August 10, 2024, Olympics news and results | CNN

August 10, 2024, Olympics news and results

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In pictures: US men defeat France in basketball final

A star-studded US men’s basketball team beat France on Saturday 98-87 in a thrilling matchup. It is the team’s fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal.

Check out photos from the game:

Team USA’s LeBron James dunks during the first quarter of the game against France on Saturday, August 10.
Anthony Edwards of Team USA drives past France’s Isaia Cordinier.
France’s Victor Wembanyama reacts during the game.
James takes a shot.
Fans cheer on Team USA.
Team USA’s Jayson Tatum drives past Guerschon Yabusele and Nando de Colo of France.
James celebrates with Bam Adebayo. Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Curry shoots in the final minutes.
Curry celebrates a three-point basket at the end of the game.

US victories and more records shattered: Here are the highlights from a thrilling day of action in Paris

We’ve been treated to quite the spectacle at the 2024 Olympic Games this evening — and it has been a particularly good night in Paris for the US.

Here are some key takeaways from the penultimate day of the Summer Games:

“Re-Dream Team” takes gold: Golden State Warriors legend Steph Curry led the way as the superstar-powered Team USA won its fifth consecutive gold medal. Curry had an incredible closing minute in his first — and he says only — Olympic Games. The US beat a tough French team that pulled out all the stops in front of a raucous home crowd in Paris.

USWNT back on top: The US women’s soccer team beat Brazil 1-0 in the final to reclaim the gold medal it last won in London 2012. Mallory Swanson’s goal and some clutch saves from US keeper Alyssa Naeher made the difference in the second half, as Brazil legend Marta now retires with three silver medals to her name, but no elusive gold.

Big night for track and field: It was the last night of the stadium program for athletics at the Paris Games, and it did not disappoint:

  • The US swept the men’s and women’s 4x400-meter relays, but the golden double played out as a tale of two races. American anchor Rai Benjamin, the 400-meter hurdles champion, narrowly held off a late charge from 200-meter champion Letsile Tebogo down the final straight to win a thrilling race by a tenth of a second. The US women, by contrast, blew away the field. The quartet of Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes finished 50 meters ahead of the Netherlands.
  • There was a thrilling finish to the men’s high jump title as New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr and Shelby McEwen of the US turned down the chance to share gold, as Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi famously did in Tokyo. After both clearing 2.36m and then failing 2.38m three times, Kerr ended up taking gold after winning in the jump-off with 2.34m.
  • Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon went where no Olympian in history had gone before by winning her third straight 1,500-meter Olympic title and breaking her own Olympic record in the process.

New Olympic event: There were more dance battles and medals handed out in the debuting event of breaking, with the wonderfully named Phil Wizard working his magic to win the gold medal for Canada, beating home favorite Dany Dann in the final.

Sweeps for China: The Chinese women’s table tennis team beat Japan to complete a clean sweep of all the event’s gold medals on offer in Paris. It means China has only missed out on two gold medals since table tennis was introduced at Seoul 1988.

Earlier on Saturday, China began its golden day by also completing the clean sweep in diving, as Yuan Cao won the men’s 10-meter platform title. China won all eight gold medals available in Paris — a staggering total.

Marathon history: In the men’s marathon, the opening event of the day, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola set a new Olympic record time of 2:06:26 to take the title by 21 seconds.

Women’s golf final: New Zealand star Lydia Ko claimed the women’s golf gold medal after finishing on 10-under par, two shots clear of Esther Henseleit of Germany in silver. Ko adds Olympic gold to the two major titles she won in 2015 and 2016.

Heartbreak for the French after defeat in the gold medal men's basketball game

France's Victor Wembanyama reacts after his team's loss to Team USA.

The French team looks absolutely shattered on the sidelines.

Victor Wembanyana, the reigning NBA rookie of the year, appears to be in tears and getting a pep talk from a teammate. Other players are simply standing on the floor, staring off into space.

The French fans are cheering their team after what was truly an incredible week for them here in Paris. The defeat of Canada on Tuesday in the quarterfinals and the win over Germany in the semifinals had the French rightly believing that they could top this ultra-talented US team.

In the end, it took a superhuman effort from Steph Curry to finally put them away. It’s a silver medal well-earned, and it certainly does not appear that any of the fans here at the Bercy Arena are upset with their players.

Team USA wins the gold medal in men's basketball, defeating France in a thriller

Steph Curry has just delivered the gold medal to Team USA with an incredible closing minute in his Olympic final debut.

Curry hit four absolute dagger threes in the final two minutes to finally put a spirited French team away.

What an incredible finish for the Golden State Warriors star, who is finally playing in his first Olympics at age 36. He hit vintage Curry shots, including one that was as pure a heat-check as one could imagine.

