The United States pipped China for top spot in the battle of medals on Sunday as Paris prepared to bring the curtains down on one of the most successful Olympic Games in history.

In a thrilling finale that capped 17 days of spellbinding action, the United States women's basketball team squeezed past France 67-66 to clinch the last gold of the Games.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/paris-olympics-2024-usa-women-clinch-eight-successive-basketball-gold-in-thrilling-finish-vs-france-749241">Paris Olympics 2024: USA Women clinch eighth successive basketball gold in thrilling finish vs France</a>

The win -- the eighth consecutive Olympic women's basketball won by the USA -- ensured the Americans finished level with China on 40 golds each as the games drew to a close.

The USA, however, finished on top of the overall medal table with a total of 126 medals, with China in second place with 91.

With the last of the medals handed out, attention turned to Sunday's closing ceremony spectacular at the Stade de France, where Hollywood star Tom Cruise is widely rumoured to feature as the countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics gets under way.

<h2>- Marathon magic -</h2>

Sunday's final day began with a gripping women's marathon victory by the Netherlands' long-distance running star Sifan Hassan.

Hassan had taken on what many considered to be a crazy gamble in Paris, competing in the 5,000m, the 10,000m and the marathon -- the last two events just two days apart.

But in a jaw-dropping sprint finish, Hassan overhauled Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa to take gold by three seconds in an Olympic record of 2hr 22min 55sec.

On Friday, she had taken bronze in the 10,000m after coming away with a bronze in the 5,000m.

She fell to the ground on the blue carpet in front of the golden dome of the Invalides memorial complex in the heart of Paris before grabbing a Dutch flag to celebrate an extraordinary achievement.

"It was not easy," said Hassan, 31. "It was so hot, but I was feeling OK. I've never pushed myself through to the finish line as I did today.

"Every moment in the race, I was regretting that I ran the 5,000m and 10,000m. I was telling myself that if I hadn't done that, I would feel great today."&nbsp;

"From the beginning to the end, it was so hard. Every step of the way. I was thinking, 'Why did I do that? What is wrong with me'?"

Wrestling, weightlifting, water polo, volleyball, modern pentathlon, handball, and track cycling were the other sports to crown Olympic champions on the last day.

Hungary's Michelle Gulyas ran and shot to Olympic gold in the modern pentathlon, with home favourite Elodie Clouvel roared on to clinch silver.

In weightlifting, China's jubilant Li Wenwen lifted her coach into the air instead of the bar, having already secured gold.

At the velodrome, Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen surged to the men's keirin for his third gold of the Games, ending British dominance of the event they had won at every Olympics since 2008.

New Zealand's Ellesse Andrews blasted to the women's sprint title to add to her keirin gold, while American cyclist Jennifer Valente won the women's omnium.

In men's water polo, Serbia won their third straight Olympic gold with a 13-11 victory over Croatia at La Defense Arena and pulled their coach into the pool in the celebrations.

<h2>- 'Precious' -</h2>

As the sport ends, attention turns to the closing ceremony and the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years.

LA is expected to play heavily on its Hollywood star power and will roll out its big guns, with pop star Billie Eilish, rapper Snoop Dogg, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers all confirmed.

The worst-kept secret in Paris is that "Top Gun" star Cruise appears poised to close the ceremony with a spectacular stunt sequence.

Cruise is filming the latest episode of the "Mission Impossible" franchise in Europe and has been a regular feature at Olympic events in Paris.

"On August 11, the Olympic Games will be over, and the Olympic flame will be extinguished," said Thomas Jolly, who masterminded the unique opening ceremony along the River Seine.

"That moment will remind us just how precious are these Olympic Games," added Jolly, whose opening ceremony sparked outrage in some quarters with a scene that appeared to parody the Last Supper.

(Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

The United States pipped China for top spot in the battle of medals on Sunday as Paris prepared to bring the curtains down on one of the most successful Olympic Games in history.

