There are precious few days left at the Olympic Games. Drink some extra coffee because we’re getting closer to a gold medal in women’s basketball where Sue Bird and Team USA face Serbia in the semifinals (12:40 a.m. ET). The Americans could be peaking at the right time, so look out.
Speaking of peaking at the right time, the A-Team of April Ross and Alix Klineman capped their Olympic run with a gold medal in beach volleyball, dropping just one set during the entire tournament. Ross and Klineman defeated the Australian duo of Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar 21-15, 21-16.
Americans could win gold medals and both men’s and women’s golf. After Xander Schauffele won the men’s title, Nelly Korda holds a four-shot lead in the women’s tournament. The third round started Thursday evening. A tropical storm has already shortened the tournament to 54 holes, but weather reports looked good for getting in the round.
Here’s all the best action from Tokyo:
A-Team wins a gold
The USA is atop the beach volleyball world again. The A-Team of April Ross and Alix Klineman swept Australia’s duo of Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar 21-15, 21-16 as the U.S. won the gold medal for the fourth time in the past five Olympics.
CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH! 🥇
The A-Team of @AprilRossBeach and @alixklineman is GOLDEN in beach volleyball #TokyoOlympics x @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/zxBfQOtZ6w
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2021
Ross won a silver medal with Jennifer Kessy in 2012, losing to Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings in the final. In 2016, she teamed with Walsh Jennings but ultimately won bronze.
Wow! You did it Ladies, Congratulations! @AprilRossBeach and @alixklineman , you Deserve the Gold! You Brought your “A” Game to the A-team! USA All the Way, you made Us Proud! @NBCOlympics @TeamUSA @usavolleyball @USAVBeach #gold #theAteam
— Mr. T (@MrT) August 6, 2021
Biles returns home
Simone Biles, fresh off winning a silver in the team all-around and bronze in the individual balance beam, returned home to Houston to a rousing welcome.
Simone Biles returns to Houston from Tokyo to a crowd of family, friends and fans at the airport.
One more backflip in store?
Gable Steveson, an NCAA wrestling champion at 285 pounds, will have a chance to win gold in the men’s freestyle at 125kg. He is known for celebrating his victories with a backflip — which is impressive for anyone, let alone a wrestler of his size. Does he have one more celebration in store?
Gable Steveson became NCAA wrestling champion at 285 lbs. Casual backflip. pic.twitter.com/6xZCpD2L4N
— BroBible (@BroBible) March 21, 2021
Nailed it
Details are key — especially when it comes to nails. And some U.S. stars, from Simone Biles to Alex Morgan, represented the red, white and blue on their fingertips.
…Let’s continue this discussion. pic.twitter.com/sUT10IGXRj
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 5, 2021