USA edges above China in final Olympics medals table after women’s basketball gold as Paris Games officially draws to a close

The United States topped the Paris Olympic medal table with 40 golds after the final title was decided on Sunday, finishing above China only by virtue of its 44 silvers.

China, which was the last team other than the United States to top the rankings when it did so on home soil at the 2008 Beijing Games, also won 40 golds but only 27 silvers.

The U.S. women’s basketball team secured their country’s preeminence by beating host country France in a thrilling finale to claim the final gold of the Games. The U.S. also won the most medals overall, with 126 to China’s 91.

France won 16 golds to finish fifth in the table and its total of 64 medals was the best in more than a century.

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