US top, China remain close contenders in Olympics after day 13

After Day 13, the United States top the medal tally with 30 golds at Paris 2024, while China remain close contenders in second place with 29, reported Xinhua.

Chinese veteran Xie Siyi delivered a masterful performance on Thursday, outshining his teammate Wang Zongyuan to retain his crown in the men's 3m springboard event at Paris 2024, while Olympic newcomer Luo Shifang clinched gold in the women's 59kg weightlifting category.

Xie, a seasoned diver who triumphed in both the individual and synchronized events at the Tokyo Olympics, managed to top the final with a score of 543.60 points, despite Wang Zongyuan, the 22-year-old sensation, leading both the preliminary and the semifinal.

"I'm overwhelmed," said 28-year-old Xie, who took a two-year hiatus after the Tokyo Games and faced significant challenges in preparing for the Paris Games due to injuries and fitness issues.

"I didn't perform well in the preliminary and semifinal, I blamed myself for not showing my capability. Then I needed to adjust my mindset in a short time to be ready for the final," he added.

Luo, making her Olympic debut in Paris, showcased her strength by lifting 107kg in the snatch and 134kg in the clean and jerk, achieving a winning total of 241kg and setting three new Olympic records in the process.

"This being my first Olympics, my team made sure I had the best environment possible, so I didn't feel too much pressure," Luo remarked. Despite her record-breaking performance, Luo added modestly, "My goal was the gold medal, so I wasn't focused on setting records."

In the men's canoe double 500m event, China's duo of Liu Hao and Ji Bowen powered their way to victory, clocking one minute and 39.48 seconds ahead of Italy's silver medalists Gabriele Casadei and Carlo Tacchini, who finished in 1:41.08.

The second boxing gold of the night came from China's Chang Yuan, who delivered a dominant 5-0 unanimous decision in the women's 54kg category against Turkey's Hatice Akbas. The 27-year-old Chang's relentless power was too much for Akbas to handle.

The Stade de France witnessed history as Letsile Tebogo secured Botswana's first-ever Olympic gold by winning the men's 200m sprint final in a blistering 19.46 seconds. The 21-year-old held off strong challenges from American sprinters Kenneth Bednarek and Noah Lyles, who later revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

In women's long jump, America's Tara Davis-Woodhall continued her meteoric rise by claiming gold with a leap of 7.10 meters, outdistancing Germany's defending Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo by 0.12 meters.

Several nations celebrated their first gold medals at the Paris Olympics. Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan shattered the Olympic record with a monumental throw of 92.97 meters in the men's javelin final, while Veddriq Leonardo of Indonesia edged out China's Wu Peng in the men's sport climbing speed final. Leonardo set a personal best of 4.75 seconds, narrowly beating Wu by 0.02 seconds.

In the men's hockey final, the Netherlands emerged victorious in a dramatic shootout, defeating arch-rivals Germany 3-1 after a tense 1-1 draw in regular time. The Netherlands now look forward to the chance of sweeping both hockey golds at Paris 2024, as they prepare to face China in the women's final on Friday.

China's dominance in table tennis continued as both men's and women's teams cruised into the finals with resounding 3-0 victories over their French and South Korean opponents, respectively. Having already secured gold in mixed doubles and the individual men's and women's singles, China stands on the brink of a historic clean sweep in Paris.

At the Bercy Arena, the U.S. men's basketball team staged a stunning comeback in the final quarter against Serbia. With Steph Curry's 36-point explosion and Kevin Durant's clutch shots, the U.S. roared back with a 32-15 fourth quarter, ultimately winning 95-91 to secure their place in Saturday's final, where they will face France, fresh off the host nation's victory over World Cup champions Germany and buoyed by raucous home support.

Looking ahead to Friday's action, the spotlight will be on the men's football gold medal match between France and Spain, as well as China's quest for gold in table tennis, diving and boxing. Should China's men's table tennis team emerge victorious, Ma Long will become the most decorated Olympian in China's history with six gold medals.