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.
Paris Olympics: China’s billions vs US college sports
Government largesse made China an athletic powerhouse while collegiate sports keeps America a sporting superpower. The two countries, two systems, clashed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and while both landed the same quantity of gold, the Americans were awash with more silver and bronze.
Yes, the Americans went home with a bigger haul in a virtual repeat of the Tokyo Olympics, where they won one more gold than the Chinese (39-38) and racked up a bigger medal tally (113-89).
Medal tally
China was leading in the gold haul in Paris until the final day when weightlifter Li Wenwen won the 40th gold medal for China with her victory in the women’s +81 kg. But the Americans caught up to China with two last-day golds — with Jennifer Valente’s victory in women’s cycling and a one-point win over France (67-66) in the women’s basketball final.
So, though China and the USA won 40 gold medals each, the Americans topped the standings for their superior medal tally—44 silver, 42 bronze, 126 medals in all—compared to the Chinese—27 silver, 24 bronze, 91 in all.
“China’s Olympic delegation at Paris 2024 achieved its best overseas performance since it comprehensively participated in a Summer Olympics abroad in 1984, said Zhou Jinqiang, deputy head of the delegation at a press conference held on Sunday,” reported China Daily.
“China’s sports delegation, consisting of 404 athletes competing in 232 events across 30 sports, clinched 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals. The haul of gold medals surpassed the 39 golds won at the London Olympics, and a total of 60 athletes claimed golds, marking a new record for overseas Olympic participation, Zhou said.”
At Beijing 2008, China won 48 gold medals and 100 overall.
“You have won glory for our country and people, and we extend warm congratulations and heartfelt compliments to you,” read a message jointly sent by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, China’s cabinet.
“Your outstanding achievements and performances have further ignited the patriotism of Chinese people both at home and abroad, uplifted the national spirit, and united the people towards progress,” added the message.
As the message shows, the Olympics are not just a sporting event but a means to boost Chinese morale and burnish the Chinese image abroad.
China’s billion-dollar sports budget
Karishma Vaswani wrote on Bloomberg: “China has long invested heavily to push its athletes to triumph against the West, as a way of highlighting the merits of the Communist Party. These Olympic Games are no different, but for one key aspect: Citizens are openly questioning why Beijing is spending so much money on a sporting event when many at home are facing bleak economic prospects.”
“China’s budget for sports this year stands at more than $1 billion,” she added. “Compare that to Australia, which also does pretty well in Olympic competitions, but last year only had around a quarter of that at its disposal. American athletes don’t get money from the government, instead they rely on a mix of private sponsorships, philanthropy, broadcast revenue and endorsements.”
The American way delivers great results, too, as the Paris Olympics showed.
How many Americans won medals?
The Washington Post noted: “The Americans won 126 medals, and because of team sports and relays, more than 40 per cent of the team’s delegation of nearly 600 athletes received at least one. Forty-four American athletes won multiple medals and 110 won at least one gold, with that large number stemming from the country’s success in team events.”
The Americans won team events like basketball, women’s gymnastics, men’s 4x400m relay, women’s 4x100m relay, women’s 4x400m relay, women’s 4x100m medley relay, men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, and mixed 4x100m medley relay.
The Chinese won team events such as the men’s 4x100m medley relay, group all-around rhythmic gymnastics, women’s synchronized diving, men’s synchronized diving, men’s artistic gymnastics, men’s and women’s canoe double, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles in badminton. As China Daily noted, 27 of the 40 gold medals won by China came from its six traditionally strong sports — diving, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, shooting and weightlifting.
The US sporting world is very different. Athletes like sprinter Noah Lyles and basketballer Stephen Curry are celebrities. Their fame and fortune are hard-earned, honed by intensive training and the toughest competition.
US college sports system
As Britain’s two-time Olympic champion and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, a legendary middle-distance runner, said, “U.S. track and field has a lot to owe to the college system.”
The New York Times says American Olympic officials “know that the American college sports system, which every year sustains and trains thousands of students in Olympic sports — both Americans and international students — is their golden goose.”
Indeed, American colleges and universities train not only American athletes. Top international athletes, too, like the swimmer Leon Marchand of France and the sprinter Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, have been trained in America. Marchand was a member of the Arizona State University swim team, Alfred trained at the University of Texas.
