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Victor Petkov
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US women’s basketball team wins gold, Team USA on top in medal table
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China left second with equal gold medals, but less silver

The U.S. women’s basketball team’s victory over France was crucial in propelling the United States to the top of the medal standings at the Paris Olympics. Both the United States and China finished the Games with 40 gold medals each, but the U.S. outpaced China in the overall medal tally, largely due to their higher count of silver medals.

The U.S. women’s basketball team narrowly avoided one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history by defeating France 67-66 to secure their eighth consecutive gold medal.

The game was a tense rematch of the men’s final, which the U.S. men’s team had won against France the day before. The women’s final was no less thrilling, with Team USA trailing 53-51 with just five minutes remaining. The French team, buoyed by passionate home support and the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, looked poised to pull off a stunning victory.

LeBron James, who had helped the U.S. men’s team win gold, was also courtside to witness the dramatic showdown. In the closing moments, the U.S. managed to edge ahead, and with the score at 67-64, Gabby Williams of France hit a buzzer-beater. However, her shot was ruled to be just inside the three-point line, making it a two-point basket and leaving France one point short of forcing overtime.

The final medal standings saw the United States with a total of 126 medals, comprised of 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze. China, although matching the U.S. in gold medals, finished with 91 total medals: 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze. Japan claimed third place with 20 gold medals, while Australia and the host nation, France, rounded out the top five with 18 and 16 gold medals, respectively.