PARIS: The United States held off France 67-66 to win an unprecedented eighth successive women’s Olympic basketball gold on Sunday and extend their run of victories at the tournament to 61 games.
A’ja Wilson scored a game-high 21 points for the Americans who won the title for the 10th time overall, surviving a buzzer-beating shot from France’s Gabby Williams.
The hosts needed a three to force overtime in Paris but Williams’ foot was on the three-point line as she let go of the ball, so her shot counted for just two points in a dramatic finale.
“I wish I could put it into words. I don’t think I’ll remember that second half for the next couple of weeks. It’s all a blur right now,” said Wilson, who also registered 13 rebounds and four blocks.
“We were just resilient in what we needed to do.”
Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper both scored 12 points off the bench for the US.
Williams, who led France with 19, admitted she knew her last-gasp shot wasn’t going to be enough.
“I knew straight away it was two points but I was going quickly. It was hard to stop,” she said.
The referees briefly conferred before confirming the game was over.
“I was behind her, so I saw it was a two,” said Copper. “No stress for me — I don’t know about the people on the bench!“
An eighth straight triumph gave the US women the record for most consecutive gold medals in any team sport at the Olympics, breaking a tie with the US men, who won seven basketball titles in a row from 1936 to 1968.
“An absolutely incredible basketball game. Two teams that left it all out there,” said US coach Cheryl Reeve.
“I knew it would be hard, anything easy isn’t worth having. Coming home with gold, I can’t think of anything that would be greater in life than what we just did together.”
For the 42-year-old Diana Taurasi it was a record sixth Olympic gold, moving her one ahead of Sue Bird.
The US women got support from LeBron James, who sat courtside wearing his gold medal and was joined by team-mates Bam Adebayo and Derrick White, after they won the men’s gold by beating France 98-87 in Saturday’s final.
A low-scoring first quarter saw a cold-shooting France muster just nine points, but the US only fared marginally better and led by six after 10 minutes.
Nevada-born Williams, who qualifies to play for France through her mother, trimmed the gap to a point with a three early in the second period before a basket from Valeriane Ayayi tied the game at 20-20.
Marine Fauthoux drained a three from near midcourt with the shot clock expiring to send the Bercy Arena crowd wild, but Napheesa Collier’s putback ensured the teams headed into the break level at 25-25.
France strung together a 10-point run to start the third period before the US hit back to lead 45-43 going into the final quarter, with Plum connecting on a pair of threes.
Wilson belatedly found some rhythm offensively after a difficult first half, but France had an answer each time and went back in front, 51-49, on Marieme Badiane’s layup.
The US nudged back ahead, Wilson getting a kind bounce off the backboard and Plum sinking a pair of free throws to leave them leading by three with two minutes to play.
Williams’ jumper made it a one-point contest before Copper drove to the basket to keep the US on top.
France got the ball back trailing by three with around 45 seconds left, but Fauthoux’s desperate heave under heavy pressure came up well short.
Wilson then made a free throw to extend the lead to four and Plum looked to have clinched the win with a pair of foul shots, but Williams kept France alive with a clutch three.
Copper held her nerve to sink two more free throws for the US to restore their cushion to three.
They needed every point as Williams nearly pulled off a miraculous escape act as the buzzer sounded, only to be denied by a matter of centimeters.
“We shouldn’t let our heads drop because what we did tonight was huge. Everyone’s going to talk about this game for years,” said Williams.
“Of course there’s disappointment but I think in a few hours we’re going to celebrate this medal.”
USA fend off France for eighth successive women’s Olympic basketball gold
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USA fend off France for eighth successive women’s Olympic basketball gold
- A’ja Wilson scored a game-high 21 points for the Americans who won the title for the 10th time overall, surviving a buzzer-beating shot from France’s Gabby Williams
India faces New Zealand in budding rivalry at Champions Trophy final
- New Zealand beat India 3-0 in its own backyard last year, an unprecedented feat
- Spin expected to hold key as both sides lock horns with each other in UAE’s Dubai
India faces New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final Sunday in what can be deemed a new-age rivalry.
While India’s clashes against Pakistan, Australia and England have attracted more attention, this matchup with the Black Caps has slowly been bubbling under the surface.
The 2024-25 season saw this new-age rivalry come to a proper flash point.
