Venus is now tied for the most decorated Olympian in tennis of all time with FIVE MEDALS!....Congrats on the Silver!
It's another VICTORY for the volleyball women! They will close out pool play at UNDEFEATED! :aktion033
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Little Madison :aktion033
....Silver medal!
We win the Gold in mixed double.....Jack and Bethanie 
We know who the fastest man is....If he doesn`t someone trip and fall :nohead:
Men's Basketball Players Escape For A Third Straight Game, Defeat France 100-97.
RIO DE JANEIRO -- In a battle of the top two teams in Group A, the U.S. men's basketball team defeated France 100-97 Sunday afternoon, closing out group play with five wins in as many starts.
Klay Thompson led all scorers with 30 points and Kevin Durant scored 17, connecting on all six of his field goal attempts. Kyrie Irving added 10 points and was credited with 12 of the team's 32 assists.
For the second consecutive game, free throws were the difference for the United States, which made 20 of 27 free throw attempts compared to France's 10 makes on 17 tries.
Both teams shot 56 percent from the field, with the U.S. connecting on 35 of 63 attempts and France hitting 41 of 73 tries. France became the first team of the tournament to outrebound the U.S., 35-29.
The tournament now moves to the knockout stage, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
RIO DE JANEIRO -- In a battle of the top two teams in Group A, the U.S. men's basketball team defeated France 100-97 Sunday afternoon, closing out group play with five wins in as many starts.
Klay Thompson led all scorers with 30 points and Kevin Durant scored 17, connecting on all six of his field goal attempts. Kyrie Irving added 10 points and was credited with 12 of the team's 32 assists.
For the second consecutive game, free throws were the difference for the United States, which made 20 of 27 free throw attempts compared to France's 10 makes on 17 tries.
Both teams shot 56 percent from the field, with the U.S. connecting on 35 of 63 attempts and France hitting 41 of 73 tries. France became the first team of the tournament to outrebound the U.S., 35-29.
The tournament now moves to the knockout stage, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
Matt Kuchar Makes Impressive Comeback For Team USA’s First Olympic Golf Medal Since 1904.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Matt Kuchar was the last guy to make the U.S. Olympic Golf Team.
Now the 38-year-old is the first golfer to win an Olympic medal for Team USA in 112 years.
On Rio’s Olympic Golf Course, Kuchar made a heroic run in the fourth round, posting the lowest score to leap four spots up the leaderboard and win the bronze medal.
Kuchar shot 8 under par on the final 18 holes and finished with a 271 total, one stroke behind the 270 of silver medalist Henrik Stenson of Sweden. Great Britain's Justin Rose battled with Stenson down the final stretch, finally clinching the gold medal on the 18th green at 268.
“I’ve never been so proud of a third-place finish in my life,” said Kuchar, who lists three PGA Tour wins and a fifth at Masters among his best tournaments coming into Rio.
“Typically, I would not say that,” he added. “As I was out on the golf course, I was thinking that I stand a real shot of medaling. The overwhelming sense of pride is just remarkable.”
The U.S. is now the only country to have won a medal in men's individual golf at all three Olympic Games it has been held — 1900, 1904, 2016.
The fourth and final round of Olympic golf opened on a hot sunny day in Rio, with little wind. Tied for seventh after Round 3, Kuchar — ranked eighth coming into the Olympic tournament — quickly settled in, making birdies on 5, 6, 8 and 9.
After the ninth hole, he was tied for third with Marcus Fraser of Australia and Thomas Pieters of Belgium. But the American claimed the spot for himself after making an eagle on 10. He then made a key par save on 11.
“I play with the intentions of I’d like to win this tournament, but it doesn’t always go that way,” Kuchar said. “Today, it did. It went my way. As I played along, made some birdies, made an eagle, [I thought], ‘Let’s keep your head down and keep making birdies and see where this may lead.’”
Two more birdies on 15 and 17 solidified his position and led to the Olympic podium.
“I was grinning from ear to ear every time I looked at that leaderboard and saw that he was making birdies, and he was making pars, and he was going to get a medal, as long as he signed his scorecard the right way, he was going to get a medal,” said Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion who went one under par for the day, tying for eighth.
