The women’s basketball team from the United States won the last gold medal up for grabs in Paris with a thrilling victory over the host team, France, taking first place in the 2024 Olympic medal table.
The formidable American squad, which was on the verge of pulling off one of the greatest Olympic upsets ever, prevailed 67-66 to win gold for a record-breaking eighth consecutive Games. As a result, the US’s 40 gold medal total now tied with China’s.
“USA top medal standings following thrilling final gold”
However, the American team leads the medal table for the fourth consecutive time with 44 silvers to China’s 27. They have also won 126 medals overall against China’s 91.With five minutes remaining in a rematch of the men’s final, which the US’s all-star team won against France, Team USA was behind 53-51.One last taste of the wild home support atmosphere in the French capital was offered by the occasion.
French President Emmanuel Macron was cheering on the hosts from the stands alongside NBA star and US men’s gold medallist LeBron James.
In a thrilling ending, with the lead at 67-64, Gabby Williams scored a buzzer-beater for France, but it was determined to have come from just inches inside the three-point line, meaning the USA had won by a point. The USA had reclaimed the lead.Kahleah Copper expressed her pride in the group, saying, “It feels even better to have to gut the game out like that, really have to find it, really have to string together stops and really work together.”At the end, the French were devastated and the Americans, who had won the championship for the tenth time, were ecstatic, but the depressing atmosphere quickly gave way to applause.
A thunderous rendition of La Marseillaise was let out by the home crowd as France was given the silver medals.The game was a fitting conclusion to these Olympics, even though the outcome was heartbreaking for France.Over an exciting 16 days in the French capital, 329 medal events have been contested, ranging from Simone Biles in the vault to Leon Marchand in the pool and Keely Hodgkinson on the athletics track.
The closing ceremony will mark the official end of Paris 2024.
The grandeur of the characters at the courtside complemented this outstanding ending.
Olympic teammates Victor Wembanyama, a French NBA player and silver medallist, and Teddy Riner, a gold medallist in judo, cheered each other on.Among those present on the courtside were US icon Scottie Pippen, World Cup-winning football player Megan Rapinoe, and three of the late, great Kobe Bryant’s daughters.
Naturally, the American team was the overwhelming favourite. The United States women had not lost a match at the Olympics since Barcelona 1992, and all twelve members of their team had won an Olympic or World Cup.The French have never won basketball gold, although they did take home silver in London twelve years ago and bronze in Tokyo. To push the Americans to the limit, they disobeyed their history.
Huge cheers greeted each of their basket-scoring shots, and jeers greeted the American free throws.
Crucially, Williams’ last-ditch effort was in vain as Copper calmly made both of her free throws with three seconds remaining despite the distracting noise.”Listen, outstanding athletes always step up when their name is called. I believe that my career has been about me always being prepared. Copper, whose team was behind by ten points in the third quarter as well, declared, “I’m that player.”
A’ja Wilson ended with a game-high 21 points, and Diana Taurasi became the first athlete to win six basketball gold medals with her win.
Brittney Griner, who was crying as the American anthem played at her first international competition since her high-profile prisoner exchange with Russia in 2022, also received an emotional medal.”The opportunity to compete for gold and represent my nation in light of everything my nation has done for me.”I will undoubtedly hold this one in higher regard than the others.
(BBC)
