2016 Summer Olympics: The U.S. dominates Rio Games with 121 medals

Mamadama Bangoura carries the flag of Guinea during the opening ceremony for the Rio Olympics on Aug. 5.

(Sergey Ilnitsky /EPA)

The head of Guinea’s Olympic delegation says two athletes did not return to the West African nation after competing at the Rio Olympics.

Atef Chaloub said Saturday that swimmer Amadou Camara disappeared 48 hours before the team’s scheduled departure. He said Mamadama Bangoura, who competed in judo, also did not return to Guinea, having disappeared after leaving a message saying she wanted to “try her luck” abroad.

A friend of Bangoura’s, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid punishment for failing to stop her from fleeing, said Bangoura was ashamed she didn’t earn a medal and wanted to try “working in a developed country.”

More than a dozen African athletes — including some from Guinea — did not return home after the London Olympics in 2012.

The extent of the property damage Ryan Lochte and three of his fellow U.S. Olympic swimmers caused to a gas station eight days ago might have been exaggerated by Rio de Janeiro police, according to a report by USA Today.

At a news conference Thursday, Fernando Veloso, the head of Rio de Janeiro’s civil police, said the Americans had broken a soap dispenser and mirror inside the restroom. Other reports have said the four also broke a bathroom door.

But one of the U.S. swimmers, Gunnar Bentz, said in a statement Friday that he didn’t see anyone vandalize the bathroom and the only damage caused by the group occurred when Lochte pulled a “loosely attached” advertising sign from a wall.

In examining all available surveillance footage from that night, including one aimed at the restroom doors, USA Today found no evidence the swimmers ever went near the bathroom, after relieving themselves behind the gas station.

A USA Today videographer visited the gas station and found no damage to the soap dispensers, mirrors or door, and none of those items appeared to be new.

The swimmers were eventually held at gunpoint by security guards at the station and were released after paying the equivalent of $50.

Fernando Deluz, a bilingual Brazilian who served as a translator between the swimmers and the security guards, told USA his understanding was the money paid was to cover vandalized property and that the only property that came up during the negotiations was the advertising sign Lochte had pulled down.

Deluz also said that because of the language barrier, the Americans might have believed they were being robbed.

(Patrick Raycraft / Hartford Courant)

On the first Saturday afternoon of the Olympics, NBC’s images of road cycling were so dazzling that the scenes could have been lifted from a travel promotion ad by the Rio de Janeiro tourist board.

The mostly aerial shots that tracked the bikes along the coastline displayed charmingly winding roads, granite peaks, blue-green ocean waves splashing against rocks and houses (some pink) quaintly clinging to hillsides.

Who among us did not consider firing up our laptops to begin researching our next possible vacation destination?

Of course, the bird’s-eye views neglected to capture Rio’s dark side — the slums and the crime, the shoddy transportation system and the pollution. Had our TV sets contained Smell-O-Vision, we might have whiffed the acrid odor that plagues parts of the host city.

Read More

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

He was branded a traitor, an opportunist, a coward. He was ridiculed in his neighborhood, resented in his workplace, mocked by his former fans.

When Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the powerful Golden State Warriors this summer, mere weeks after the Warriors knocked the Thunder out of the playoffs, he was generally described with a single adjective.

Weak.

Nearly two months later and 5,300 miles away, a flag on his chest and a country on his back, Durant changed both the narrative and the adjective Sunday, unleashing a brilliant performance that should provide him with an entirely different shade of moniker.

Gold.

Read More

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

My medal platform of memories is filled by two people and a team that not only successfully defended their titles, but made history doing it.

The bronze goes to judoka Kayla Harrison, who become the first American to win two gold medals in her sport. The silver goes to middleweight boxer Claressa Shields, the first American — male or female — to win two Olympic boxing titles.

And the gold goes to the women’s water polo team, which not only became the first repeat champion in the history of its sport, but did it with a heavy heart after the brother of Coach Adam Krikorian died of a heart attack two days before the Games began.

Despite the grief, Krikorian insisted on coaching in Rio, and after the team beat Italy in the final, his players lined up on the side of the pool and, one by one, draped their goal medals around his neck.

— Kevin Baxter

Read More

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Dark clouds hovered over Maracana Stadium at dusk, with a sudden wind tugging at flags and whipping the Olympic flame.

Then a drenching rain began to fall.

The storm that intruded on Sunday night’s closing ceremony at the Summer Olympics befit a mega-sporting event that, over the last few weeks, had blended spectacle with more than a few glitches and negative headlines.

“A Games in the middle of reality,” Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, had called them.

There were historic performances by some of the world’s greatest athletes, cheered on -- and sometimes booed -- by crowds exhibiting Brazil’s characteristic exuberance.

There were also reports of street crime, logistical gaffes and venue failures suggesting Brazil was not quite ready for prime time.

It was all part of the IOC’s gamble in coming to South America for the first time. The samba dancers and pop musicians who soldiered through Sunday’s inclement weather, and the fireworks that illuminated the gloomy sky at the end, embodied the host city’s determination.

Read More

See the best images from Times photographers Robert Gauthier and Wally Skalij

Fireworks explode during the Rio 2016 closing ceremony.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

10:45 p.m.: That’s all, folks, at least for the official part of the program. Partying might go deep into the night. Thanks, Rio.