The French fans in the Bercy Arena made a noise that was somewhere between heartbreak, disbelief, admiration and shock as that looping shot fell, and the outcome was written.

It’s the fifth straight gold medal in the Olympics for Team USA. The final score is 98-87.

It's the Steph Curry show in Paris! A trio of massive shots puts the US up 9 with a minute to go

Steph Curry of Team USA celebrates a bucket.

Steph Curry is going off in Paris!

Three straight US possessions, three straight threes from the best to ever do it from long range, who is playing in his first — and he says only — Olympics.

The US lead is nine with a minute to go.

Steph Curry hits a massive 3 to restore US lead after France pulled within 1 score

The French are mounting the late run we said they’d need earlier. But Steph Curry was ready to answer.

The arena here was going wild as the French pulled within three points after a spell of sloppy play by Team USA. But as the Americans came back down the floor, Curry got the ball at the top of the key and absolutely buried it.

It’s a blow to the French fans here, who were on the verge of bedlam. With a quick stop and then a French foul, Team USA restores its lead to eight points, 87-79 with just 2:22 to go.

France trying to stick with the US halfway through the fourth quarter in men's basketball final

Frances's Bilal Coulibaly, Devin Booker of Team USA, Guerschon Yabusele of France and the United States' Bam Adebayo battle for possession.

The French team is hanging around, but they just can’t get closer to the US.

With 4:46 to go in the fourth, it’s now 82-74 in favor of Team USA, and the French haven’t managed to narrow the gap more than the six-point deficit they faced at the end of the third.

The game is getting scrappy now, with both teams committing turnovers, and the frustration in the Paris crowd is building with every French missed opportunity.

If there was a time for the French to have one last run in this tournament on home turf, it’s now.

France narrows US lead to 6 as we head toward a tense fourth quarter in the men's basketball final

French fans cheer during the game.

And as we turn toward the fourth quarter, Bercy Arena is all the way back alive.

With a goaltending call on American superstar Kevin Durant, France cuts the US lead to 72-66 as the clock expires on the third quarter.

The crowd goes nuts as “Freed From Desire” once again plays at these Olympic games. The crowd is dancing and tricolore flags are waving all around the arena. Fans are dancing and singing along to the unofficial anthem of Paris 2024.

It doesn’t appear the French are going to let the Americans walk away with this one. We’re in for a fight down the stretch here.

French legend Tony Parker reveals who he thinks should get the ball with game on the line

French legend Tony Parker speaks with CNN's Coy Wire.

With the France vs. US men’s basketball final looking like it will remain tight until the final minutes, CNN caught up with French legend Tony Parker at halftime.

Parker revealed who each team would want to have the ball in their hands if the game comes down to the final seconds: “Wemby if it’s France,” he said, referring to Victor Wembanyama, the reigning NBA rookie of the year.

He laughed as he gave his analysis regarding the stacked Team USA’s best option, saying, “I’ll go with LeBron James for the US, because he’s either going to score, or he’ll make the right pass to find (Kevin Durant) or Steph Curry, the next two you want to have the ball.”

Ahead of the Games, Airbnb, a worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, launched a program that made 1,600 seats bookable for free on its platform, allowing fans to attend various competitions with 24 different star athletes in their respective sports. Parker is participating in the program tonight at the men’s basketball gold medal game.

France makes their run, cutting US lead in half as third quarter winds down

Well, here comes the French run.

Suddenly, the American lead in the men’s basketball final has been cut in half. The US offense that only minutes ago looked unstoppable is faltering. A couple of turnovers and some big shots later, the French have cut the American lead to 68-61 with two minutes to play in the third quarter.

The crowd here is getting back into the game with every steal, and the French are throwing everything they have at Team USA right now.

The question remains: Do they have enough to run with the Americans for another 10 minutes as we go into the final quarter?

Timeout France as Team USA is threatening to run away with the men's basketball final

France's Victor Wembanyama defends LeBron James on Saturday.

The talent of Team USA is just overpowering France right now and turning down the volume of this once-rowdy arena.

The American lead is now 14, 61-47, after Steph Curry hits another three to give him 12 points tonight. The combination of Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant is just playing liquid basketball at the moment. They are rolling through what’s proven to be a very capable French defense.

It’s crunch time for France already. They need to respond to this Team USA run, or else this game might get away from them.

Steph Curry shoots.

Second half in men's basketball final begins with Team USA just 20 minutes away from gold

The second half is underway with Team USA leading France by eight here at the Bercy Arena.

Two 10-minute quarters, the French defense and thousands of screaming French fans are all that stand between the collection of NBA superstars and a fifth straight gold medal.

Kevin Durant opens the second half with a bucket, and the lead is double digits once again.

