PARIS: The United States pipped China to top spot in the medal race on Sunday as Paris prepared to bring down the curtain on one of the most successful Olympics in history.
In a thrilling final that capped off 17 days of thrilling action, the United States women’s basketball team cruised past France 67-66 for the final gold of the Games.
The win — the eighth straight Olympic women’s basketball won by the U.S. — ensured the Americans finished tied with China with 40 golds as the Games drew to a close.
Paris 2024 final medal table
USA – 40 gold (126 medals total)
China – 40 gold (total 91 medals)
Japan – 20 gold
Australia – 18 gold
France – 16 gold
Netherlands – 15 gold
Great Britain – 14 gold
After the final medal was handed out, attention turned to Sunday’s spectacular closing ceremony at the Stade de France, where Hollywood star Tom Cruise is rumored to appear in the countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Sunday’s final day began with a thrilling women’s marathon victory by Dutch long-distance running star Sifan Hassan.
Hassan took what many considered a crazy gamble in Paris, competing in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon – the latter two events just two days apart.
However, Hassan overcame Ethiopia’s Tigst Assef in a thrilling sprint to take the gold by three seconds in an Olympic record time of 2hrs 22mins 55secs.
On Friday, she took bronze in the 10,000m after coming away with bronze in the 5,000m.
She dropped to the ground on the blue carpet outside the golden dome of the Invalides memorial complex in the heart of Paris before grabbing the Dutch flag to celebrate the extraordinary achievement.
Wrestling, weightlifting, water polo, volleyball, modern pentathlon, handball and track cycling were other sports that crowned Olympic champions on the final day.
Hungary’s Michelle Gulyas ran and gunned for Olympic gold in the modern pentathlon, with home favorite Elodie Clouvel pushing through to take silver.
In weightlifting, the Chinese jubilant Li Wenwen lifted the coach’s place on the bar, who had already secured the gold, into the air.
Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen pounced in the men’s keirin at the velodrome for his third gold of the Games, ending Britain’s dominance of the event, which they have won at every Olympics since 2008.
New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews stormed to the 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 its third consecutive Olympic gold with a 13-11 victory over Croatia at La Defense Arena, pulling its coach into the pool in celebration.
As the sport winds down, attention turns to the closing ceremony and the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years.