New Zealand beat India 3-0 in a test series in its own backyard, a feat never registered before. India went on to lose in Australia. Both series defeats cost India a spot in the World Test Championship final. It has only gained little redemption in reaching the Champions Trophy final here.
Last fall’s test series is vital on another account. Mitchell Santner led New Zealand’s bowling attack with sizzling performances in Pune and Mumbai, as India got stumped against spin at home.
Santner is now the Black Caps’ ODI skipper and has led them to the final — where spin is again expected to hold the key.
The square at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium has progressively slowed down. Australia’s 264 in the first semifinal was the highest first innings’ total here in the Champions Trophy — chased down by India with 11 balls to spare.
When India and New Zealand clashed here in their group game last Sunday, the ball hardly bounced up more than the knee in the second innings. Spin, thus, will play a key role in determining the outcome of this final.
Rohit Sharma started the tournament with three spinners and brought in Varun Chakravarthy with Mohammed Shami and all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the only pace options. It has worked well — Chakravarthy took seven wickets in two games; Indian spinners have picked 14 out of 20 wickets against New Zealand and Australia enroute to the final.
With spin taking precedence on a two-paced surface, certain batters from both sides will hold the spotlight. Virat Kohli (217 runs in four matches) and Kane Williamson (189 runs in four matches) will anchor their sides with strike rotation. Rachin Ravindra (226 runs in three matches) and Shreyas Iyer (195 runs in four matches) have higher strike rates, and their aggression will be key in setting up the innings.
“It could be a 300-run wicket or a 250-one,” Santner said on Saturday. “We have to go in with an open mind and adjust accordingly. There will be periods of sustained pressure on both sides.”
Advantage India?
India did not travel to host country Pakistan for security reasons and played all its group games, the semifinal and now the final too, in Dubai. Pakistan and the ICC didn’t think it best to split India’s games across other venues in the UAE for financial reasons.
Opinion is varied, even within India’s dressing room, if that’s given India an advantage.
“What undue advantage?” asked coach Gautam Gambhir after the semifinal victory over Australia. “We haven’t practiced here even for a day. We have practiced at the ICC Academy (in Dubai). Some people are just perpetual cribbers — they need to grow up.”
Shami, India’s lead pacer with eight wickets in four games, differed: “It definitely helped us because we know the conditions and behavior of the pitch.”
New Zealand, for its part, dominated the Pakistan leg of the Champions Trophy. It knocked out Pakistan and Bangladesh in the group games, and despite tiring journeys to-and-from Dubai, had enough gas in the tank to pummel South Africa in the Lahore semifinal.
“The weather has been a little shock — it jumped up 10 degrees in the last couple days,” Santner said. “We will get a run tonight and it will set us up for tomorrow.”
Roots of the rivalry
Nearly 25 years ago, Chris Cairns’ well-timed century in Nairobi powered New Zealand past India to win the ICC Knock Out Trophy, which later was renamed the Champions Trophy.
It remains the only limited-overs ICC trophy in New Zealand’s cabinet. The Black Caps did add another in 2021 — beating India in the World Test Championship final at Southampton. In between, the Men in Blue were stopped in their tracks at the semifinal stage of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, losing a two-day rain-affected semifinal to New Zealand at Manchester.
There have been a handful of other vital clashes between the two sides — in 2021, New Zealand knocked India out of the T20 World Cup. In 2023, India returned the favor — beating New Zealand in the semifinal at Mumbai, denying them a third straight final appearance in the Cricket World Cup.
India last won the Champions Trophy in 2013 — star players Rohit Sharma and Kohli were part of that winning group. Could it be a potential final ODI outing for the stars, if they manage to overturn the 2023 disappointment of losing to Australia in the final?
“There is no talk about retirement in the dressing room, now,” vice-captain Shubman Gill said. “Last time we could not win the 2023 World Cup. We are determined to win this time.”
Pogacar remounts after fall and charges to Strade Bianche win
- After victory in the Tuscany one-day race in 2022 and 2024, 26-year-old Pogacar now equals Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara’s record of three victories in the Strade Bianche
- Pogacar saw his rear wheel give way and ended up in a ditch after a spectacular spin
SIENA: Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar won the Strade Bianche on Saturday for the third time in his career, after recovering from a fall 50km from the finish.