Also competing for Team USA in Rio, Patrick Reed shot the second-lowest final round to jump 25 places and finish in a four-way tie for 11th at 278. And Rickie Fowler shot three over the par-71 course for a 284, tying for 37th place.
The four American golfers — Kuchar, Watson, Fowler and Reed — came to Rio this week and embraced the Olympic Games as if they had been invited to the best party ever. But rather than storm through the Games as brash pro athletes, they were humbled by the experience.
“This is absolutely the thrill of a lifetime,” said Watson. “This is the greatest sporting event I’ve ever been a part of and associated with. I get the Masters for the rest of my life, but it’s just golf. There’s no other events going on. When you talk about a sporting event, this is a dream come true.”
Of the four, Kuchar seemed happiest to be in Rio. Initially out of the top four U.S. athletes in the Olympic rankings, he had secretly crossed his fingers hoping the other Americans ahead of him in the rankings would pull out, so he could have an opportunity to become an Olympian. He then had a great run just before the deadline to sneak inside the top 15, making it possible for him to be named to the team.
He considered it fate to make the team, then fate to win the bronze medal.
“To say you’re an Olympian really is a dream come true,” he said. “Then to make the most of it, to return home with a medal is amazing.”
For Kuchar, who has yet to win a Masters green jacket, his third-place finish at the 2016 Olympic Games earned him the right to don another jacket — something that he realized while watching the men’s doubles bronze-medal tennis match on Friday night.
The golfer was struck by how happy Americans Jack Sock and Steve Johnson were to win the bronze medal in men’s doubles. They said that they were thrilled that they would be able to put on the Nike navy blue and red jacket given to all U.S. Olympians to wear on the podium.
It occurred to Kuchar that he would “really like to put on that jacket and not have it as a keepsake to take home.”
“Now I’ve earned the right to wear this jacket,” he said proudly, with the bronze medal around his neck.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Matt Kuchar was the last guy to make the U.S. Olympic Golf Team.
Now the 38-year-old is the first golfer to win an Olympic medal for Team USA in 112 years.
On Rio’s Olympic Golf Course, Kuchar made a heroic run in the fourth round, posting the lowest score to leap four spots up the leaderboard and win the bronze medal.
Kuchar shot 8 under par on the final 18 holes and finished with a 271 total, one stroke behind the 270 of silver medalist Henrik Stenson of Sweden. Great Britain's Justin Rose battled with Stenson down the final stretch, finally clinching the gold medal on the 18th green at 268.
“I’ve never been so proud of a third-place finish in my life,” said Kuchar, who lists three PGA Tour wins and a fifth at Masters among his best tournaments coming into Rio.
“Typically, I would not say that,” he added. “As I was out on the golf course, I was thinking that I stand a real shot of medaling. The overwhelming sense of pride is just remarkable.”
The U.S. is now the only country to have won a medal in men's individual golf at all three Olympic Games it has been held — 1900, 1904, 2016.
The fourth and final round of Olympic golf opened on a hot sunny day in Rio, with little wind. Tied for seventh after Round 3, Kuchar — ranked eighth coming into the Olympic tournament — quickly settled in, making birdies on 5, 6, 8 and 9.
After the ninth hole, he was tied for third with Marcus Fraser of Australia and Thomas Pieters of Belgium. But the American claimed the spot for himself after making an eagle on 10. He then made a key par save on 11.
“I play with the intentions of I’d like to win this tournament, but it doesn’t always go that way,” Kuchar said. “Today, it did. It went my way. As I played along, made some birdies, made an eagle, [I thought], ‘Let’s keep your head down and keep making birdies and see where this may lead.’”
Two more birdies on 15 and 17 solidified his position and led to the Olympic podium.
“I was grinning from ear to ear every time I looked at that leaderboard and saw that he was making birdies, and he was making pars, and he was going to get a medal, as long as he signed his scorecard the right way, he was going to get a medal,” said Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion who went one under par for the day, tying for eighth.
