Neymar sent Brazil into ecstasy as he clinched Olympic
football gold and Mo Farah sealed a rare distance double-double in a pulsating
final evening of track action in Rio on Saturday. Neymar swept home a brilliant
free-kick and scored a trademark stutter-run penalty to win a shoot-out against
Germany as the hosts headed towards Sunday’s closing ceremony on a high.
Later, Britain’s Farah headlined the last night of track and
field as he won a thrilling 5,000m race to earn the first consecutive
5,000m-10,000m doubles in 40 years.
Matt Centrowitz produced the biggest upset when he beat
defending champion Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria to become America’s first
1,500m champion in more than a century.
And the United States ran away with both the men’s and
women’s 4x400m relays as the curtain closed on the last full day of
competition, with only 12 gold medals available on Sunday.
With 294 of 306 titles decided, the United States led the
medals table with 43 golds, with Britain in surprise second place with 27 to
China’s 26.
China won their third Olympic Games women’s volleyball gold
with a 3-1 victory over Serbia. Only the former Soviet Union — with four golds
— has been more successful in Olympics women’s volleyball than China.
South Korea’s Park In-Bee won the first women’s golf Olympic
gold in 116 years by a commanding five strokes, and the USA routed Spain in the
women’s basketball final.
Millions of Brazilians were glued to the men’s football and
celebrations were long and loud when the five-time world champions grabbed
their first Olympic title at the Maracana stadium.
Victory, 5-4 on penalties after the scores were locked at
1-1 after extra time, left Neymar and his team-mates sobbing uncontrollably as
they erased the nightmare of Brazil’s 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to
Germany two years ago.
It was a fairytale finish for Neymar, who missed the 2014
defeat with a back injury and faced heavy criticism for his performances early
in the Olympic competition.
“This is one of the best things that has happened in my
life,” said the Barcelona star who promptly stepped down as captain.
“Now (the critics will) have to swallow what they said.”
AFP
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