LONDON – The US women's basketball team routed France 86-50 in the final Saturday, winning its fifth straight Olympic gold medal and putting more distance between itself and the rest of the world heading to Rio for the 2016 Games. Candace Parker scored 21 points, including eight straight during the game-changing run in the second quarter as the US took command of the game. “It's not easy to just be put together and be expected to win a gold medal," said guard Diana Taurasi. “It's a special feeling." The win was the latest in this dominant run that the Americans have been on over the past 16 years. The US has now won 41 consecutive games in the Olympics since taking the bronze medal in 1992. The US has only lost once in major international competitions since 1996, against Russia in the semifinals of the 2006 world championship. The names change on the US uniforms, but the results don't. Norway, Montenegro celebrate Champion Norway unfurled an enormous flag on court while Montenegro celebrated its country's first Olympic medal as the London Games women's handball tournament came to a spectacular end Saturday. The title holder reigned supreme throughout a tough physical encounter against the tiny Balkan nation, winning 26-23 to defend its Beijing gold and send the large Norwegian support inside the Basketball Arena delirious with joy. Spain won the bronze, its first Olympic women's handball medal, with a thrilling 31-29 double extra-time defeat of twice champion South Korea that its coach labelled “historic". US takes diving gold David Boudia of the United States won a surprise gold in diving's blue riband 10 metre platform event, handing China its second upset of the Games in the sport. The gold marks a renaissance in diving by the United States, which had not won an Olympic diving medal since Sydney in 2000 but has won four medals at London 2012. The men's 10 metre competition was outstanding for the quality of dives across the field. In a nailbiting conclusion on Saturday that went down to the last dive, Boudia scored 568.65, edging China's Qiu Bo, 19, into silver with 566.85, while British pin-up Tom Daley took bronze on 556.95. With Russia taking gold in the men's 3-meter springboard, Qiu's silver means China has lost out on two of the eight golds it had been aiming for in London. Serbia and Italy bag taekwondo golds Serbia and Italy took the Olympic taekwondo heavyweight medals on the last day of the sport's competition Saturday. Serbia's Milica Mandic won her country's first Olympic gold of the London Games by winning the women's 67-kg plus division, upsetting top-seeded Anne-Caroline Graffe of France 9-7 in a tight final. On the men's side, history was made — by the loser. Rome policeman Carlo Molfetta took the gold in the 80-kg plus division for Italy, and the man he defeated, Gabon's Anthony Obame, won his country's first-ever Olympic medal. — Agencies
