At the Tokyo Olympics, the United States ended up edging China for the most gold medals won during the event (39 to 38). Below are a few reasons why, courtesy of how U.S. women performed Aug. 7-8:
In women's basketball, the U.S. contingent claimed its seventh consecutive gold medal in a 90-75 victory at the Tokyo Olympics. It was the United States' 55th consecutive Olympic win, thanks to Brittney Griner putting up 30 points on 14-on-18 shooting, ESPN.com noted. A'ja Wilson added 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Two of the women who built and grew that dynastyLGBT athletes Sue Bird (the wife of soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe) and Diana Taurasiwon their fifth golds, the first international basketball players ever to achieve that feat.
In women's volleyball, the decades-long quest for the first Olympic gold medal by the U.S. team ended with a 25-21, 25-20, 25-14 victory over Brazil at the Tokyo Games. The United Stateswhich had won three silver medals and two bronze since first getting on the medal stand in 1984beat the team that denied it a chance at gold in the final matches of the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
Also, U.S. athlete Jennifer Valente won Olympic gold in the women's cycling omnium, according to ESPN.com . British competitor Laura Kenny, the wife of men's champion Jason Kenny, was favored to win but was involved in a crash in the scratch race; Valente seized the opportunity and won the race for maximum points. (By the way, an omnium is a multiple race event in track cycling.)
On Aug. 7, the U.S. women's water polo squad became the first women's team in the sport to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals with a 14-5 victory over Spain, USA Today noted. The United States is the only nation to win a medal at each Olympics since women's water polo was added to the Games in 2000 in Sydney.