10:40 p.m.: A taste of Carnival, some fireworks, some confetti. Athletes dancing with the performers.Exuberant and vibrant ending.

10:25 p.m.: Olympic flame is extinguished. Now, much dancing and merriment.

10:20 p.m.: IOC President Thomas Bach declares the Rio Games closed, calls upon world’s youth to reassemble in Tokyo in four years.

10:16 p.m.: Bach says Rio Olympics will leave a “unique legacy.” Seems to be the say-nothing equivalent of calling someone is ‘nice.’

10:15 p.m.: International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach praises unifying effect of athletes living and competing together at the Games. The scene of the two livid Mongolian wrestling coaches stripping in protest of a bronze-medal match result earlier Sunday and being escorted out by police wasn’t quite in line with that lofty ideal.

10 p.m.: Rio 2016 chief Carlos Arthur Nuzman continues the Olympic spin by saying the rain is coming to celebrate. It looks like it’s actually just making everyone cold.

9:55 p.m.: Tokyo offers a teaser about its Olympics. Looks pretty cool, actually.

9:47 p.m.: Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes booed as he’s introduced.

9:45 p.m.: Now for the flag handover ceremony from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo. Here’s hoping they complete the exchange better than the U.S. men’s 400-meter relay team exchanged the baton.

9:35 p.m.: Coming up soon: a ceremony recognizing the Games’ volunteers -- that workforce was one of the trouble spots for the event in both numbers and training -- then then Olympic flag will be lowered.

9:25 p.m.: Medal ceremony for marathon top three. Way cool.

9:15 p.m.: Now: a tribute to lacemaking. Really. As for the Olympic channel, will it show everything on delay, as NBC did?

9:12 p.m.: Next up: a heart-pounding segment on ... the launch of Olympic channel. At least the athletes have the waves of cold rain to keep them awake.

9:05 p.m.: The athletes have entered. Was wondering if they’d get into the stadium before the next Olympics. Hey, PyeongChang Games are only, what, 18 months away!

8:50 p.m.: Rain really coming down hard. Many athletes wearing ponchos, jackets with hoods.

8:40 p.m.: Inside the Games is reporting that major electrical problems at Maracana Stadium have required the use of generators to keep the show going.

8:35 p.m.: No sign yet of the shirtless Tongan guy from the Opening Ceremony. Did NBC delay his entrance, like it has delayed everything else??

8:30 p.m.: Loads of the big-name U.S. athletes have already departed Rio de Janeiro, including Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps and, uh, Ryan Lochte. Simone Biles, however, is still here and is the U.S. flag-bearer.

8:25 p.m.: Athletes still parading in. Line looks as long as I’m anticipating the airline check-in line will be tomorrow morning at GIG.

8:20 p.m.: ‘Heroes of the Games’--the athletes--enter the stadium. Colorful display.

8:15 p.m.: The closing ceremony is underway on a rainy night in Rio de Janeiro. Maracana Stadium is about two-thirds full, continuing the Games-long problem with empty seats.

The 2016 Summer Olympics come to an today, with the closing ceremony scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Pacific time at Maracana Stadium.

You will not be able to watch it on TV, however, until 7 p.m. on NBC, with coverage scheduled to end at 9:30. So, some things could be edited out for time.

As usual, the closing ceremony will end with the official handover of the Olympic flag to Yuriko Koike, governor of Tokyo, host of the 2020 Games, and the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.

And, no, Ryan Lochte is not expected to be there.

Read More

USA’s Kevin Durant, left, and Jimmy Butler celebrate after winning the gold medal.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

After Kevin Durant made a three-pointer early in the second quarter, he walked back down the court while pounding his fist on his chest and yelling at his teammates on the bench.

Turns out he was just clearing his throat.

It was Durant’s monster second quarter that ended any notion of an upset and put the U.S. on the gold-medal stand for the third consecutive Olympics with a 96-66 victory over Serbia, which surprised in these Olympics by taking the silver.

Durant had 30 points for the game, 18 of those in the second quarter, when he made Carioca Arena I marvel at both his shooting and athleticism and turned an unwatchable game into can’t-miss television before it eventually became a laugher.

Durant won his second gold medal. Veteran forward Carmelo Anthony and Mike Krzyzewski, coaching his last Olympics for Team USA before ceding to Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich, each picked up their third.

The U.S. had a rocky start to the game in the first quarter when Serbia mucked up the proceedings by fouling the Americans in transition and keeping them from developing an offensive rhythm.

The U.S. led 19-15 at the end of the first following a late three-pointer from Durant, who was beginning to catch fire. This team was often criticized for its lack of ball movement and a propensity for too much one-on-one basketball on offense. The thing is, when one of those players is feeling it as Durant was Sunday, even that brand of basketball looks effective.

The U.S. continued to pour it on in the second half, making it a smooth gold-medal game after an Olympics filled with bumps in the road. There were close victories against Serbia, France and Australia in pool play, but this team, though not as dominant over the tournament as some of its predecessors, avoided the embarrassment of coming home with anything less than gold.

USA’s Kyle Snyder celebrates his gold medal over Azerbaijan’s Khetag Goziumov i

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American wrestler Kyle Snyder won gold on Sunday, becoming the youngest Olympic wrestling champion in U.S. history.

