PARIS: The United States pipped China for top spot in the battle of medals on Sunday as Paris brought the curtain down on one of the most successful Olympic Games in history. In a thrilling finale that capped 17 days of spellbinding action, the United States women’s basketball team squeezed past France 67-66 to clinch the last gold of the Games.

The win - the eighth consecutive Olympic women’s basketball won by the USA - ensured the Americans finished level with China on 40 golds each as the games drew to a close. The USA however finished on top of the overall medals table with a total of 126 medals, with China in second place on 91. With the last of the medals handed out, attention turned to Sunday’s closing ceremony spectacular at the Stade de France, as the countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics gets underway.

As the sport ended, attention turned to the closing ceremony and the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years. LA played heavily on its Hollywood star power and rolled out its big guns, including pop star Billie Eilish, rapper Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The worst-kept secret in Paris was that “Top Gun” star Cruise would close the ceremony with a spectacular stunt sequence.

“On August 11, the Olympic Games will be over, and the Olympic flame will be extinguished,” said Thomas Jolly, who masterminded the unique opening ceremony along the River Seine. “That moment will remind us just how precious are these Olympic Games,” added Jolly, whose opening ceremony sparked outrage in some quarters with a scene that appeared to parody the Last Supper. — AFP