The United States pipped China for top spot in the battle of medals on Sunday as Paris prepared to bring the curtains down on one of the most successful Olympic Games in history. In a thrilling finale that capped 17 days of spellbinding action, the United States women's basketball team squeezed past France 67-66 to clinch the last gold of the Games. Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: USA Women clinch eighth successive basketball gold in thrilling finish vs France The win -- the eighth consecutive Olympic women's basketball won by the USA -- ensured the Americans finished level with China on 40 golds each as the games drew to a close. The USA, however, finished on top of the overall medal table with a total of 126 medals, with China in second place with 91. With the last of the medals handed out, attention turned to Sunday's closing ceremony spectacular at the Stade de France, where Hollywood star Tom Cruise is widely rumoured to feature as the countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics gets under way. - Marathon magic - Sunday's final day began with a gripping women's marathon victory by the Netherlands' long-distance running star Sifan Hassan. Hassan had taken on what many considered to be a crazy gamble in Paris, competing in the 5,000m, the 10,000m and the marathon -- the last two events just two days apart. But in a jaw-dropping sprint finish, Hassan overhauled Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa to take gold by three seconds in an Olympic record of 2hr 22min 55sec. On Friday, she had taken bronze in the 10,000m after coming away with a bronze in the 5,000m. She fell to the ground on the blue carpet in front of the golden dome of the Invalides memorial complex in the heart of Paris before grabbing a Dutch flag to celebrate an extraordinary achievement. "It was not easy," said Hassan, 31. "It was so hot, but I was feeling OK. I've never pushed myself through to the finish line as I did today. "Every moment in the race, I was regretting that I ran the 5,000m and 10,000m. I was telling myself that if I hadn't done that, I would feel great today." "From the beginning to the end, it was so hard. Every step of the way. I was thinking, 'Why did I do that? What is wrong with me'?" Wrestling, weightlifting, water polo, volleyball, modern pentathlon, handball, and track cycling were the other sports to crown Olympic champions on the last day. Hungary's Michelle Gulyas ran and shot to Olympic gold in the modern pentathlon, with home favourite Elodie Clouvel roared on to clinch silver. In weightlifting, China's jubilant Li Wenwen lifted her coach into the air instead of the bar, having already secured gold. At the velodrome, Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen surged to the men's keirin for his third gold of the Games, ending British dominance of the event they had won at every Olympics since 2008. New Zealand's Ellesse Andrews blasted to the women's sprint title to add to her keirin gold, while American cyclist Jennifer Valente won the women's omnium. In men's water polo, Serbia won their third straight Olympic gold with a 13-11 victory over Croatia at La Defense Arena and pulled their coach into the pool in the celebrations. - 'Precious' - As the sport ends, attention turns to the closing ceremony and the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years. LA is expected to play heavily on its Hollywood star power and will roll out its big guns, with pop star Billie Eilish, rapper Snoop Dogg, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers all confirmed. The worst-kept secret in Paris is that "Top Gun" star Cruise appears poised to close the ceremony with a spectacular stunt sequence. Cruise is filming the latest episode of the "Mission Impossible" franchise in Europe and has been a regular feature at Olympic events in Paris. "On August 11, the Olympic Games will be over, and the Olympic flame will be extinguished," said Thomas Jolly, who masterminded the unique opening ceremony along the River Seine. "That moment will remind us just how precious are these Olympic Games," added Jolly, whose opening ceremony sparked outrage in some quarters with a scene that appeared to parody the Last Supper. (Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

Paris Olympics 2024: USA edge past China to top medal tally after winning last gold of Summer Games

The United States held off France 67-66 to win an unprecedented eighth successive women's Olympic basketball gold on Sunday and extend their run of victories at the tournament to 61 games.

A'ja Wilson scored a game-high 21 points for the Americans, who won the title for the 10th time overall, surviving a buzzer-beating shot from France's Gabby Williams.

Also Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/paris-olympics-closing-ceremony-security-scare-prompts-evacuation-after-man-climbs-eiffel-tower-watch-749238">Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony: Security scare prompts evacuation after man climbs Eiffel Tower</a>

The hosts needed a three to force overtime in Paris, but Williams' foot was on the three-point line as she let go of the ball, so her shot counted for just two points in a dramatic finale.&nbsp;

"It's all a blur right now," said Wilson, who also registered 13 rebounds and four blocks.

"We were just resilient, and when we needed to, we just kept going."

Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper both scored 12 points off the bench for the US. Williams led France with 19.

