Olympics
US survive French fright to win basketball gold-medal thriller
The United States won a 67-66 thriller over France in the women’s basketball final on Sunday, claiming an historic eighth consecutive Olympic crown while denying the hosts the golden finish to the Paris Games that had seemed within their grasp.
With LeBron James sitting courtside wearing the gold medal the U.S. men won by beating France on Saturday, the American women completed the golden hoops double and extended their winning streak on Olympic hardwood to a remarkable 61 games – a stretch of domination that goes all the way back to 1992.
But the U.S. had to dig deep to repel the scrappy French, who led by 10 in the third quarter and had looked poised to pull off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history when Gabby Williams drained a clutch three to leave Les Bleues down one with five seconds left.
The drama was not over.
With the clock hitting zero, Williams threw up a desperation shot that banked in off the backboard and appeared to tie the game at 67-67 as the buzzer sounded.
A video replay, however, showed Williams was inside the arch good for two points, leaving the U.S. celebrating a breathless one point victory and the fearless French stunned.
“I’m sad for them because they fought, they’ve been working hard for two months,” said French coach Jean-Aime Toupane. “When you see what they showed tonight, it’s quite remarkable, I tip my hat to this team.
“They gave so much, it came down to small things but that’s how sport goes.”
The win not only gave the American women the record for longest Olympic gold medal streak in a traditional team sport but put the United States top of the overall medal table.
The final medal to be awarded was the United States’ 40th gold of the Games, tying them with China but taking top spot with more silver – 44 to 27.
A’ja Wilson had a game high 21 points for the U.S. while Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper each chipped in with 12.
Williams led France with 19.
Diana Taurasi did not play in the final but made history anyway taking a sixth gold medal, making her the most decorated basketball player in Olympic history, one more than long-time team mate Sue Bird.
“It was a great game. That was a great French team, a great crowd,” said Taurasi. “But we found a way to win and that’s what these games come down to is finding way to win.
“It’s hard.
“You think it’s going to be pretty and everything, every shot is going to go in.
“But the will to win is, is sometimes the only thing you need.”
-Reuters
The Olympic rings installed on the Eiffel Tower since June to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games were removed from the Parisian monument early on Friday morning, as confirmed by an AFP photographer. But the Paris City Hall intends to replace them with a more permanent structure until 2028.
The five-coloured rings, measuring 29 metres in length and 15 metres in height, were placed between the first and second levels of the iconic iron structure on 7 June.
According to Inside the Games publication, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants the Olympic symbol to continue decorating the monument until the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
But the descendants of the tower’s creator, Gustave Eiffel are opposing the move. They are insisting that the Olympic rings are aesthetically in conflict with the concept and design of the Tower.
The 30-tonne rings initially installed on the Eiffel Tower were also not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.
Olympics
Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participatedat the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
The mandate includes a thorough expenditure check and a performance review to better highlight areas of improvement and fund allocation in future Games.
Additionally, the president plans to take necessary measures against federations —such as limiting funds— that had negative results in the Paris Games.
Egypt’s participation in sports where it lacks a competitive advantage will also be limited, as the president aims to direct resources to promising athletes to ensure optimal results. The president also aims to reduce administrative and technical staff within Olympic delegations and task relevant ministries with preparing future Olympic athletes.
Al-Sisi’s Olympic overhaul is to be presented to the cabinet for approval and urged the government to prioritise amending the sports law for the House of Representatives for review.
Egypt took home a total of three medals in the Summer Games. Ahmed El-Gendy triumphed in modern pentathlon, Sara Samir claimed the silver in weightlifting, and 21-year-old fencer Mohamed El-Sayed earned the bronze.
-Insidethegames
Paris 2024 sold a record 12 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics, beating the Games record previously set by London 2012, organisers said on Sunday.
Some 9.5 million tickets were sold for the Olympics and 2.5 million for the Paralympics, which end on Sunday.
In 2012, London organisers set the record for the Paralympics with 2.7 million tickets sold but only 8.2 million were sold for the Olympics.
-Reuters
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