The 20-year-old Snyder beat Khetag Goziumov of Azerbaijan, 2-1, for gold at 97 kilograms during the men’s freestyle tournament on Sunday.

Snyder is the second consecutive American wrestler to win Olympic gold in this weight class. Jake Varner, who Snyder beat at the U.S. Olympic team trials in April, won in London four years ago.

The U.S. men’s basketball steps up to podium to receive their gold medals.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Schedule and results from Sunday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.

Basketball (Men)

Gold medal game

United States 96, Serbia 66

Bronze medal game

Spain 89, Australia 88

Boxing

Women’s middleweight gold medal bout

Claressa Shields, United States, d. Nouchka Fontijn, Netherlands, 3-0

Men’s flyweight gold medal bout

Shakhobidin Zoirov, Uzbekistan, d. Mikhail Aloyan, Russia, 3-0

Men’s light-welterweight gold medal match

Tony Victor James Yoka, France, d. Joe Joyce, Britain, 2-1

Men’s super-heavyweight gold medal match

Tony Victor James Yoka, France, d. Joe Joyce, Britain, 2-1

Cycling

Men’s cross-country mountain bike final

Gold--Nino Schurter, Switzerland, 1:33:28

Silver--Jaroslav Kulhavý, Czech Republic, 1:34:18

Bronze--Carlos Coloma Nicolas, Spain, 1:34:51

Handball (Men)

Gold medal match

Denmark 28, France 26

Bronze medal match

Germany 31, Poland 25

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Group final

Gold--Russia, 36.233 points

Silver--Spain, 35.766

Bronze--Bulgaria, 35.766

Track and Field

Men’s marathon

Gold--Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya, 2:08:44

Silver--Feyisa Lilesa, Ethiopia, 2:09:54

Bronze--Galen Rupp, United States, 2:10:05

Volleyball (Men)

Gold medal match

Brazil 3, Italy 0 (25-22, 28-26, 26-24)

Bronze medal match

United States 3, Russia 2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-13)

Wrestling

Men’s freestyle 65 kilograms gold medal match

Soslan Ramonov, Russia, d. Toghrul Asgarov, Azerbaijan, 4-0

Men’s freestyle 97 kilograms gold medal match

Mongolia wrestling coaches take off most of their clothes after wrestler Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran lost his bronze medal match.

(Jack Guez / AFP/Getty Images)

Two Mongolian wrestling coaches stripped in protest Sunday after their wrestler lost the bronze medal match.

The coaches had rushed to the mat in celebration minutes earlier at Carioca Arena, believing Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran had defeated Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov in the 143-pound (65 kg) class. One coach fell to his knees in the center of the mat and appeared to be sobbing.

But the judges awarded the Uzbekistan wrestler a penalty point — and the victory.

The sudden turn of events enraged the Mongolian coaches. One removed his shirt in front of the judges’ table and flexed. The other took off his shirt and pants, wearing only a pair of underwear.

“This was a protest,” one of the coaches, Byambarenchin Bayaraa, said. “There was a problem with the refereeing.

“Three million people in Mongolian waited for this bronze medal and now we have no medal ... 100% of the stadium supported us.”

The coaches piled their clothes on the table. The crowd, meanwhile, roared approval and chanted “Mon-gol-ia! Mon-gol-ia!”

Officials pushed both men off the mat after the display. They eventually put on their clothes before members of Brazil’s National Public Security Force escorted them from the venue as the crowd serenaded them with cheers.

Mandakhnaran, the Mongolian wrestler, remained fully clothed during the incident.

Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa crossed his arms above his head at the finish line

(Olivier Morin / AFP/Getty Images)

Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia was nearing the finish line at the men’s marathon on Sunday morning when he crossed his wrists above his head.

The silver medalist did it again. And once more at the end of an extraordinary news conference -- standing alone and posing for photographers -- in which he explained his show of solidarity with protesters in his homeland, Ethiopia.

He explained that the gesture was in protest of the killing of the Oromo people, saying he stands with the resistance movement, adding that the government was “killing our people.”

Lilesa was asked about the consequences of his protest. He said maybe “they kill me…if not they kill me, they put me in prison.”

Later, it was mentioned that the International Olympic Committee frowned upon political protests/gestures at the Games.

Said Lilesa: “They can’t do anything. It’s my feeling.”

Claressa Shields fights her way to a gold medal over Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Claressa Shields became the first American boxer to earn two Olympic titles Sunday when she won a unanimous-decision victory over Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands in the women’s middleweight final.

Shields dominated the Rio tournament, winning all 12 of her fights. And she may have been at her best in the gold-medal match. After a slow start, she took control of the fight early in the second round, staggering Fontijn with a strong right to the head.

She continued stalking the Dutch fighter in the third round, connecting twice with left jabs and landing another hard right. And rather than protect her big lead in the fourth round, she repeatedly waved her arms, begging Fontijn to come forward and fight.

Fontijn,who lost to Shields in the final of the world championship in May, was cheered Sunday by a huge contingent of orange-clad Dutch athletes and coaches. And she was game, landing a a couple of good punches in the opening two minutes.

