distance of 8.38 meters.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Italian swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri won gold in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle final.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania, left, and Spain's Pau Gasol face off in a preliminary basketball match. Spain won 109-59.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Danish swimmer Pernille Blume won the women's 50-meter freestyle final.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Usain Bolt, center, Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago and James Dasaolu of Great Britain compete in the men's 100-meters.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Field hockey player Aki Mitsuhashi of Japan, top, fights for the ball with Australia's goalkeeper Rachael Lynch during their preliminary match.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Polish handball player Kamil Syprzak takes a freethrow against Swedish defenders during their preliminary match.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  From left to right, Yuliya Olishevska of Ukraine, Anneliese Rubie of Australia, Stephenie Ann McPherson of Jamaica and Patience Okon George of Nigeria compete in a 400-meter heat.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Uladzislau Hancharou of Belarus performs on the trampoline. He earned gold in the individual competition.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Weightlifter Petit David Minkoumba of Cameroon competes in the the 94-kilogram (207-pound) event.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Puerto Rico's Monica Puig goes for the ball during her singles final tennis match against Germany's Angelique Kerber.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, left, and Damir Martin of Croatia compete in the men's single sculls final. It was a photo finish -- both rowers clocked in with a time of 6 minutes 41.34 seconds -- but defending champion Drysdale was awarded the gold.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Russian boxer Evgeny Tishchenko won his heavyweight 91-kilogram (201-pound) semifinal bout against Uzbekistan's Rustam Tulaganov and will go for gold on Monday.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  US field hockey player Kelsey Kolojejchick, right, vies for the ball with Great Britain's Crista Cullen.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad reacts during the women's saber team semifinal against Sofya Velikaya of Russia. The US went on to win bronze.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Germany's Jennifer Oeser competes in the heptathlon long jump.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Patriotic gloves are worn by Team USA as they prepare to compete in the women's track cycling team pursuit.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Gold medalist Christoph Harting, center, and bronze medalist Daniel Jasinski, right, both of Germany, stand on the podium with silver medalist Piotr Malachowski of Poland to celebrate their discus throw wins.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Britain's Andy Murray celebrates after beating Japan's Kei Nishikori during their singles semifinal tennis match.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  New Zealand's Olivia Podmore, left, and Spain's Tania Calvo Barbero fall during the keirin first round track cycling event.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Athletes clear the water jump in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiya competes during the skeet shooting qualifications.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Etenesh Diro of Ethiopia loses her shoe during the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase heats.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Team USA celebrates winning the gold with members of Romania's team, who won the bronze, in the women's eight rowing competition.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  A fan of Brazil wears a makeshift mask while waiting to watch the men's Group B basketball match between Argentina and Brazil.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Fans watch the men's single sculls final rowing competition.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Germany's Daniel Jasinski competes in the discus final.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Argentina's players celebrate after winning their qualifying volleyball match against Cuba.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Mohammed Abukhousa of Palestine, center, and Holder da Silva of Guinea-Bissau compete in the men's 100-meter preliminary round. Abukhousa was later carried off the field after an injury.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Brazil's Nubia Soares lands in the women's triple jump qualifying round.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Ukraine's Olga Kharlan celebrates after her team won their sabre fencing quarterfinal bout against South Korea.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Poland's Adrian Dziolko serves to China's Chen Long during their singles qualifying badminton match.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  France's Virginie Cueff reacts after falling in the keirin first round track cycling event.  Photos: Rio Olympics: Day 8  Adrian Gavira Collado of Spain serves the ball during a round of 16 beach volleyball match.
As the Olympic Games reach the halfway mark, Amy Bass reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors and the competition itself.