A thrilling 67-66 victory over France in the women’s basketball final sealed the tie between the United States and China. Each won 40 gold medals, an unprecedented feat for the Summer Games.
This thrilling victory not only highlighted the tenacity of the American team but also highlighted the intense rivalry between the two countries, setting up an Olympic moment to remember.
China led with 39 gold medals, followed by the US with 38, going into Sunday, but the competition was by no means over. The contest grew increasingly heated and captivating as the midafternoon progressed, with several significant results beginning to shape the final standings.
- In the women’s heavyweight weightlifting competition, China’s Li Wenwen won gold, severely hurting the American dream of winning the overall gold medal tally.
- Kennedy Blades, a Chicago native who went on an incredible journey to compete for the gold medal in wrestling, lost to Yuka Kagami of Japan in the 76-kg weight class, significantly diminishing American hopes.
Though they had a strong advantage competing, the American women’s basketball team had a difficult fight but eventually won their eighth straight gold medal. They remained firm and preserved their dominant legacy despite the near miss.
Breanna Stewart stated; “I didn’t know until after the game, but I’m glad we won for both USA basketball and us individually, as well as for the whole Team USA delegation, so we can be tied.”
Coach Reeve accepts pressure after US women’s basketball team wins important gold
Though she decided not to tell her players, US coach Cheryl Reeve implied with a sly smile that she was fully aware of the stakes before the France game.
China defeated the US on home ground in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where China won 48 gold medals and the US 36. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the US won 39 and China 38 gold medals. There have never been any gold medal ties in the history of the Summer Games before the Paris Olympics, but there have been three in the Winter Olympics.