The victory ran Shields’ record to 77-1, with her only loss coming before the London Games four years ago. It also closed a successful tournament for the U.S., which got a silver-medal performance from bantamweight Shakur Stevenson and a bronze-medal effort from light-flyweight Nico Hernandez.

The three medals are the most for a U.S. boxing team in the Olympics since 2000, when the Americans won four.

Eliud Kipchoge crosses the finish line.

(Buda Mendes / Getty Images)

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya continued his nearly flawless marathon career, winning the Olympic men’s marathon on Sunday in 2 hours 8 minutes 44 seconds.

Second was Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia and Galen Rupp of the United States took the bronze. Rupp’s 2:10:05 was a personal best. American Jared Ward was sixth, in 2:11:30, also a personal best. Meb Keflezighi of the U.S. was 33rd in 2:16:46.

Rupp was 11 seconds out of second place.

Kipchoge and Lilesa dropped Rupp at the 35-kilometer mark and then Kipchoge put on a patented surge himself and won by a margin of 1 minute 10 seconds.

Heading into Rio, the 31-year-old Kipchoge had lost just once in seven career marathons, at Berlin in 2013. Only three years ago, he moved up to the marathon distance.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Boring? Since when is nearly two hours of pure athletic destruction boring?

Bad for basketball? How can 20 years’ worth of consecutive victories on the world’s biggest stage be bad for basketball?

One of the most consistently dominant teams in the annals of the Olympics stepped on a Rio basketball court Saturday in front of empty seats, feigned yawns and misguided perceptions.

They turned them all into gold, untainted and unselfish gold, poured from the greatest of American sports legacies, decorated across the chests of the greatest American team athletes.

Read More

Bill Hanway, left and Doug Arnot work behind the scenes at the Rio Olympics to try to deliver the Summer Games to L.A. in 2024.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Olympic Stadium comes alive at dusk with fans arriving for the late session, lots of chatter and laughter, everyone eager to watch Usain Bolt in a 200-meter semifinal.

Beneath the stands, in a dank concourse, Doug Arnot and Bill Hanway emerge from a meeting that ran longer than expected. It has been another tough day and they look a bit haggard in their matching purple shirts.

“This is not glamorous,” Arnot says.

They are in Rio as paid consultants to help pitch Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Summer Games.

While Mayor Eric Garcetti and sports agent Casey Wasserman serve as the face of the campaign — schmoozing with International Olympic Committee members at cocktail receptions and private dinners — Arnot and Hanway do the grunt work.

Read More

Matthew Centrowitz of the United States reacts with Nicholas Willis of New Zealand after winning the gold medal in the men’s 1500-meter final.

(Ian Walton / Getty Images)

Medals came from rare and unexpected places for American runners on the last day of the track and field portion of the Rio Games, although they also tapped the reliable gold mine of the women’s 1,600-meter relay for a sixth straight Olympic championship in that event and Allyson Felix’s ninth career medal.

When the evening was over, the U.S. team total stood at 31 with Sunday’s men’s marathon to go, three more than the 2012 U.S. team won in London and the most at a nonboycotted Games since 1956. The breakdown was seven golds and 15 total for the men’s squad, to six goals and 16 for the women.

------------

FOR THE RECORD: An earlier version of a display quote said that the 1,600-meter relay victory was Allyson Felix’s seventh gold medal. It is her sixth Olympic gold.

------------

They did it in spectacular fashion Saturday, with Maryland-born Matt Centrowitz holding off several late challenges to become the first U.S. man to win the Olympic 1,500-meter race since 1908. It was so unlikely an outcome that even he couldn’t believe it.

“Doing my victory lap I literally kept screaming to everyone I know, ‘Are you kidding me?’” said Centrowitz, who said he felt his legs begin to buckle in the last 20 meters but held on to end a plodding race with a fast finish. His time was three minutes and 50 seconds, the slowest winning time in decades.

Read More

(Sergei Grits / Associated Press)

The men decorated with scratches and red marks trickled through a hallway at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium and insisted the past didn’t matter.

Their countries, Croatia and Serbia, share a 150-mile border and a bloody history. They battled in the early 1990s as part of the conflagration ignited by the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. They traded claims of genocide. Their sporting events against each other became about much more than who won or lost and regularly led to unseemly chants, riots, even diplomatic incidents.

On Saturday, they shared a pool in the water polo final at the Rio Games.

“We don’t have any enemies when we play against them,” Serbia’s Gojko Pijetlovic said after his country muscled its way to an 11-7 victory for the gold medal. “We don’t hate anybody. We just play water polo. We play everyone the same.”

Read More

The U.S. women’s 1,600-meter relay team -- Natasha Hastings, from left, Phyllis Francis, Allyson Felix and Courtney Okolo -- celebrate after winning gold on Saturday.

(Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

Medals came from rare and unexpected places for American runners on the last day of the track and field portion of the Rio Games, although they also tapped the reliable gold mine of the women’s 1,600-meter relay for a sixth straight Olympic championship in that event and Allyson Felix’s ninth career medal.

When the evening was over, the U.S. team total stood at 31 with Sunday’s men’s marathon to go, three more than the 2012 U.S. team won in London and the most at a nonboycotted Games since 1956. The breakdown was seven golds and 15 total for the men’s squad, to six goals and 16 for the women.