Pogacar of Team UAE topped the podium by 1min 24sec ahead of Briton Tom Pidcock, with Belgium’s Tim Wellens a further 48sec adrift.
After victory in the Tuscany one-day race in 2022 and 2024, 26-year-old Pogacar now equals Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara’s record of three victories in the Strade Bianche.
“Pretty good race today. The race was super fast. It was a really strong breakaway and our guys did super amazing work in the front,” said Pogacar who completed the 213km race in 5hr 13mins and 58secs.
“We just went fast and it was a really hard race.”
After falling off his bike at a corner on a descent, Pogacar displayed several cuts to his body with blood notably visible on his left shoulder.
“I enjoyed it until I crossed the finish line. Now I’m in adrenaline wear-off and I start to feel a lot of pain,” said the reigning world champion and Tour de France winner.
“Not the best way to win a race, but a win is a win. Let’s hope it’s nothing worse than it looks and all should be fine.
“I went too fast I guess. I know this road very well. I rode it already 20 times in my life,” added Pogacar, who had been leading at the time of his fall.
“For a moment I didn’t know if I was OK. The bike was not working so I had to change the bike.
“I was a bit worried because when you crash the body takes a lot from you. But still I had enough to finish it off.”
Pogacar saw his rear wheel give way and ended up in a ditch after a spectacular spin. But the three-time Tour de France champion quickly got up and resumed the race, with his jersey and shorts ripped.
He then found himself 32 seconds behind Team Q36.5’s Pidcock, but after a change of bike, he finally caught up with the 2023 winner 45km from the finish in Siena, after Pidcock had sportingly stopped to wait for him.
“When he crashed, of course, I carried on. I didn’t know what was happening, but then he was back on his bike, he was coming back, so of course I waited,” said Paris 2024 Olympic mountain bike gold medallist Pidcock.
“He’s a competitor, he’s a world champion, you respect that, you wait, regardless of whether he’s a world champion or not.
“You know, he made a mistake. This is not how you take advantage in a race.”
Pogacar dropped Pidcock at 18.8km thanks to a lightning-fast acceleration on one of the last difficulties, the Colle Pinzuto.
“Of course I wanted to try and win. I think I did a good performance, let’s be honest. I came pretty close,” said Pidcock.
“But he (Pogacar) was still too strong in this last attack of his. I’m happy, but at the same time, of course, disappointed.”
Pogacar will have to put any lingering pain from the fall swiftly behind him as his schedule starts to heat up, with Milan-San Remo two weeks away on March 22.
Alongside Paris-Roubaix, it is one of the two Monuments that the Slovenian has yet to win and is his main objective at the start of this 2025 season.
Dembele hits double as PSG win ahead of Liverpool return
- Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos had PSG 2-0 up in Brittany before Lilian Brassier pulled one back for Rennes
- Dembele netted twice in stoppage time to seal the victory for the visitors
PARIS: Ousmane Dembele scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Liverpool by winning 4-1 away to Rennes in Ligue 1 with a much-changed team on Saturday.
Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos had PSG 2-0 up in Brittany before Lilian Brassier pulled one back for Rennes, but Dembele netted twice in stoppage time to seal the victory for the visitors.
The result allowed the Ligue 1 leaders to maintain their unbeaten record in domestic competition this season.
The Parisians are now a huge 16 points clear at the top before closest challengers Marseille play at home to Lens later.
Luis Enrique’s side were ultimately comfortable winners despite the coach making eight changes to his starting line-up in between the two legs of the Liverpool tie, with the return at Anfield coming up on Tuesday.
“We are in perfect condition to go and take on Liverpool. We have nothing to lose and we will give everything to try to qualify,” for the quarter-finals, said Luis Enrique.
“It was difficult but we put in a serious performance and it gives us lots of hope before going to Liverpool,” the Spaniard added of his team’s display.
Barcola, Joao Neves and Willian Pacho were the only players to keep their places for PSG against Rennes following the 1-0 home loss to Liverpool in the first leg last Wednesday.
Dembele was among the regular starters to be rested at kick-off, but he came off the bench just after the hour mark and the France forward’s double strike moves him onto 20 league goals for the campaign.
The player who began his career at Rennes has now scored 28 times in all competitions this season, including 23 goals in 18 appearances since mid-December.
