USA dominates Paris 2024 Olympic Games medal table as event ends in style

The Olympic Games ended with the United States edging out China to top the medal table at Paris 2024 after a 17-day festival of sport.

The USA have now finished on top of the table at 19 of the 30 summer Olympics, including the very first in Athens in 1896, and six of the past seven stretching back to America’s home Games in Atlanta in 1996.

China punctured that streak in Beijing in 2008, and proved stiff competition again here, finishing on the same number of gold medals (40) as the US but being pushed into second having won fewer silvers.

Japan backed up their third place finish in Tokyo by taking the final podium spot in Paris while Australia’s 18 golds were enough to put them in fourth.

The fearsome US team were in danger of one of the all-time Olympic upsets but won 67-66 to take gold for a record-breaking eighth Games in a row, meaning the US moved level with China’s tally of 40 golds in the medal table.

But with the American team having won 44 silvers to China’s 27 – they have also won 126 medals overall to China’s 91 – they top the medal table for the fourth time in a row.

In a repeat match-up of Saturday’s men’s final that was won by the star-studded US at France’s expense, Team USA trailed 53-51 with five minutes to play.

The occasion provided one last taste of the atmosphere of wild home support in the French capital.

LeBron James, the NBA superstar and men’s gold medallist for the US, was courtside, while French President Emmanuel Macron was in the stands in support of the hosts.

The US edged back in front and in a dramatic finale, with the lead at 67-64, Gabby Williams sank a buzzer-beater for France, but it was judged to have come from inches inside the three-point line and that meant the USA won by a point.

Source Graphic.com.gh