Also competing for Team USA in Rio, Patrick Reed shot the second-lowest final round to jump 25 places and finish in a four-way tie for 11th at 278. And Rickie Fowler shot three over the par-71 course for a 284, tying for 37th place.
The four American golfers — Kuchar, Watson, Fowler and Reed — came to Rio this week and embraced the Olympic Games as if they had been invited to the best party ever. But rather than storm through the Games as brash pro athletes, they were humbled by the experience.
“This is absolutely the thrill of a lifetime,” said Watson. “This is the greatest sporting event I’ve ever been a part of and associated with. I get the Masters for the rest of my life, but it’s just golf. There’s no other events going on. When you talk about a sporting event, this is a dream come true.”
Of the four, Kuchar seemed happiest to be in Rio. Initially out of the top four U.S. athletes in the Olympic rankings, he had secretly crossed his fingers hoping the other Americans ahead of him in the rankings would pull out, so he could have an opportunity to become an Olympian. He then had a great run just before the deadline to sneak inside the top 15, making it possible for him to be named to the team.
He considered it fate to make the team, then fate to win the bronze medal.
“To say you’re an Olympian really is a dream come true,” he said. “Then to make the most of it, to return home with a medal is amazing.”
For Kuchar, who has yet to win a Masters green jacket, his third-place finish at the 2016 Olympic Games earned him the right to don another jacket — something that he realized while watching the men’s doubles bronze-medal tennis match on Friday night.
The golfer was struck by how happy Americans Jack Sock and Steve Johnson were to win the bronze medal in men’s doubles. They said that they were thrilled that they would be able to put on the Nike navy blue and red jacket given to all U.S. Olympians to wear on the podium.
It occurred to Kuchar that he would “really like to put on that jacket and not have it as a keepsake to take home.”
“Now I’ve earned the right to wear this jacket,” he said proudly, with the bronze medal around his neck.
Mattek-Sands/Sock Win Mixed Doubles Gold As Venus Williams Earns Fifth Olympic Medal.
RIO DE JANEIRO – The day was supposed to belong to Venus Williams, but American teammates Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock had other ideas.
In the mixed doubles final, Mattek-Sands/Sock denied Williams a fifth career Olympic gold – and first in mixed – one Team USA duo beating another as Williams and partner Rajeev Ram went down 6-7(3), 6-1, 10-7.
It’s a second medal these Games for Sock, who paired with Steve Johnson for the bronze in men’s doubles earlier in the week, while Mattek-Sands won her first-ever Olympic medal. Both were making their Olympic debuts in Rio.
Williams, 36, however, was playing in her fifth Olympics and seeking a fifth gold medal, having won both singles and doubles (with sister Serena) in Sydney in 2000, then doubles golds in 2008 and 2012 – again with Serena.
Regardless of the loss, Williams becomes the first tennis player in the modern iteration of tennis on the Olympic program – having returned to the Olympics in 1988 – to win five medals of any color, breaking a tie at four with Serena.
“It’s been an amazing experience, five Olympics for me,” Williams told reporters. “It’s surreal every time I think about that I was able to come out with any hardware at all. … It has been beyond my dreams.”
The result capped off a successful, if not strange, week of tennis for the Americans, who saw early losses for world No. 1 Serena, the 2012 London champion, and Venus in singles, as well as in doubles for the sisters, who were the two-time defending Olympic champions.
Madison Keys, 21, finished fourth in the women’s singles event, while Johnson and Sock’s bronze was a bright spot after defending men’s doubles gold medalists Bob and Mike Bryan decided not to play the event. Johnson also made the men’s singles quarterfinals, losing in a third-set tiebreak to defending Olympic champ Andy Murray, who was in the men’s gold-medal match on Sunday.
Ram was a late entrant into the Games because of the Bryans’ withdrawal, and after Venus had gone out in the first round in both the singles and doubles, the two decided to enter mixed together. Saturday they celebrated a come-from-behind semifinal win over India’s Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, two doubles specialists, which assured them both a Rio medal – no matter the color.
Venus jumped up and down on the court, overcome with joy and smiling ear to ear.