Rennes came into the game on a run of four wins in five outings to climb up into mid-table after Habib Beye replaced Jorge Sampaoli as coach at the end of January.
However, PSG went in front at Roazhon Park on 27 minutes as Desire Doue, another former Rennes player, quickly took a free-kick just inside the home half and released Barcola to run through and score his 18th goal of the season.
Teenage forward Mohamed Kader Meite almost equalized for Rennes before the break, heading off the crossbar from Adrien Truffert’s cross.
Barcola then turned provider as PSG doubled their lead five minutes after half-time, squaring for Ramos — one of those brought into the starting line-up — to net his 13th this season in all competitions.
Center-back Brassier pulled one back for Rennes shortly after, heading in from close range after a corner had been flicked on.
However, Luis Enrique then sent on the cavalry, with Dembele, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi all coming off the bench for the latter stages.
PSG made sure of the points as Hakimi ran through on goal before unselfishly squaring for Dembele to make it 3-1 in the first minute of stoppage time at the end of the game.
Dembele then fired in his second and PSG’s fourth goal from the edge of the area in the 94th minute.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Lille were 1-0 winners at home to Montpellier in a game that fell in between the two legs of their Champions League last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund.
Jonathan David scored the only goal of the game early in the second half, the Canadian netting his 14th of the campaign in Ligue 1.
Lille are fifth in the table, behind Monaco in fourth on goal difference.
They entertain Dortmund on Wednesday after drawing 1-1 in the first leg in Germany.
‘No advantage’ in playing Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, says Indian coach
- Rohit Sharma’s team to face New Zealand in the title clash today
DUBAI: India playing all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai was a pre-tournament decision and the talk of unfair advantage is baseless, the team’s batting coach has said.
Rohit Sharma’s team face New Zealand in the title clash on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, where India have been unbeaten in four matches.
India refused to tour hosts Pakistan in the eight-nation tournament due to political tensions and were given Dubai as their venue in the United Arab Emirates.
“The draw that happened, it happened before,” batting coach Sitanshu Kotak told reporters. “After India winning four matches, if people feel that there is an advantage, then I don’t know what to say about it.”
The tournament’s tangled schedule, with teams flying in and out of the UAE from Pakistan while India have stayed put, has been hugely controversial.
South Africa batsman David Miller said “it was not an ideal situation” for his team to fly in to Dubai to wait on India’s semifinal opponent and then fly back to Lahore in less than 24 hours.
Even nominal hosts Pakistan had to jump on a jet and fly to Dubai to play India, rather than face them on home soil.
The pitches have been vastly different in the two countries. Pakistan tracks produced big totals, in contrast to the slow and turning decks of the Dubai stadium.
“End of the day, I think in a game, you have to play good cricket every day when you turn up,” the 52-year-old Kotak said. “So the only thing they (critics) may say is that we play here. But that is how the draw is.”
“So nothing else can happen in that. It is not that after coming here, they changed something and we got an advantage,” he added.
India have been the team to beat after they topped Group A, which had New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
They then beat Australia in the first semifinal.
New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, lost the last group game to India by 44 runs before they beat South Africa in the second semifinal in Lahore.
Kotak said the previous result between the two teams will have no bearing on their mindset going into the final.
“That depends how the New Zealand team thinks, but I think we should not think that,” said Kotak. “We should just try and turn up and play a good game of cricket because there is no use thinking about the last match.”
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said they are not too worried about India’s advantage.
“I mean, look, the decision around that’s out of our hands,” said Stead.
“So, it’s not something we worry about too much. India have got to play all their games here in Dubai. But as you said, we have had a game here and we’ll learn very quickly from that experience there as well.”
“And if we’re good enough to beat India on Sunday, then I’m sure we’ll be very, very happy,” he added.
Barcelona game is postponed after a member of their medical staff dies
- Fans were informed of the decision minutes before the game was scheduled to kick off
BARCELONA: Barcelona’s home game against Osasuna has been postponed after the death of a member of Barcelona’s medical staff, the Spanish club said.
Fans were informed of the decision minutes before the game was scheduled to kick off Saturday night in Barcelona at Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.
Barcelona lead La Liga by one point over Atletico Madrid.
The Osasuna game will be rescheduled.
The match was canceled due to the death of the FC Barcelona’s team doctor Carlos Minarro Garcia.