They did it in spectacular fashion Saturday, with Maryland-born Matt Centrowitz holding off several late challenges to become the first U.S. man to win the Olympic 1,500-meter race since 1908. It was so unlikely an outcome that even he couldn’t believe it.

“Doing my victory lap I literally kept screaming to everyone I know, ‘Are you kidding me?’” said Centrowitz, who said he felt his legs begin to buckle in the last 20 meters but held on to end a plodding race with a fast finish. His time was three minutes and 50 seconds, the slowest winning time in decades.

Read More

When Brazil’s long nightmare finally ended Saturday, the captain of its soccer team dropped to his knees and spread his arms in celebration.

If “Christ the Redeemer” is Rio de Janeiro’s iconic emblem, the image of a kneeling, sobbing Neymar, eyes looking to the heavens, will be how Brazilians remember the city’s Olympics.

The Rio Games have been plagued by crime, polluted water and venue problems. v There were half-empty stadiums, overcrowded streets and little approaching the excitement of past Olympics.

But when Neymar’s penalty kick ended a tiebreaking shootout with Germany on Saturday, it did more than give Brazil its first Olympic soccer title. It also gave the host country something to celebrate.

USA’s women’s basketball team celebratesl after defeating Spain for the gold medal.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

There never was a doubt.

The U.S. women’s basketball team dominated on its way to a sixth consecutive gold medal, clinching the top spot with a 101-72 victory over Spain on Saturday.

The U.S. team didn’t have to sweat on its path to the gold, defeating opponents by an average of 37.3 points over eight games.

Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings each collected their fourth gold medals, joining Lisa Leslie and Teresa Edwards as the only four-time gold medalists in basketball – men or women.

Spain trailed by only three points, 27-24, early in the second quarter when the U.S. broke it open. Taurasi hit a pair of three-pointers as the Americans scored 16 of the next 19 points to take a 43-27 lead.

The lead only increased from there.

Taurasi, who had a stellar Olympics for the U.S., finished with 17 points, making five three-pointers. Maya Moore, also a standout for the Americans, had 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.

American Gwen Jorgensen leads Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig Hug during the running portion of the triathlon on Saturday.

(Quinn Rooney / Getty Images)

As she wobbled along on a flat tire four years ago in London, Gwen Jorgensen promised to turn that heartbreak at Hyde Park into a conquering of Copacabana Beach at the Rio Games.

She crushed both the course and the competition Saturday, giving the U.S. its first Olympic triathlon gold medal by cruising across the finish line in 1 hour, 56 minutes, 16 seconds.

That was 40 seconds ahead of silver medalist Nicola Spirig-Hug of Switzerland, who won gold at the 2012 Games after Jorgensen’s flat tire relegated her to a 38th-place finish.

Vicky Holland outsprinted British teammate Non Stanford for the bronze.

Jorgensen and Spirig-Hug were even until Jorgensen made her move with two kilometers left in the 10-kilometer final leg that followed a steep, 38.5-kilometer bike ride and a one-loop ocean swim.

As she approached the blue carpet, Jorgensen turned to look for Spirig-Hug, who wasn’t even in view around the bend.

Her goal within her grasp, Jorgensen lifted her sunglasses to her head, and that look of dogged determination she’d had since London dissolved into a smile.

After crossing the finish line, she reached down and grabbed the green, gold and blue ribbon and held it high above her head in triumph before breaking down in tears.

She said she was thinking of all the sacrifices, not just hers, but those of coach Jamie Turner and her husband, Patrick Lemieux, who abandoned his pro cycling career to serve as her operations manager .

“I’ve been pretty vocal about my goal for the past four years. After London, I said I wanted to go to Rio and I wanted to win gold,” Jorgensen said. “And for anyone that’s been around me, they know how much my husband, Patrick, has invested. He’s given up his career to support me. And then I also have Jamie Turner, who I’ve been on this four-year journey with, and he’s done so much for me.

“Just thinking about all the investments they’ve put into me and thinking about the four years, it all came down to one day,” Jorgensen said. “And to be able to actually execute on that day is pretty amazing.”

U.S. players celebrate after winning the bronze medal in women’s volleyball on Saturday.

(Michael Reynolds / EPA)

Karch Kiraly’s top-ranked U.S. women’s volleyball team has earned an Olympic bronze medal, hardly the color the Americans planned for when they came to Brazil chasing the program’s first gold in history.

The U.S. topped the Netherlands, 25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 25-19, Saturday, bouncing back for bronze two days after a heartbreaking five-set defeat to Serbia in the semifinals.

After Kim Hill’s ace on match point, the U.S. women fell into an embrace, and Kiraly hugged his coaches and brought his team together for a cheer.

The Netherlands shined in its first Olympics since 1996 in Atlanta, where the team finished fourth and surprised many as the Dutch put women’s volleyball on the map with a gutsy, never-give-up style.

The U.S. women’s basketball team celebrates after beating Spain for the gold medal.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Schedule and results from Saturday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.

