Sifan Hassan achieved the seemingly impossible by winning the women's marathon in the scorching streets of Paris on Sunday, marking the final day of the 2024 Summer Olympics in the French capital. As China and the United States vied for supremacy at the top of the medals table, fourteen gold medals were up for grabs on the last day of these widely acclaimed successful Olympics.

The Dutch athlete had taken on a daring challenge, competing in the 5,000m, 10,000m, and marathon—the latter two events just two days apart. In a dramatic finish, Hassan overtook Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa to claim gold by three seconds, setting an Olympic record of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 55 seconds. Earlier in the week, she had secured bronze in the 10,000m at the Stade de France, following a bronze win in the 5,000m. Exhausted, she collapsed on the blue carpet in front of the golden dome of the Invalides memorial complex in Paris before celebrating her remarkable feat with a Dutch flag.

"It was not easy," Hassan remarked. "The heat was intense, but I felt okay. I've never pushed myself as hard as I did today to cross the finish line." This thrilling conclusion to the Olympic athletics program also saw US sprinter Noah Lyles win the 100m by a mere five thousandths of a second.

The US dominated the athletics events and is aiming for gold in the final event of the Games, with their women's basketball team hoping to add to the men's title against the host nation, France. An eighth consecutive victory would set a new record for the most consecutive gold medals in any team sport at the Olympics, surpassing the US men's seven consecutive basketball titles from 1936 to 1968.

Other sports crowning Olympic champions on the final day included wrestling, weightlifting, water polo, volleyball, modern pentathlon, handball, and track cycling. In a heated match, old rivals Serbia and Croatia faced off for gold in men's water polo. Supported by a clean sweep in diving and table tennis, China led the medals table with 39 golds, one ahead of the US, although the Americans had more opportunities for gold on the final day.

Meanwhile, Serbia extended their dominance in Olympic water polo by defeating Croatia 13-11 for their third consecutive gold in the men's event, in front of an enthusiastic crowd at La Defense Arena. The match was intense and physical, with numerous fouls committed by both teams. Ultimately, Serbia's strength prevailed, leading for almost the entire match.

"It's incredible. This is the power of unity," said Serbia's veteran defender Dusan Mandic, who earned his third gold. "This is the team spirit. This is defense, defense, defense until the end, sacrificing for each other." Following the final whistle, the Serbian team and staff celebrated together, singing a victory song and displaying a Serbian flag from one of the goal cages.

Top-ranked Italy dominated the United States to win the Olympic women's volleyball final, defeating the defending champions in straight sets to claim their first gold on the final day of the Games. Italy, the Volleyball Nations League champions, remained undefeated throughout the tournament, dropping only one set in the pool stage.

As Italy secured a 25-18, 25-20, 25-17 victory, Paola Egonu shone as the star of the show, finishing with 22 points and four blocks. "I am so happy, so proud, I can't describe the joy for this group of girls... This year has been very beautiful," Egonu expressed.

Denmark secured their second men's Olympic handball gold medal by defeating Germany 39-26 in the final, with left back Mikkel Hansen retiring on a high note. Denmark's victory marked their second title in the last three Games, having competed in all three finals in Rio, Tokyo, and Paris. Germany, who eliminated defending champions France in the quarter-finals, struggled throughout the match and trailed consistently.

Spain narrowly defeated Slovenia 23-22 in the bronze medal match earlier on Sunday.