An eighth straight triumph gave the US women the record for most consecutive gold medals in any team sport at the Olympics, breaking a tie with the US men, who won seven basketball titles in a row from 1936 to 1968.

"That was an absolutely incredible basketball game. Two teams that left it all out there," said US coach Cheryl Reeve.

"Coming home with gold, I can't think of anything greater in life than what we just did together."

For the 42-year-old Diana Taurasi, it was a record sixth Olympic gold, moving her one ahead of Sue Bird.

The US women got support from LeBron James, who sat courtside wearing his gold medal and was joined by team-mates Bam Adebayo and Derrick White, after they won the men's gold by beating France 98-87 in Saturday's final.&nbsp;

It was the first time in Games history the men's and women's finals featured identical match-ups.

<h2>- Frantic finish -</h2>

A low-scoring first quarter saw a cold-shooting France muster just nine points, but the US only fared marginally better and led by six after 10 minutes.

Nevada-born Williams, who qualifies to play for France through her mother, trimmed the gap to a point with a three early in the second period before a basket from Valeriane Ayayi tied the game at 20-20.

Marine Fauthoux drained a three from near midcourt with the shot clock expiring to send the Bercy Arena crowd wild, but Napheesa Collier's putback ensured the teams headed into the break level at 25-25.

France strung together a 10-point run to start the third period as Fauthoux and Ayayi both nailed threes.

The US hit back to lead 45-43 going into the final quarter, with Plum connecting on a pair of threes, one after Marine Johannes took a nasty blow from Wilson that went unpunished, to France's fury.

Wilson belatedly found some rhythm offensively after a difficult first half, but France had an answer each time and went back in front, 51-49, on Marieme Badiane's layup.

The US nudged back ahead, Wilson getting a kind bounce off the backboard and Plum sinking a pair of free throws to leave them leading by three with two minutes to play.

Williams' jumper made it a one-point contest before Copper drove to the basket to keep the US on top.

A travelling call against Wilson gave the ball back to France with around 45 seconds left, but Fauthoux's desperation three came up well short under pressure from Breanna Stewart.

Wilson then made a free throw to extend the lead to four and Plum looked to have clinched the win with a pair of foul shots, but Williams kept France alive with a clutch three.

Copper held her nerve to sink two more free throws for the US to restore their cushion to three.&nbsp;

They needed every point as Williams nearly pulled off a miraculous escape act as the buzzer sounded, only to be denied by a matter of centimetres.

(Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

The United States held off France 67-66 to win an unprecedented eighth successive women's Olympic basketball gold on Sunday and extend their run of victories at the tournament to 61 games.

The United States held off France 67-66 to win an unprecedented eighth successive women's Olympic basketball gold on Sunday and extend their run of victories at the tournament to 61 games. A'ja Wilson scored a game-high 21 points for the Americans, who won the title for the 10th time overall, surviving a buzzer-beating shot from France's Gabby Williams. Also Watch: Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony: Security scare prompts evacuation after man climbs Eiffel Tower The hosts needed a three to force overtime in Paris, but Williams' foot was on the three-point line as she let go of the ball, so her shot counted for just two points in a dramatic finale. "It's all a blur right now," said Wilson, who also registered 13 rebounds and four blocks. "We were just resilient, and when we needed to, we just kept going." Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper both scored 12 points off the bench for the US. Williams led France with 19. An eighth straight triumph gave the US women the record for most consecutive gold medals in any team sport at the Olympics, breaking a tie with the US men, who won seven basketball titles in a row from 1936 to 1968. "That was an absolutely incredible basketball game. Two teams that left it all out there," said US coach Cheryl Reeve. "Coming home with gold, I can't think of anything greater in life than what we just did together." For the 42-year-old Diana Taurasi, it was a record sixth Olympic gold, moving her one ahead of Sue Bird. The US women got support from LeBron James, who sat courtside wearing his gold medal and was joined by team-mates Bam Adebayo and Derrick White, after they won the men's gold by beating France 98-87 in Saturday's final. It was the first time in Games history the men's and women's finals featured identical match-ups. - Frantic finish - A low-scoring first quarter saw a cold-shooting France muster just nine points, but the US only fared marginally better and led by six after 10 minutes. Nevada-born Williams, who qualifies to play for France through her mother, trimmed the gap to a point with a three early in the second period before a basket from Valeriane Ayayi tied the game at 20-20. Marine Fauthoux drained a three from near midcourt with the shot clock expiring to send the Bercy Arena crowd wild, but Napheesa Collier's putback ensured the teams headed into the break level at 25-25. France strung together a 10-point run to start the third period as Fauthoux and Ayayi both nailed threes. The US hit back to lead 45-43 going into the final quarter, with Plum connecting on a pair of threes, one after Marine Johannes took a nasty blow from Wilson that went unpunished, to France's fury. Wilson belatedly found some rhythm offensively after a difficult first half, but France had an answer each time and went back in front, 51-49, on Marieme Badiane's layup. The US nudged back ahead, Wilson getting a kind bounce off the backboard and Plum sinking a pair of free throws to leave them leading by three with two minutes to play. Williams' jumper made it a one-point contest before Copper drove to the basket to keep the US on top. A travelling call against Wilson gave the ball back to France with around 45 seconds left, but Fauthoux's desperation three came up well short under pressure from Breanna Stewart. Wilson then made a free throw to extend the lead to four and Plum looked to have clinched the win with a pair of foul shots, but Williams kept France alive with a clutch three. Copper held her nerve to sink two more free throws for the US to restore their cushion to three. They needed every point as Williams nearly pulled off a miraculous escape act as the buzzer sounded, only to be denied by a matter of centimetres. (Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