On Sunday, they won the first set in a tiebreak having been down a service break twice, Ram hitting a backhand volley winner to close it out in 55 minutes, 7-6(3). But the momentum shifted from there, and Mattek-Sands/Sock cruised through set two to win it 6-1 and then went up 3-0 in the match tiebreak.
Williams/Ram had one more rally in them, going up 6-3 in the breaker (played to 10 points), but then their compatriots turned things around to take a 9-6 lead and winning the match on their second opportunity when Williams netted a backhand.
Mattek-Sands and Sock, both of whom have doubles Grand Slam trophies to their names, dropped their rackets and jumped into each other’s arms. Later Mattek-Sands would tear up as she sang along with the national anthem as they stood on the medal stand.
“This is on the top for me,” said Mattek-Sands, who is 31 and lives in Arizona. “This is my first Olympics. I don’t think it’s even comparable. I’m super proud of myself for my Grand Slam titles, but I think the Olympics is a different category altogether.”
The gold and silver were medals Nos. 24 and 25 for the U.S. in tennis since 1988. Mixed doubles came back to the Olympic program in 2012, having last been contested in 1924.
Will Williams be back at the Olympics? She’s had a storied career, including seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 doubles (all with Serena) to go with those five Olympic medals. Venus – who will be 40 years old when Tokyo 2020 takes place – didn’t necessarily say no – or yes.
“God willing, I imagine if I really wanted to be there I could,” she said. “Tokyo is about if I want to be there and if I want to continue to work this hard. It’s a lot of hard work. I’m going to have to want to do the work. We’ll see.”
Sock, 23, had come to Rio feeling unwell, unable to shake a cough that he had had since Wimbledon. But after exiting in the first round in singles, he won a pair of medals, the only U.S. player to do so in tennis at the Rio Games.
“My expectations coming in were pretty low,” he said. “I was having some pretty major coughing attacks and I went to see my doctor. It showed I had walking pneumonia before I came down here. … Singles didn’t go how I wanted it to, but obviously I closed out the week pretty well. To have these gold medals around our necks, that is pretty special and something I’ll cherish.”
Ram was in Toronto at a tennis event when he found out last minute that he had been added to Team USA for Rio. After losing in men’s doubles with Brian Baker in the second round, he was paired up with Venus, winning three out of four matches.
“I’m happy to have achieved what we did,” said the Indiana native, who is 32.
Lucie Hradecka and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic won the bronze medal. None of the medalists from the 2012 Games took part in the 16-team field, which included standout names like Mirza, Rafael Nadal, Agnieszka Radwanska, Andy Murray and Sam Stosur.
Mattek-Sands and Sock both spoke of not only getting the chance to face Venus on court, as well as being on a team with her and Serena.
“I grew up with them and Jack grew up watching them and we couldn’t be more proud of them as Americans,” said Mattek-Sands. “I think they’ve done so much for the sport and so much for women in general. I don’t see any signs of them slowing down.”
“They’re legends of the game and they’ve done so much for tennis,” Sock added. “It was an incredible experience today. But to come away with the win, that feels really great.”
RIO DE JANEIRO – The day was supposed to belong to Venus Williams, but American teammates Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock had other ideas.
In the mixed doubles final, Mattek-Sands/Sock denied Williams a fifth career Olympic gold – and first in mixed – one Team USA duo beating another as Williams and partner Rajeev Ram went down 6-7(3), 6-1, 10-7.
It’s a second medal these Games for Sock, who paired with Steve Johnson for the bronze in men’s doubles earlier in the week, while Mattek-Sands won her first-ever Olympic medal. Both were making their Olympic debuts in Rio.
Williams, 36, however, was playing in her fifth Olympics and seeking a fifth gold medal, having won both singles and doubles (with sister Serena) in Sydney in 2000, then doubles golds in 2008 and 2012 – again with Serena.
Regardless of the loss, Williams becomes the first tennis player in the modern iteration of tennis on the Olympic program – having returned to the Olympics in 1988 – to win five medals of any color, breaking a tie at four with Serena.
“It’s been an amazing experience, five Olympics for me,” Williams told reporters. “It’s surreal every time I think about that I was able to come out with any hardware at all. … It has been beyond my dreams.”
