After weeks of nonstop action, the Tokyo Olympics are, sadly, drawing to a close.
The final day of competition brought more gold medals for Team USA in women’s basketball and in women’s indoor volleyball.
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Meanwhile, one of the calmest runners you’ll ever see made history in the men’s marathon.
And then the Tokyo Olympics ended with the closing ceremony Sunday at 7 a.m. ET, though you’ll also be able to catch it on primetime later.
1. Team USA claims seventh consecutive gold medal in women’s basketball
Team USA, coached by Philly native and Olympian Dawn Staley, won their seventh-consecutive gold medal in women’s basketball.
It was a tough game against Japan, but Team USA led from the start. After the game, Team USA’s Sue Bird celebrated with her fiance, Team USA soccer player Megan Rapinoe.
2. U.S. women’s volleyball team gets historic win against Brazil
Team USA won its first-ever gold medal in women’s volleyball over Brazil early Sunday.
The U.S. team features Penn State alumnae Micha Hancock, Haleigh Washington and Megan Courtney.
The U.S. women knocked off Serbia to advance to the finals, while Brazil beat South Korea to advance. Brazil gave the Unites States a tough and physical game, which is not a surprise: Brazil won gold in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
3. Kenyan Marathoner Eliud Kipchoge glided to back-to-back gold medals
They call marathon world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya a “Zen master,” and it was easy to see why in the men’s marathon on Saturday. Kipchoge looked calm and comfortable as he became only the third man to win back-to-back gold medals in the marathon.
The feat was last accomplished in 1976 and 1980 by East German Waldemar Cierpinski.
American Galen Rupp came in 8th.
You can watch the whole men’s marathon in a surprisingly short 2 hours and 55 minutes here.
4. Boxers Davis, Torrez Jr. brought home silver medals
No American man has won Olympic gold in boxing since Andre Ward in 2004. On the last day of the Tokyo Olympic Games, Team USA had two fighters attempt to end the drought.
Keyshawn Davis, fighting in the lightweight division, won silver. He lost to Cuban Andy Cruz, the 2019 world champion.
Davis is a professional fighter with a 3-0 boxing record. He also won the silver medal in the 2019 World Championships and the 2019 Pan American Games.
Meanwhile, Richard Torres Jr. took the silver after losing to Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov in super heavyweight boxing.
See the best boxing knockouts from the Tokyo Games here.
Tokyo Olympics conclude with 2021 Closing Ceremony
All things must end and the Tokyo Olympics is no different. The two-week global competition, which was played under unprecedented circumstances and limitations due the COVID-19 pandemic, will come to its natural conclusion on Sunday evening in Japan.
The Tokyo Olympics saw American swimmers Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel dominate in the water, as well as gymnasts Suni Lee and Mykayla Skinner step up to the mat for Simone Biles. And that was just the first week.
During the second week in Tokyo, the United States was equally busy — collecting gold medals in men’s basketball, water polo, golf and the women’s 800m race. As of Saturday morning, Team USA was over the 100-medal threshold for Tokyo – the most medals of any nation competing at this year’s Summer Games – and sat just four gold medals behind China.
Watch the Tokyo Olympics Closing Ceremony in prime time on NBC10.