France hits a buzzer beater at the end of the half to cut the US lead to 8 in men's basketball final

Guerschon Yabusele has been the star of this tournament for the French, and he’s going to need to ascend to even greater heights to keep his team in this men’s basketball gold medal game.

So far, he’s seemed up to the task.

Yabusele, who plays for Real Madrid in Spain, has 15 points, capped off by a layup as time expired going into halftime. Team USA leads at halftime, 49-41.

It’s been a back-and-forth game of runs by both teams through the first 20 minutes. Team USA’s tournament has been characterized by massive streaks that blow opponents away with the arsenal of offensive talent head coach Steve Kerr can run out. But so far, France’s defense simply hasn’t allowed that to happen.

The French have not failed to answer an American run with one of their own so far in this game. They’ll need to find a way to stymie Team USA’s fast break though; the Americans have 20 points on the break so far, with five steals helping that cause.

The lead has changed 10 times so far in this game. If France can make another run early in the third quarter, then we could be headed for an all-timer down the stretch here at the Bercy Arena.

US opens up a double-digit lead with stifling defense and big stars hitting big shots

Team USA’s lead is now 10, after Devin Booker completed another old-fashioned three-point play from the free throw line.

The last passage of play has been sumptuous for American fans. Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant have just been making play after play and hitting big shots to pace the Americans to the biggest lead in this game.

The French crowd still isn’t out of this one. When Guerschon Yabusele dunked over James and drew a foul in the process, the crowd exploded.

It’ll be an important close to the half here for the French.

LeBron James does LeBron James things to put the US back up by 6

LeBron James challenges France's Victor Wembanyama on Saturday.

LeBron James just saw his opening and took it with trademark force.

James brought the ball up the court for Team USA and started a drive to the right side of the hoop. When the French defense collapsed in on him, the NBA legend simply spun and laid the ball high off the top of the glass for a bucket, getting fouled in the process.

He sinks the ensuing free throw and the US is up 37-31, just like that.

In the stands: French legend Tony Parker, a four-time NBA champion and former captain of the national team is holding court, courtside. 

He’s flanked by other French legends, Teddy Riner and Thierry Henry, and a legend-in-the-making in Léon Marchand. This crowd is loud.

CNN’s Coy Wire contributed to this post.

US calls timeout to stop a run as France takes the lead in gold medal game

Just when it looked like Team USA might be asserting itself on this game, the French have rattled off eight straight points to take a 25-24 lead with 7:10 to go in the second quarter.

The dunk by Bilal Coulibaly brings the Bercy Arena to its feet, and US coach Steve Kerr calls timeout to try and break the run.

The US can’t make anything happen on the next possession and get a shot clock violation. The French fans are loving this.

The men's basketball final looks like it could be a classic after an intense first quarter

Team USA's Devin Booker drives past Frank Ntilikina of France during the first quarter Saturday.

Hopefully we’re about to get three more quarters of that.

It’s 20-15, US over France, after one quarter. This gold medal game looks like it could be a classic. The atmosphere inside Bercy Arena is red-hot, and both teams are playing up to the standard they’re setting.

Team USA withstood the initial emotional wave from the French, but France has similarly not backed down from all the NBA talent that’s clad in blue here.

Neither team is taking a moment off, and each trip down the court is hotly contested. The French have been known for their swarming defense throughout this tournament, but the US has brought it up another level here as well.

The second quarter is underway.

Team USA blows the field away in dominant women's 4x400-meter relay final win

Team USA's Alexis Holmes races to win the women's 4x400-meter relay Saturday.

That was an unbelievable run from the US team!

The quartet of Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes finished a staggering 50 meters clear of the Netherlands in silver medal position.

Their time of 3:15.27 is just 0.1 second outside the 4x400-meter world record, which has stood since 1988.

Dutch track star Femke Bol unsurprisingly ran a brilliant anchor leg to take silver for the Netherlands from Team Great Britain, which finished with bronze. Both second and third place set new national records in a scintillating race that played out far behind the American anchor.

This race was the last stadium event of the track and field program at the Summer Games.

The US went out in style, also winning the men’s 4x400-meter relay. That one wasn’t nearly as comfortable, with the US setting an Olympic record and holding on to defeat Botswana by a tenth of a second.

Team USA is bringing the intensity in first quarter of basketball final

If this collection of superstars was guilty of stumbling out of the gate against Serbia on Thursday night, they are not making the same mistake against the French.

The last few minutes of this quarter have been marked by pressure defense from the Americans and they’ve forced multiple turnovers from the French already. The US had three steals with two minutes to go in the first quarter.

That said, the French are not backing down. Victor Wembanyama has been impressive early with seven points already, including a three that nearly lifted the roof off the Bercy Arena.

It’s 17-13 USA as we near the end of the first here.