The overwhelming majority of Olympic medals come from sports that have a presence on college campuses, says the Times.
No amount of government largesse, like the billions reportedly spent by China, has yet reduced the US college-trained athletes to also-rans. In fact, as the Paris Olympics showed, the latter still have an edge.
In a nail-biting finish that had sports fans on the edge of their seats, USA triumphed and clinched the top spot on the medal table at the Paris Olympics, marking a triumphant end to an exhilarating two-week spectacle.
The US, trailing China by one gold medal heading into the final day, needed a victory in women’s basketball to overtake their rivals.
The tension was palpable as the US, a powerhouse in women’s basketball with an unbroken winning streak at the Olympics, faced off against France in a match that would decide the ultimate medal tally leader. The Americans, favourites to win, did not disappoint, securing a thrilling victory in the final seconds, much to the delight of their fans.
USA triumphs
The US and China finished with an equal number of gold medals, 40 each, but the Americans edged ahead with a higher count of silver medals, 44 to 27, securing their place at the pinnacle of the medal table. The US’ total medal haul was an impressive 126, showcasing their dominance across a wide range of sports.
Japan secured third place with 20 golds, maintaining their position from the previous Tokyo Olympics. Australia celebrated their best-ever medal haul, finishing fourth with 18 golds. The host nation, France, put in a strong performance, claiming fifth place with 16 golds, their best result since 1900.
Team GB finished seventh, their lowest ranking since 2004, but their total medal count of 65 was a commendable achievement, one more than in Tokyo. According to the American method of ranking by total medals, Great Britain would be third on the table, a testament to their consistent performance across various sports.
Will the US still dominate in the LA Games?
The US success in Paris sets the stage for the upcoming Los Angeles Games, where they are expected to dominate once again, buoyed by the home advantage. The Winter Olympics, however, present a different challenge, with Norway, a country of less than 6 million, having topped the medal table in the last two editions.
As the curtain falls on the Paris Olympics, the final medal table tells a story of intense competition, unexpected triumphs, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. The US victory in Paris is a testament to their sporting prowess and sets the tone for what promises to be an even more exciting competition in Los Angeles in four years’ time.
With seven gold medals from the Olympics, the U.S. women’s basketball team is on a historic run that no other team is even close to ending.
The Americans have remained unbeaten in Olympic competitions since 1992, despite the rest of the world making progress. Their victory margin in the Tokyo Games was the narrowest since their winning run started at the Atlanta Games in 1996, with an average of 16 points.
The team’s short preparation period for joint practice is a serious obstacle for the United States. The team must come together quickly because they will only be together briefly before the Paris Games.
Diana Taurasi stated; “Yes, things are improving elsewhere in the world.” She added, “The years have shown that it’s not as simple as it seems.”
Diana Taurasi, 42, is a veteran of five U.S. Olympic teams and is going for a record-tying sixth gold in Paris. The American women’s basketball team is aiming to break the record set by the men, who won seven straight gold medals from 1936 to 1968.
Both teams have demonstrated their supremacy on the international scene by sharing the longest winning streak in Olympic history for gold medals in a conventional team sport.
American objective in Paris
The Americans have a forward-looking outlook and don’t get caught up in the past; instead, they focus on the here and now. Their only objective is to win in Paris; they place more importance on short-term gain than long-term dynasty preservation.
“The biggest thing you have to shut out is thinking that way every day because you will lose sight of what it takes to get there. Given that this is one of the greatest sporting dynasties in history, there is a compelling story that we cannot ignore. This is our unique voyage, our first time travelling with this group, and it’s all for one gold medal,” U.S coach Cheryl Reeve said.
Simone Biles leads US women gymnasts to Olympic gold
The Americans are the golden girls of gymnastics again. The team that won gold in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016) had to be content with silver only in Tokyo three years ago when the Russians won. However, the Americans struck gold again in the team event in Paris on Tuesday (July 30), outshining the competition.
Simone Biles was in sparkling form. She clinched her fifth Olympic gold helping the Americans win the team event. Gone was the girl who abruptly withdrew from the competition in Tokyo because she experienced “the twisties”, a temporary loss of air awareness while performing twisting elements.