Badminton

Men’s singles gold medal match

Chen Long, China, d. Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia, 2-0

Men’s singles bronze medal match

Viktor Axelsen, Denmark, d. Lin Dan, China, 2-1

Basketball (Women)

Gold medal game

United States 101, Spain 72

Bronze medal game

Serbia 70, France 63

Boxing

Women’s flyweight gold medal match

Nicola Adams, Great Britain, d. Sarah Ourahmoune, France, 3-0

Men’s bantamweight gold medal match

Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana, Cuba, d. Shakur Stevenson, United States, 2-1

Men’s middleweight gold medal match

Arlen Lopez, Cuba, d. Bektemir Melikuziev, Uzbekistan, 3-0

Canoe/Kayak

Men’s kayak single 200-meter sprint

Gold--Liam Heath, Great Britain, 35.19 seconds

Silver--Maxime Beaumont, France, 35.36

Bronze--Saul Craviotto Rivero, Spain, 35.66

Bronze--Ronald Rauhe, Germany, 35.66

Men’s canoe double 1,000-meter sprint

Gold--Germany (J. Vandrey and S. Brendel), 3:43.91

Silver--Brazil (I. Queiroz dos Santos and E. Silva), 3:44.81

Bronze--Ukraine (D. Ianchuk and T. Mishchuk), 3:45.94

Women’s kayak four 500-meter sprint

Gold--Hungary (D. Kozák, G. Szabó, K. Fazekas Zur and T. Csipes), 1:31.48

Silver--Germany (S. Kriegerstein, S. Hering, T. Dietze and F. Weber), 1:32.38

Bronze--Belarus (M. Pautaran, M. Makhneva, N. Papok, V. Khudzenka), 1:33.90

Men’s kayak four 1,000-meter sprint

Gold--Germany (M. Rendschmidt, T. Liebscher, M. Gross and M. Hoff), 3:02.14

Silver--Slovakia (T. Linka, D. Myšák, J. Tarr and E. Vlček), 3:05.04

Bronze--Czech Republic (D. Havel, J. Štěrba, J. Dostál and L. Trefil), 3:05.17

Cycling

Women’s cross-country mountain bike final

Gold--Jenny Rissveds, Sweden, 1:30:15

Silver--Maja Włoszczowska, Poland, 1:30:52

Bronze--Catharine Pendrel, Canada, 1:31:41

Diving

Gold--Aisen Chen, China, 585.30

Silver--German Sanchez, Mexico, 532.70

Bronze--David Boudia, United States, 525.25

Golf (Women)

Gold--Inbee Park, South Korea, 268

Silver--Lydia Ko, New Zealand, 273

Bronze--Shanshan Feng, China, 274

Handball (Women)

Gold medal match

Russia 22, France 19

Bronze medal match

Norway 36, Netherlands 26

Modern Pentathlon

Men’s individual

Gold--Alexander Lesun, Russia, 1,479 points (Olympic record)

Silver--Pavlo Tymoshchenko, Ukraine, 1,472

Bronze--Ismael Marcelo Hernandez Uscanga, Mexico, 1,468

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Gold--Margarita Mamun, Russia, 76.483

Silver--Yana Kudryavtseva, Russia, 75.608

Bronze--Ganna Rizatdinova, Ukraine, 73.583

Soccer (Men)

Gold medal match

Brazil 1, Germany 1 (Brazil wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)

Bronze medal match

Nigeria 3, Honduras 2

Taekwondo

Men’s 80 kilogram plus

Gold--Radik Isaev, Azerbaijan, def. Abdoulrazak Issoufou Alfaga, Niger, 6-2

Bronze--Maicon Siqueira, Brazil, def. Mahama Cho, Britain, 5-4

Bronze--Dongmin Cha, South Korea, def. Dmitriy Shokin, Uzbekistan, 4-3

Women’s 67 kilogram plus

Gold--Shuyin Zheng, China, def. Maria del Rosario Espinoza Espinoza, Mexico, 5-1

Bronze--Bianca Walkden, Britain, def. Wiam Dislam, Morocco, 7-1

Bronze--Jackie Galloway, United States, def. Gwladys Epangue, France, 2-1

Track and Field

Men

1,600 relay

Gold--United States (Arman Hall; Lashawn Merritt; Gil Roberts; Tony McQuay), 2:57.30

Silver--Jamaica (Javon Francis; Peter Matthews; Nathon Allen; Fitzroy Dunkley), 2:58.16

Bronze--Bahamas (Chris Brown; Alonzo Russell; Michael Mathieu; Steven Gardiner), 2:58.49

1,500 meters

Gold--Matthew Centrowitz, United States, 3:50.00

Silver--Taoufik Makhloufi, Algeria, 3:50.11

Bronze--Nicholas Willis, New Zealand, 3:50.24

5,000 meters

Gold--Mo Farah, Britain, 13:03.30

Silver--Paul Chelimo, United States, 13:03.90

Bronze--Hagos Gebrhiwet, Ethiopia, 13:04.35

Javelin

Gold--Thomas Rohler, Germany, 90.30 meters

Silver--Julius Yego, Kenya, 88.24

Bronze--Keshom Walcott, Trinidad and Tobago, 85.38

Women

1,600-meter relay

Gold--United States (Allyson Felix; Courtney Okolo; Phyllis Francis; Natasha Hastings), 3:19.06