Paris Olympics 2024: USA Women clinch eighth successive basketball gold in thrilling finish vs France

US&nbsp;basketball star Brittney Griner has been released in a prisoner swap with Russia's Viktor Bout,&nbsp;a former arms dealer, on Wednesday. As per a joint UAE-Saudi statement, the release of the US&nbsp;basketball star was led by mediation involving The United Arab Emirates president and Saudi crown prince.

US President Biden also tweeted about her return and said, "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home."&nbsp;

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Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. 
 
She is safe. 
She is on a plane. 
She is on her way home. <a href="https://t.co/FmHgfzrcDT">pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT</a>
— President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1600841306560937986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Griner from the Oval Office, a U.S. official said, adding that the call included Griner's wife, Cherelle. The White House released a photo of the telephone call as well.&nbsp;Speaking shortly after Griner was released, Biden in an address at the White House said that he was “glad to be able to say Brittney is in good spirits”,&nbsp;and was looking forward to getting home.&nbsp; 
 
For Griner’s release, the U.S. president ordered notorious arms dealer Victor Bout to be freed and returned to Russia. Biden signed the commutation order cutting short Bout’s 25-year federal prison sentence.&nbsp;The Griner-for-Bout exchange leaves retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia. Whelan, convicted on espionage charges that the U.S. terms false, has been in Russian custody for nearly four years.&nbsp; 
 
“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Biden said, adding “we will never give up” on securing his release.

Meanwhile, the brother of 52-year-old Whelan&nbsp;praised the Biden administration for its successful efforts to free Brittney Griner. He, however, called his brother's continued detention "a catastrophe".

"I am so glad that Brittney Griner is on her way home," David Whelan wrote. "As the family member of a Russian hostage, I can literally only imagine the joy she will have, being reunited with her loved ones, and in time for the holidays."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also praised the release of Brittney Griner from Russian detention and said the administration will continue efforts to bring Paul Whelan and other detainees back to the US.

“I am grateful to the State Department team and to our colleagues across the government who worked tirelessly to secure her release. I especially commend Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, who is accompanying Brittney back to the United States, as well as his entire team,”. &nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-receives-massive-boost-as-raheem-sterling-set-to-return-ahead-of-france-last-8-match-fa-541321">England receives massive boost as Raheem Sterling set to return ahead of France last-8 match – FA</a>

32-year-old Griner, a star of the Women's National Basketball Association's Phoenix Mercury, was arrested on February&nbsp;17. Talks to secure her release were complicated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th,&nbsp;and the subsequent deep souring of ties between Washington and Moscow. A two-time Olympic gold medallist, Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport when vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is banned in Russia, were found in her luggage.

