USA, teams and stars

Kevin Durant and Adebayo, with the gold medal of Tokyo 2020.ARIS MESSINIS / AFP

The United States dominated the Games in the overall medal table with 113 metals, 39 gold (one more than China, 88 in total) and also in the team classification. In the collective disciplines of selections, the American teams added nine medals (six gold), for the six from France (three) and the five from Japan and Russia (two and zero), while Spain, with a wide representation, arrived up to three medals, two silver and one bronze. The US pulled muscle in teams, proving that it is not just a constellation of stars like Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel and Sydney McLaughlin.

North American dominance in basketball was almost obligatory. Gregg Popovich went straight from the Saitama Super Arena, 30 miles from Tokyo, to his room at the Olympic Village for a drink. It was what the body demanded of the US coach after France put him into cold sweats when he moved three points to 10 seconds from the conclusion of the men's final of the Games. Kevin Durant made two free throws and dispelled the drama. The United States prolonged its hegemony in Olympic basketball with its fourth title in a row. The body was asking Pops, the 72-year-old coach who took on that tremendous responsibility, to relax. He did it shortly before the 2019 World Cup in China, where the failure was enormous, with two defeats and seventh place, the worst for the United States in a major international tournament.For the Tokyo appointment and after the defection of many figures, he formed a good team around Kevin Durant. The play ended up going well despite the tortuous preparation phase, a couple of losses in the friendlies and another against France, already in the Olympic tournament, the first for the United States in a Games since Athens 2004. They corrected in time, the team improved their collective benefits and Durant shone in all his glory.

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There was no cataclysm, although America's superiority was shown to be increasingly limited.

France showed it, Australia hinted at it in the first half, although it was crushed later, and Spain was not that far away either, despite the fact that Sergio Scariolo's team showed signs of exhaustion, at the end of the cycle.

The withdrawal of Pau and Marc Gasol marks the beginning of a new era in Spanish basketball after an unforgettable time with 13 medals, five gold, in major international events since 2001.

Doncic and Slovenia left an indelible mark in their first Olympic appearance. You don't have to win a medal to arouse fan admiration. Doncic demonstrated it, with his 48 points against Argentina, with the great collective game of a team that represents a country of barely two million inhabitants. The 22-year-old point guard is a star in the NBA, at the Games and wherever there is a ball and a basket.

The true

basketball

dream team

is female and has not lost a game since the 1992 Games in Barcelona. The United States players added their seventh consecutive gold in Tokyo, the fifth for two of their members, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi. Spain confirmed the worst omens and the wear and tear of the successful stage with Lucas Mondelo at the helm. The team showed important cracks in its performance already in the European held a month ago in Valencia. Three days after the quarter-final loss to France, the Federation dispatched Mondelo. Marta Xargay revealed in EL PAÍS that she suffered bulimia as a result of Mondelo's treatment, a testimony that the Spanish Federation stopped before the Games.

French success in team sports has been extraordinary.

He won the first title in his history in men's volleyball;

the men also retaliated against Denmark in the final, claiming their third gold in the last four Games.

The women's handball team also won.

And in basketball he was a finalist in men and bronze in women, after his unexpected stumble in the semifinals against Japan.

Spain, with nine teams at Tokyo 2020, was the fourth most represented country in team sports, surpassed only by the United States, Australia, with 11, and Japan, whose teams were all classified ex officio.

The Spanish balance is uneven, with three medals, the silver for the men's soccer team and the women's water polo team, and the bronze for the Hispanics in handball.

The Spanish water polo team with the silver medal of Tokyo 2020ADEK BERRY / AFP

Spanish handball remained on the podium at the meeting in which several of the protagonists of his successes of recent years said goodbye, starting with his captain Raúl Entrerríos, who leaves him at 40 years old.

The medal was a good closing, although some of those veterans like Guardiola or Viran Morros are still in the gap.

The women's team failed to qualify for the quarterfinals.

The Brazilian men's soccer team renewed the Olympic title it won in Rio 2016 with Neymar.

He did it after beating the powerful team presented by Spain at the event by 2-1 in extra time in the final.

Six Olympic players had previously played the Eurocup with the absolute: Unai Simón, Eric García, Pau Torres, Pedri, Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal.

In the female category, Canada broke the hegemony of the United States.

They beat her in the semi-finals and beat Sweden on penalties in the final.

No gold since 1996 water polo

Only three Spanish teams have won the Olympic title: the women's field hockey and the men's soccer in 1992 and the men's water polo in 1996. That team led by Manel Estiarte beat Croatia 7-5 in the final and retaliated against the one that had lost, after three extra time, against Italy four years earlier in Barcelona. Since then, the Spanish teams have lost the nine finals they have played: the women's in water polo in 2012 and in Tokyo 2020, the men's in basketball in 2008 and 2012, theirs in basketball in 2016, all of them against the United States. United, also those of field hockey in the men's category in 1996 against the Netherlands and in 2008 against Germany and that of soccer, also for men, in 2000 and in Tokyo against Cameroon and Brazil.