Silver--Jamaica (Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby; Novlene Williams-Mills; Stephenie Ann McPherson; Shericka Jackson), 3:20.34

Bronze--Britain (Christine Ohuruogu; Emily Diamond; Anyika Onuora; Eilidh Doyle), 3:25.88

800 meters

Gold--Caster Semenya, South Africa, 1:55.28

Silver--Francine Niyonsaba, Burund, 1:56.49

Bronze--Margaret Nyairera Wambui, Kenya, 1:56.89

High Jump

Gold--Ruth Beitia, Spain, 1.97 meters

Silver--Mirela Demireva, Bulgaria, 1.97 meters

Bronze--Blanka Vlasic, Croatia, 1.97 meters

Triathlon

Women’s final

Gold--Gwen Jorgensen, United States, 1:56:16

Silver--Nicola Spirig, Switzerland, 1:56:56

Bronze--Vicky Holland, Great Britain, 1:57:01

Volleyball (Women)

Gold medal match

China d. Serbia, 3-1 (19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-23)

Bronze medal match

United States d. Netherlands, 3-1 (25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 25-19)

Water polo (Men)

Gold medal match

Serbia 11, Croatia 7

Bronze medal match

Italy 12, Montenegro 10

Spain 9, Brazil 8 (seventh place)

Hungary 12, Greece 10

Wrestling

Men

125 kilogram

Gold--Taha Akgul, Turkey, d. Komeil Ghasemi, Iran, 3-1

Bronze--Ibragim Saidov, Belarus, d. Levan Berianidze, Armenia, 3-1

Bronze--Geno Petriashvili, Georgia, d. Tervel Diagniv, United States, 4-0

86 kilogram

Gold--Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Russia, d. Selim Yasar, Turkey, 3-0

Bronze--J’Den Cox, United States, d. Reineris Salas, Cuba, 5-0

Bronze--Sharif Sharifov, Azerbajan, d. Pedro Francisco Ceballos Fuentes, Venezuela, 3-1

American boxer Shakur Stevenson trades punches with Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez during their gold-medal bout Saturday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez won a split-decision victory over Shakur Stevenson in the Olympic bantamweight boxing final Saturday, denying the U.S. its first men’s gold medal in the sport since 2004.

Ramirez, 22, danced into the half-full arena wearing a big smile and gesticulating to the crowd. The 19-year-old Stevenson, meanwhile, was all business.

But Ramirez started quickly and had the U.S. fighter backpedaling early in the opening round.

Stevenson tried to use a long, looping right to create some distance, but Ramirez slipped under it to land several hard, straight heads to the upper body. When the bell sounded at the end of the round, Ramirez smiled and shook his head at Stevenson.

Stevenson recovered to take the second round, going inside in an effort to take the sting away from Ramirez’s combinations. But the Cuban, an Olympic champion four years ago as a flyweight, was simply too quick and polished for Stevenson. And with 30 seconds, left he caught the American near the ropes, unleashing a series of punches. Though none did any damage, the flurry may have been enough to decide the fight.

The silver medal for Stevenson is the highest Olympic prize won by a U.S. male boxer since 2004, when Andre Ward captured the light-heavyweight title. And Claressa Shields’ medal, combined with Nico Hernandez’s bronze in the light flyweight division, make the Rio Olympics the most productive for USA Boxing since Athens, when the U.S. also won two medals.

Saturday’s fight was just the third of the Games for Stevenson — and his first in four days — after Russian Vladimir Nikitin was unable to answer the bell in the quarterfinals because of injury.

Stevenson won his first two bouts by unanimous decision.

Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin and Mike Rodgers of the U.S. 400-meter relay team.

(Peter Klaunzer / EPA)

USA Track and Field’s appeal of the disqualification of the men’s 400-meter relay team has been denied, according to several reports.

The U.S. quartet finished third in the final on Friday but soon afterward was disqualified because of a faulty baton exchange between leadoff runner Mike Rodgers and Justin Gatlin in which Rodgers passed it too early. Jamaica won, followed by Japan. Canada, which had finished fourth, was elevated to third following the U.S. disqualification.

U.S. officials filed a protest with the Jury of Appeals of the International Assn. of Athletics Federations. The rejection of the appeal was first reported by Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated, who cited an official of the IAAF as saying all protests and appeals were rejected, leaving all results to stand. Associated Press also reported the protest had been rejected.

Gwen Jorgensen crosses the finish line.

(Adam Pretty / AFP/Getty Images)

Four seconds is virtually nothing for a gifted runner like Gwen Jorgensen.

Jorgensen was a mere four seconds behind the leader, Mari Rabie of South Africa, in the bike-to-run transition of the women’s Olympic triathlon on Saturday morning.

Just like that Jorgensen erased the lead and surged into first in a matter of seconds. The only runner to stay right with Jorgensen during the 10-kilometer run along the scenic Copacabana course was veteran Nicola Spirig Hug of Switzerland.

The battle between Jorgensen and Spirig Hug came down to Jorgensen pulling away on the final lap. Jorgensen, of St. Paul, Minn., won the first triathlon gold for the United States, beating Spirig Hug by 40 seconds. Overcome by emotion, her smile quickly turned to tears after she crossed the finish line.

The only other medal the U.S. women have won in this event was a bronze by Susan Williams in 2004 in Greece.

