The United States pipped China for top spot in the battle of medals on Sunday Paris brought the curtain down on one of the most successful Olympic Games in history.
In a thrilling finale that capped 17 days of spellbinding action, the United States women’s basketball team squeezed past France 67-66 to clinch the last gold of the Games.
The win – the eighth consecutive Olympic women’s basketball won by the USA – ensured the Americans finished level with China on 40 golds each as the games came to a close.
The USA however finished on top of the overall medal table with a total of 126 medals, with China in second place on 91.
With the last of the medals handed out, attention now turns to the countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
MARATHON MAGIC
Sunday’s final day began with a gripping women’s marathon victory by the Netherlands’ long-distance running star Sifan Hassan.
Hassan had taken on what many considered to be a crazy gamble in Paris, competing in the 5,000 m, the 10,000 m and the marathon – the last two events just two days apart.
But in a jaw-dropping sprint finish, Hassan overhauled Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa to take gold by three seconds in an Olympic record of 2hr 22min 55sec.
On Friday she had taken bronze in the 10 000m after coming away with a bronze in the 5 000m.
She fell to the ground on the blue carpet in front of the golden dome of the Invalides memorial complex in the heart of Paris before grabbing a Dutch flag to celebrate an extraordinary achievement.
Wrestling, weightlifting, water polo, volleyball, modern pentathlon, handball, and track cycling were the other sports to crown Olympic champions on the last day.
Hungary’s Michelle Gulyas ran and shot to Olympic gold in the modern pentathlon, with home favourite Elodie Clouvel roared on to clinch silver.
In weightlifting, China’s jubilant Li Wenwen lifted her coach into the air instead of the bar, having already secured gold.
At the velodrome, Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen surged to the men’s keirin for his third gold of the Games, ending British dominance of the event they had won at every Olympics since 2008.
New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews blasted to the women’s sprint title to add to her keirin gold, while American cyclist Jennifer Valente won the women’s omnium.
In men’s water polo, Serbia won their third straight Olympic gold with a 13-11 victory over Croatia at La Defense Arena and pulled their coach into the pool in the celebrations.
‘PRECIOUS’
As the sport ends, attention turns to the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years.
LA is expected to play heavily on its Hollywood star power and will roll out its big guns, with pop star Billie Eilish, rapper Snoop Dogg, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers all confirmed.
AFP