U.S. pips China in Olympic medal table race as Paris readies final curtain

United States edges out China in medal count at Paris Olympics, closing ceremony to feature Hollywood stars.

The United States pipped China for top spot in the battle of medals on Sunday (August 11, 2024) as Paris prepared to bring the curtain 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.

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 on 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.

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.