For Jorgensen, it was a wildly different experience from London. In 2012, she suffered a flat tire and finished 38th.

This time, misfortune hit another U.S. athlete, Sarah True, who withdrew during the bike section. It appeared she injured her right knee, attempted to resume riding but was forced to quit.

Simone Biles

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Simone Biles will carry the American flag during the closing ceremony for the Summer Olympics on Sunday, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced.

Biles won four gold medals during the gymnastics competition, including the all-around title.

“It’s an incredible honor to be selected as the flag-bearer by my Team USA teammates,” Biles said in a statement. “This experience has been the dream of a lifetime.”

She is the first female gymnast from the U.S. to be selected as a flag-bearer for the opening or closing ceremony.

Jack Conger, left, and Gunnar Bentz are escorted through Miami International Airport after arriving back in the U.S. on Friday.

(Angel Valentin / Getty Images)

Two of the U.S. swimmers involved in the incident with Ryan Lochte at a gas station in Rio early Sunday morning have apologized in separate statements that both assert that Lochte initiated a confrontation with two security guards at the business when he ripped a poster off a wall.

Gunnar Bentz said that the four swimmers -- including Lochte, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen -- stopped at the gas station near Olympic Park and urinated on the side of the building. At that point, Bentz said, Lochte pulled a “framed metal advertisement” off a wall.

Bentz disputed accounts by local police that the swimmers also damaged a restroom.

Two security guards told the swimmers to exit their taxi, Bentz said, and one of the men held up a badge and pulled his gun when Feigen and Conger walked away from the vehicle. The second guard drew his weapon and instructed the swimmers to sit on a sidewalk.

“Again, I cannot speak to his actions, but Ryan stood up and began to yell at the guards,” Bentz said. “After Jack and I both tugged at him in an attempt to get him to sit back down, Ryan and the security guards had a heated verbal exchange, but no physical contact was made.”

Conger recounted a similar scene in his statement.

“Although I cooperated with their requests while there was a heated exchange among others, at one point a weapon was pointed at me,” he said. “Eventually, a man appeared who was able to translate for us, helping to defuse the situation. We paid some money to compensate them for the torn poster and returned to the Village in a different taxi.”

Bentz confirmed the account by local authorities that the swimmers paid the equivalent of about $50 U.S. to resolve the matter before leaving.

Though the gunplay isn’t visible in security footage of the incident made public so far, Bentz said he is “confident video angles have not been shown that would further substantiate my account.”

Bentz and Conger were pulled off their U.S.-bound flight by local authorities earlier this week, then allowed to leave the country 24 hours later after being interviewed by police.

Their statements offered a markedly different tone -- both conciliatory and detailed -- than a three-paragraph apology Lochte issued Friday. He returned to the U.S. on Monday.

“First and foremost, I deeply regret the trouble and embarrassment this event has brought to the people of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro, and the distraction it has caused from the achievements of my fellow Olympians,” Conger said. “This has been an unsettling, humbling and frightening experience. It’s a reminder that all of us, when we travel and especially when we represent the U.S. in the Olympics, are ambassadors for our country and should be on our best behavior.”

Bentz added, “Without question, I am taking away a valuable life lesson from this situation. In everything I do, I am representing my family, my country and my school. I will not take that responsibility lightly.”

Feigen, who remains in Brazil, hasn’t issued a statement. A Rio de Janeiro court said he apologized Friday for his role in the incident.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

It was less than three minutes to play in Friday’s women’s Olympic water polo final when the emotions started to kick in for Adam Krikorian.

No women’s team had ever won consecutive gold medals in the sport, something Krikorian’s team was about to do. No team had ever scored more goals, given up fewer or won by a larger margin than Krikorian’s U.S. team did in its 12-5 rout of Italy.

Yet Krikorian’s emotions had nothing to do with joy or accomplishment. Two days before the opening ceremony of the Rio Games, Krikorian’s brother Blake was found dead in his car at a Northern California beach. The coroner said he had gone paddle boarding and died of a heart attack. He was 48.

“It was hitting me pretty hard at the end of the game. Just thinking about my brother,” the coach said, taking a long pause to compose himself, “thinking about how hard this journey’s been.”

Read More

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

He’s always been third.

As much lovable cartoon character as feared NBA star, his missed free throws as celebrated as his highlight dunks, DeAndre Jordan has spent his career as a giant in a shadow.

Meet D.J., the flying, blocking, board-rattling Olympian.

Read More

(Frank Augstein / Associated Press)

In the climactic scene of the iconic boxing moving “Rocky,” a bloodied and battered Apollo Creed pulls Rocky Balboa close and says, “There ain’t gonna be no rematch.”

But they do meet again.

It’s tough to pass up a rematch. Win once? Maybe you got lucky. Do it again, and no one can question who’s better. That’s why Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier three times. It’s why the Yankees play the Red Sox 19 times each season.

It’s also why Saturday’s Olympic soccer final between host Brazil and World Cup champion Germany has become, for Brazilians, the biggest event of the Rio Games.

Read More

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

For eight seasons with the Clippers, DeAndre Jordan has never even been the most important player on his team.

Which made it fairly breathtaking Friday when he was the most important player in his country ...

Read More