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The United States wins a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal after beating France.
Kevin Durant led Team USA’s victory over France in the men’s basketball final in Tokyo on Saturday, avenging a first-round loss and winning the nation’s 16th gold in the sport.
France inflicted on the United States their first Olympic loss in basketball since 2004 in the group stage but they could not repeat the feat in the final, falling narrowly 87-82 to Saitama.
NBA All-Star Durant scored a game-high 29 points as the Americans survived late nervous moments.
“You realize, you know, you get the job done, you get the gold medal, you get the trophy, but when you go through that journey, it’s just amazing to be a part of something so special,” said the Brooklyn Nets star who has now won three Olympic gold medals.
The USA team had been slow to start in previous matches, but they kept the pressure on France steadily this time around. But it was 18 turnovers that turned out to be the killing spree for France.
“The details cost us the game for sure,” said France captain Nicolas Batum. “You can’t change that much against this type of team.”
The championship drew the largest crowds to date at these Games in the arena north of Tokyo, with the bottom seat bowl half full of athletes, officials, media and volunteers instead of fans. due to COVID-19 restrictions.
France won their third Olympic silver medal in men’s basketball.
Games debut Slovenia will face Australia in the bronze medal match later on Saturday.
Elsewhere on Saturday, America’s Nelly Korda won gold in the women’s golf course and Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir won the women’s marathon under intense heat in Sapporo.
Six-time US LPGA Tour winner Jessica Korda, daughter of former tennis player Petr, kept her cool on the round to complete a sweep of American golf after Xander Schothele won. male competition.
Jepchirchir, who clocked 2 hours 27 minutes and 20 seconds in hot and humid conditions in Sapporo – the second slowest winning time for a women’s Olympic marathon.
The race, moved from Tokyo to avoid the capital’s summer heat, started an hour earlier as Sapporo was also hit by sweltering conditions.
The marathon was one of the few events where fans were allowed at the Olympics, which mostly took place in front of empty venues due to the risk of coronavirus.
In boxing, former British factory worker Galal Yafai beat Filipino Carlo Paalam in the men’s flyweight final, and Bulgarian Stoyka Krasteva won the women’s flyweight.
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