She was later sentenced on August&nbsp;4 to nine years in a penal colony on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs. Griner&nbsp;had pleaded guilty and admitted&nbsp;she had made an 'honest mistake'&nbsp;and that she had not meant to break the law. In November, she was taken to a penal colony in the Russian region of Mordovia to serve her prison sentence.

While she is on her way, a lot of her teammates are posting tweets for her,&nbsp;welcoming her. Here is what they wrote -

"My best friend is on the way Home!!!!! I love you BG!!!" Emma Cannon, who plays for the Indiana Fever and was previously on Griner's Phoenix Mercury, wrote on Twitter.

"Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive," her Phoenix Mercury teammate Brianna Turner tweeted.

The WNBA and its men's counterpart, the National Basketball Association (NBA), had advocated for the release of the eight-times All-Star.

"BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!!" tweeted twice WNBA champion and finals MVP Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm, who was among the league's vocal advocates for her release.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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&nbsp;

US basketball star Brittney Griner has been released in a prisoner swap with Russia's Viktor Bout, a former arms dealer, on Wednesday. As per a joint UAE-Saudi statement, the release of the US basketball star was led by mediation involving The United Arab Emirates president and Saudi crown prince.

US basketball star Brittney Griner has been released in a prisoner swap with Russia's Viktor Bout, a former arms dealer, on Wednesday. As per a joint UAE-Saudi statement, the release of the US basketball star was led by mediation involving The United Arab Emirates president and Saudi crown prince. US President Biden also tweeted about her return and said, "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home." Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT — President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022 × Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Griner from the Oval Office, a U.S. official said, adding that the call included Griner's wife, Cherelle. The White House released a photo of the telephone call as well. Speaking shortly after Griner was released, Biden in an address at the White House said that he was “glad to be able to say Brittney is in good spirits”, and was looking forward to getting home. For Griner’s release, the U.S. president ordered notorious arms dealer Victor Bout to be freed and returned to Russia. Biden signed the commutation order cutting short Bout’s 25-year federal prison sentence. The Griner-for-Bout exchange leaves retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia. Whelan, convicted on espionage charges that the U.S. terms false, has been in Russian custody for nearly four years. “We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Biden said, adding “we will never give up” on securing his release. Meanwhile, the brother of 52-year-old Whelan praised the Biden administration for its successful efforts to free Brittney Griner. He, however, called his brother's continued detention "a catastrophe". "I am so glad that Brittney Griner is on her way home," David Whelan wrote. "As the family member of a Russian hostage, I can literally only imagine the joy she will have, being reunited with her loved ones, and in time for the holidays." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also praised the release of Brittney Griner from Russian detention and said the administration will continue efforts to bring Paul Whelan and other detainees back to the US. “I am grateful to the State Department team and to our colleagues across the government who worked tirelessly to secure her release. I especially commend Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, who is accompanying Brittney back to the United States, as well as his entire team,”. ALSO READ: England receives massive boost as Raheem Sterling set to return ahead of France last-8 match – FA 32-year-old Griner, a star of the Women's National Basketball Association's Phoenix Mercury, was arrested on February 17. Talks to secure her release were complicated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, and the subsequent deep souring of ties between Washington and Moscow. A two-time Olympic gold medallist, Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport when vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is banned in Russia, were found in her luggage. She was later sentenced on August 4 to nine years in a penal colony on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs. Griner had pleaded guilty and admitted she had made an 'honest mistake' and that she had not meant to break the law. In November, she was taken to a penal colony in the Russian region of Mordovia to serve her prison sentence. While she is on her way, a lot of her teammates are posting tweets for her, welcoming her. Here is what they wrote - "My best friend is on the way Home!!!!! I love you BG!!!" Emma Cannon, who plays for the Indiana Fever and was previously on Griner's Phoenix Mercury, wrote on Twitter. "Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive," her Phoenix Mercury teammate Brianna Turner tweeted. The WNBA and its men's counterpart, the National Basketball Association (NBA), had advocated for the release of the eight-times All-Star. "BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!!" tweeted twice WNBA champion and finals MVP Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm, who was among the league's vocal advocates for her release. (With inputs from Reuters) ×

Brittany Griner freed for Russian arms dealer in mediation led by UAE president, Saudi crown prince