PARIS — The U.S. women's basketball team held off France on Sunday to win gold in the final event of the Paris Olympics, and that hardware was needed for the Americans to tie China for the most gold medals with 40.
The U.S. easily won the total medal count with 126. Aside from the 40 gold, the Americans won 42 silver and 44 bronze. «I saw the medal count beforehand, so I knew,» said U.S.
women's coach Cheryl Reeve, who said she thought to herself, «That's what we need — more pressure.» The U.S. lost a bronze medal Sunday when the International Olympic Committee said it was reallocating the bronze given to Jordan Chiles in the women's floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu.
U.S. Olympic officials are appealing. China came in second in the total medal race with 91, winning 27 silver and 24 bronze.