>>Closing Ceremony Brings End To Rio Games
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — The curtain has come down on the 2016 Summer Olympics. The Rio Games formally came to an end with the Closing Ceremony Sunday night at Maracana Stadium. A packed house watched a celebration of song and dance that culminated more than two weeks of international competition between athletes from over 200 nations. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach officially declared the Games closed and congratulated Rio on a successful and historic Olympics. The Olympic flag was lowered and handed off to Japan, which will host the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. The transition to Japan was made during a Super Mario themed segment that featured imagery from the popular video game series. The Olympic Cauldron was extinguished during a theatrical rainstorm on stage. The night then ended with a samba party amid a sea of fireworks.
>>U.S. Men’s Basketball Golden Again
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — The U.S. men’s basketball team is bringing home gold from Rio. The Warriors’ Kevin Durant scored 30 points as Team USA beat Serbia 96-66 in Sunday’s gold medal game. The Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins added 13 points and the Warriors’ Klay Thompson tallied 12 for the Americans, who outscored the Serbs 33-14 in the second quarter to open a 52-29 lead at the half. Despite struggling in its final three games of pool play, the U.S. went unbeaten in Rio to win its third consecutive gold medal and extend its Olympic winning streak to 25 games. It also marked the final game as head coach for Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, who is the first to win three Olympic gold medals. Captain Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks is the first male player to win three gold.
>>’Melo Announces Retirement From International Competition
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Team USA captain Carmelo Anthony is riding off into the sunset when it comes to the Olympics. The New York Knicks star announced his retirement from international competition after winning his third gold medal on Sunday. The U.S. men blew out Serbia 96-66 in the gold medal game, making ‘Melo the first American men’s basketball player to win three gold medals. The 32-year-old had seven points and seven rebounds in Sunday’s win. Anthony now retires as the U.S. men’s all-time Olympic scoring leader with 336 points. He also passed David Robinson as Team USA’s all-time leading rebounder.
>>U.S. Women Win Sixth Straight Gold Medal
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — The U.S. women’s basketball team is celebrating its sixth straight Olympic gold medal. The Americans slammed Spain 101-72 in the gold medal game in Rio on Saturday. Diana Taurasi and Lindsay Whalen scored 17 points apiece for Team USA, which hasn’t lost a game in Olympic play since 1992. The U.S. is 66-and-3 since beginning play in 1976.
>>Shields Makes U.S. Olympic Boxing History
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Boxer Claressa Shields made U.S. Olympic history. Shields defeated Nouchka Fontijn of The Netherlands in a unanimous decision in the women’s middleweight division. She is the first U.S. fighter to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals. Oliver Kirk won two boxing titles in the same Olympics back in 1904. Shields is only 21 years old. She won gold when women’s boxing debuted in London.
>>American Men’s Volleyball Rallies For Bronze
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — The United States men’s volleyball team is joining the women with a bronze medal at the Rio Games. The U.S. rallied from two sets down to beat Russia in the fifth set and earn the third-place finish. Team USA won 23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-19 15-13. The Americans blew a two-sets-to-one lead against Italy in the semifinals to settle for a spot in the bronze medal match. Host nation Brazil wound up sweeping the Italians for gold.
>>American Rupp Earns Bronze In Men’s Marathon
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — United States runner Galen Rupp is earning bronze in the men’s Olympic marathon. Rupp finished third with a time of two-hours, 10 minutes and five seconds. Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won gold, and Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia took second. Rupp finished fifth in the 10-thousand-meter race earlier in Rio. The 30-year-old became the first American to medal in the men’s marathon since the 2004 Athens Games.
>>USOC: Further Action For Lochte, Teammates
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — The U.S. Olympic Committee says further action is coming regarding the four swimmers and their story of being robbed at gunpoint in Rio. Committee CEO Scott Blackmun says “they let down our athletes” and “they let down Americans.” Brazilian authorities have accused the athletes of lying, and claim they vandalized a gas station bathroom. Swimmer Ryan Lochte accepted full responsibility for the situation on Saturday during an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer.
>>Brazilian Police Seize Passports Of Irish Olympic Officials
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Brazilian police are seizing the passports of Irish Olympic officials. The “Irish Times” reports authorities raided the Olympic Council of Ireland Sunday morning and took control of passports, computers, mobile phones and unused tickets in a rapidly expanding investigation into allegations of an illegal ticketing scam. Rio PD say the raid was linked to the probe into an international ticket promotion ring.
>>U.S. Runs Away With Medal Count
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — It was a runaway for the U.S. atop the medal standings in Rio. American athletes captured 121 medals at the Summer Games, including 46 gold, 37 silver and 38 bronze. That was the most by any nation in all three categories. Of those 121 medals, 33 came in swimming, 32 in track and field and another 12 in gymnastics. China was second with 70 medals, while Great Britain was third with 67. The U.S. won 103 medals in London.
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24/7 News Network/am SPT)
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