Biles, 27, competed with her left calf taped after suffering a muscle strain during Sunday’s qualifying competition. But she seemed entirely at ease. Later, the 27-year-old told an overflowing press conference at the Bercy Arena:”I started off with therapy this morning and … I was feeling calm and ready.”
Biles’ fifth Olympic gold: Her eighth Olympic medal
With her fifth gold medal, now she has eight Olympic medals, making her the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the Olympic Games. She was tied at seven medals with Shannon Miller, who participated in the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Games. The Americans won the team event in Atlanta, also.
Biles’ team mates in Paris on what they called their Redemption Tour – to reclaim the gold medal – performed brilliantly.
The defending all-around champion Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles gave electrifying displays.
Cheered on by the crowd in the absence of the French team, which failed to qualify for the final, the United States finished with a total of 171.296, an impressive 5.802 points ahead of second-placed Italy. Brazil finished third and Britain fourth.
Biles was surprised when a reporter said she had now won a whopping 38 world and Olympic medals. “I’m doing what I love and enjoying it, that’s all that matters to me,” she said.
Chiles fell off the balance beam in the final, and the spectators gasped in disbelief.
But her lapse was quickly forgotten, as Lee’s thrilling performance on the balance beam spellbound the arena.
An electrifying floor exercise routine by Chiles had the crowd cheering as she completed her final pose, pumped her fist and walked off the mat.
Competing last on the floor, Biles exuded confidence as she held a captive audience while performing her gravity-defying tumbling passes. She earned 14.666 points to seal the US victory, sparking joyous celebrations.
The triumphant American quintet that included Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera rushed onto the floor with a giant American flag as thousands of fans in the stands reached for their cell phones to capture the moment.
Chiles, who also competed in Tokyo, said about her friend, Biles: “You can definitely tell that she’s a different person from Tokyo than she is now.”
Biles won four golds in Rio – in the team event, all-around, vault and floor exercise – a silver in Tokyo in the team event, and bronze medals in Rio and Tokyo for the balance beam.
Basketball is one of the popular team sports in the Olympics, and few events can match it in terms of public interest. Since its inception, this exciting court sport has drawn attention from all over the world for its exceptional display of athletic ability and teamwork.
The Olympic basketball history has been shaped by legendary triumphs and standout performances, bringing sports legends like Michael Jordan, Lisa Leslie, and the “Dream Team” to the Games.
Basketball continues to bring fans from all around the world together as they excitedly anticipate each quadrennial event, representing rivalry and friendship at the pinnacle of international sport.
Basketball was introduced in the 1936 Berlin Games and has been a mainstay of the Summer Olympics since 1948. In prestige, Olympic basketball rivals the FIBA Basketball World Cup as the best in the world.
Numerous celebrities have graced the Olympic stage, from the illustrious Dream Team of Barcelona 1992 to the NBA’s current heroes. The Americans have dominated the game.
Olympic Basketball Medal Table – Men’s
Rank
Nation
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
United States
16
1
2
19
2
Soviet Union
2
4
3
9
3
Yugoslavia
1
3
1
5
4
Argentina
1
0
1
2
5
Spain
0
3
1
4
6
France
0
3
0
3
7
Italy
0
2
0
2
8=
Canada
0
1
0
1
8=
Croatia
0
1
0
1
8=
Serbia
0
1
0
1
8=
Serbia and Montenegro
0
1
0
1
12=
Brazil
0
0
3
3
12=
Lithuania
0
0
3
3
14
Uruguay
0
0
2
2
15=
Australia
0
0
1
1
15=
Cuba
0
0
1
1
15=
Mexico
0
0
1
1
15-
Russia
0
0
1
1
The United States leads the Olympic men’s basketball competition with an unrivalled 16 gold medals. After decades of amateur basketballers competing in the Olympics, NBA players received official approval to play in the 1992 Barcelona Games, when the legendary “Dream Team” mesmerized the globe by easily winning the competition.
Team USA has dominated men’s basketball at the Summer Olympics, winning gold in every event after being upset by Argentina in the 2004 Athens quarterfinals. Argentina in 2004 became the only other country to win an Olympic gold medal since the American Dream Team victory in 1992.
The Soviet Union won gold in Munich (1972) and Seoul (1988), and Yugoslavia won gold in Moscow (1980) before Team USA began its winning streak. These past triumphs highlight the fierce competition and widespread appeal of Olympic basketball.
