On the eve of the last day of the tournament, China shockingly overtook United States of America on the medals table of the 2024 Olympics.
China dominating in table tennis and diving is nothing new, for many it comes with a shrug of the shoulders, but artistic swimming is a new sphere of influence for the would-be-table toppers.
They received a total of 566.4783 points, holding off two teams, Great Britain and the Netherlands, who claimed the first artistic swimming medals for their countries.
The caveat for this new-found area of dominance is that it is likely to last for only as long as Russia, whose athletes have traditionally won this event, is stuck in the international naughty corner.
The former bantamweight and featherweight world champion was utterly dominant in her women’s 57kg final against Poland’s Julia Szeremeta at Roland Garros, with the judges handing out another 5-0 win.
But what might turn out to have been the most important gold of the evening went to China’s Li Qian. Her 4-1 win over Panama’s Atheyna in the 75kg category was not just ground breaking for being a rare women’s boxing title in her country’s Olympic history, it also moved the team onto 39 gold medals overall.
Men’s basketball, of which more in a moment, pulled the USA to 38 – one short of the number of gold they were predicted to win before the Games began.
China, by the way, have won five boxing medals in Paris, three gold and two silver, all of them in the women’s events.
A team including Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant won Olympic gold in the men’s basketball. Captain Renault would be shocked, shocked by this result.
France’s Victor Wembanyama led all scorers with 26 points in a final where the only surprise was the USA not getting to three figures, teammate Guerschon Yabusele also chipped in with 20.
Golden State Warriors superstar Curry was the best US performer with 24, with, surprise, surprise, all his points coming from three-pointers. One trick pony if you ask me.
Durant and Devin Booker each added 15, while James had 14 points to go with six rebounds. The USA won 98-87.
If gold No 39 doesn’t come sooner, the USA will win the last one of the Games when the women’s basketball team beat up on Italy on Sunday.
Honestly, it’s been that kind of fortnight, so it was either Swing Out Sister or the Rolling Stones; but while this could have been the last time for breaking at an Olympics, the event definitely broke out of the shadows in Paris.
And whatever your thoughts on the 36-year-old from Australia, who is probably wishing she had a second shot at a routine only a mother could love, plenty of talented dancers did get their moment in the sun.
Even then, I’m not entirely sure watching your mum in a tracksuit spin around on the floor like Homer chasing a doughnut is sport, but what do I know.
Anyway, last night it was those bad B-Boys kicking it with the kids, and gold went to 27-year-old Phil Wizard from Canada. France’s Dany Dan took silver, and the USA’s B-Boy Victor, who now needs a new name, won bronze.
Hamish Kerr’ll make you, jump, jump
Another Olympics, another two seemingly inseparable high jumpers, this time though there was to be no sharing of gold.
Where Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italian Gianmarco Tamberi led, New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr and the USA’s Shelby McEwen refused to follow.
Both men managed bests of 2.36 metres in regular competition, but could not be separated on countback of missed jumps.
They opted for a jump-off, and when McEwen missed his attempt at 2.34m in the jump-off, world indoor champion Kerr had his chance and took it with aplomb, winning a rare athletics gold for his country.
The USA did finish the athletics events on a high though, finding two teams who could pass a baton, as they won both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays.
