France, Led by Wembanyama, Aim to Dethrone USA in Olympic Basketball Final
France, led by the towering Victor Wembanyama, are aiming to dethrone the mighty USA in the Olympic basketball final on Saturday as track and field wraps up in Paris. The women’s golf tournament comes to a close, with two-time medallist Lydia Ko and Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux in pole position, while the US take on Marta’s Brazil in the women’s football final.
The star-studded US basketball team, led by LeBron James and Stephen Curry, were made to sweat by Serbia in Thursday’s semi-final before an exhilarating fourth-quarter comeback, with Curry scoring 36 points. The four-time defending champions will be favourites to beat France in a repeat of the gold medal match at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
But James, going for his third Olympic gold, knows it is unlikely to get any easier against the host nation, who can boast NBA Rookie of the Year Wembanyama. “Super competitive. Obviously, this is Wemby’s (Wembanyama’s) first Olympics, but that team has been playing together for quite a while,” he said. “They’ve been feeding off the crowd, so we look forward to that match-up.”
Eight golds are on offer on the final night of track and field action at the Stade de France, while the men’s marathon winds its way through the streets of Paris. Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi shared high jump gold in one of the most memorable moments of the Tokyo Games. But this time both come into the competition with questions over their fitness.
Tamberi was pictured in hospital this week having cited a high temperature and kidney pain, while Barshim appeared to injure his left calf during qualifying. Reigning world champion Tamberi, who has jumped a highest of 2.37 metres in 2024, wants his rival alongside him. “I hope he will be fine by Saturday,” said the Italian. “I need him on the field. I have to be fit myself but I want him to be there in the competition.”
The Stade de France will also witness the men’s 800m and 5,000m finals and the women’s 100m hurdles and 1,500m finals, with the 4x400m relays closing the show. Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge is aiming to become the first athlete to win three back-to-back Olympic marathon titles but faces stiff competition, including from compatriot Benson Kipruto and Uganda’s world champion Victor Kiplangat.
The US football team won four of the first five Olympic women’s titles after the competition was introduced in 1996 but have not taken gold since the London 2012 Games. The team are resurgent under new coach Emma Hayes, the English coach who won a stack of medals during her time as Chelsea boss. They have been inspired on their way to the final by the exciting attacking trio of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman.
The Brazilians will be attempting to make it third time lucky after losing to the same opponents in the Athens final in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008. Brazil great Marta, 38, appearing at her sixth and likely last Olympics, is hoping to sign off with gold to go with her two silver medals. “Marta has changed the game of soccer around the world,” said US star Rodman of Marta, who has spent much of her club career in the United States. “She is such a talented soccer player but also a great human. I have always looked up to her. She has a legacy forever, but we want that gold.”
At Le Golf National, New Zealand’s Ko is on nine under par with one round to go, level with 137th-ranked Metraux, who finished her round in dramatic fashion with an eagle at the 18th. China are chasing one more diving gold to complete a clean sweep of eight, with the men’s 10m platform rounding off the competition.
