Day 15 Olympic roundup: New USA dynasty, impressive results for track and hoops
There's a whole lot going on every day at the Tokyo Olympics. Here, we'll keep you up-to-date with everything you need to know.
Olympic story of the day: Team USA's newest dynasty
The U.S. women's water polo team won its third straight gold medal in Tokyo on Saturday, establishing it as the newest dynasty for a nation that has several impressive ones. Henry Bushnell dug into what makes this team a special one, now and for Paris and beyond.
"It’s how many great college sports programs operate, and it’s evident in this team that has been fed by the college system," Bushnell writes. "The culture produces friendships away from the pool, but also intense competition in it. When the team went more than 400 days without a match during the COVID-19 pandemic, players sharpened one another, day after day. And their togetherness pulled one another through, when the days got long and the training droned on."
Women's track puts exclamation mark on massive Games
The U.S. women defined excellence on the track in Tokyo, capping it with a glorious 4x400 gold medal victory that won Allyson Felix her record-breaking 11th medal. Felix is now the winningest track athlete, male or female, in American history.
"The talent and star power of the U.S. quartet was nearly unprecedented," Shalize Manza Young writes from Tokyo. "Felix received the baton from 400-meter hurdles world record holder and gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin and handed off to Dalilah Muhammad, who had the 400 hurdles world record before McLaughlin and won the silver medal here. The anchor was 19-year-old Athing Mu, who won the 800m gold and in June had the fastest 400m leg in NCAA history, 48.85 seconds." The result? A squad that very nearly beat a 33-year-old world record.
Team USA win's men's hoops gold, KD revels in victory
The U.S. men's hoops team had its doubters, and after early exhibition losses, those doubts grew in volume and intensity. But after a brief scare from France, Team USA rolled to victory in the gold medal game, claiming its fourth straight gold. “It's special that we can come together for a common cause,” said Kevin Durant, who won his third Olympic gold hours after agreeing to a megadeal to remain with the Nets. “Because we battle against each other all year. We fight so hard to get this gold ball in the NBA. For us to rise above that and become teammates and brothers for life, against the rest of the world, it's just a huge, huge deal.”
Nelly Korda completes USA golf's gold sweep
At one point, she was in a three-way tie for the lead. On the 18th hole, she was even with a challenger in the grouping in front of her. But world No. 1 Nelly Korda stayed steady at Kasumigaseki Country Club and claimed the gold medal in women's golf. Along with Xander Schauffele's earlier gold last week, Korda's victory means the U.S. has won four of the seven gold medals all time in Olympic golf. She's also the first player, male or female, to win a major and Olympic gold in the same year.
Olympics' conclusion no reason for COVID celebration
The Olympics took place in the midst of a global pandemic, a pandemic that seems to be worsening once again after progress had been made. For the IOC, the Games were an inevitable outcome, regardless of the health consequences. As Hannah Keyser asks, is it possible to learn anything from all this? Could good outcomes result from bad decisions? "Just because the Olympics are almost over doesn’t mean they were a success," Keyser writes. "We 'made it' to the eve of the closing ceremonies because that’s how the passage of time works, not because the circumstances that forced a postponement last year or cast uncertainty over the Games in the lead-up have been resolved."
For BMX rider, Tokyo wreck leads to Paris uncertainty
U.S. BMX rider Connor Fields was a medal favorite heading into Tokyo, with one gold from Rio already on his wall. But a terrible wreck during qualifying left him hospitalized with a brain injury. Once he returned home to Henderson, Nevada, he spoke for the first time publicly about his incident, saying he has no memory of the four to five days after the wreck. He also took to Twitter to rebut the idea that he'll just jump right on his bike for Paris 2024: "Do people realize I nearly died? Brain hemmorage [sic]? No memory.... Maybe I’m not ready to commit to that yet? Can we chill for just a sec? Maybe focus on lunch next week first...." It's a stark reminder that for Olympians, the Olympics don't end when the broadcast does.
Photo of the day
What sorcery is this? Members of Team USA use the force during the group all-around qualification for artistic gymnastics. Grace beyond anything most of us could ever accomplish.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com.
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