The result capped off a successful, if not strange, week of tennis for the Americans, who saw early losses for world No. 1 Serena, the 2012 London champion, and Venus in singles, as well as in doubles for the sisters, who were the two-time defending Olympic champions.
Madison Keys, 21, finished fourth in the women’s singles event, while Johnson and Sock’s bronze was a bright spot after defending men’s doubles gold medalists Bob and Mike Bryan decided not to play the event. Johnson also made the men’s singles quarterfinals, losing in a third-set tiebreak to defending Olympic champ Andy Murray, who was in the men’s gold-medal match on Sunday.
Ram was a late entrant into the Games because of the Bryans’ withdrawal, and after Venus had gone out in the first round in both the singles and doubles, the two decided to enter mixed together. Saturday they celebrated a come-from-behind semifinal win over India’s Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, two doubles specialists, which assured them both a Rio medal – no matter the color.
Venus jumped up and down on the court, overcome with joy and smiling ear to ear.
On Sunday, they won the first set in a tiebreak having been down a service break twice, Ram hitting a backhand volley winner to close it out in 55 minutes, 7-6(3). But the momentum shifted from there, and Mattek-Sands/Sock cruised through set two to win it 6-1 and then went up 3-0 in the match tiebreak.
Williams/Ram had one more rally in them, going up 6-3 in the breaker (played to 10 points), but then their compatriots turned things around to take a 9-6 lead and winning the match on their second opportunity when Williams netted a backhand.
Mattek-Sands and Sock, both of whom have doubles Grand Slam trophies to their names, dropped their rackets and jumped into each other’s arms. Later Mattek-Sands would tear up as she sang along with the national anthem as they stood on the medal stand.
“This is on the top for me,” said Mattek-Sands, who is 31 and lives in Arizona. “This is my first Olympics. I don’t think it’s even comparable. I’m super proud of myself for my Grand Slam titles, but I think the Olympics is a different category altogether.”
The gold and silver were medals Nos. 24 and 25 for the U.S. in tennis since 1988. Mixed doubles came back to the Olympic program in 2012, having last been contested in 1924.
Will Williams be back at the Olympics? She’s had a storied career, including seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 doubles (all with Serena) to go with those five Olympic medals. Venus – who will be 40 years old when Tokyo 2020 takes place – didn’t necessarily say no – or yes.
“God willing, I imagine if I really wanted to be there I could,” she said. “Tokyo is about if I want to be there and if I want to continue to work this hard. It’s a lot of hard work. I’m going to have to want to do the work. We’ll see.”
Sock, 23, had come to Rio feeling unwell, unable to shake a cough that he had had since Wimbledon. But after exiting in the first round in singles, he won a pair of medals, the only U.S. player to do so in tennis at the Rio Games.
“My expectations coming in were pretty low,” he said. “I was having some pretty major coughing attacks and I went to see my doctor. It showed I had walking pneumonia before I came down here. … Singles didn’t go how I wanted it to, but obviously I closed out the week pretty well. To have these gold medals around our necks, that is pretty special and something I’ll cherish.”
Ram was in Toronto at a tennis event when he found out last minute that he had been added to Team USA for Rio. After losing in men’s doubles with Brian Baker in the second round, he was paired up with Venus, winning three out of four matches.
“I’m happy to have achieved what we did,” said the Indiana native, who is 32.
Lucie Hradecka and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic won the bronze medal. None of the medalists from the 2012 Games took part in the 16-team field, which included standout names like Mirza, Rafael Nadal, Agnieszka Radwanska, Andy Murray and Sam Stosur.
Mattek-Sands and Sock both spoke of not only getting the chance to face Venus on court, as well as being on a team with her and Serena.
“I grew up with them and Jack grew up watching them and we couldn’t be more proud of them as Americans,” said Mattek-Sands. “I think they’ve done so much for the sport and so much for women in general. I don’t see any signs of them slowing down.”
“They’re legends of the game and they’ve done so much for tennis,” Sock added. “It was an incredible experience today. But to come away with the win, that feels really great.”
Did you know: This is the first time in Olympic history that the running track is colored blue.
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