Summer Olympics 2016: Things to Watch on Day 16 in Rio
We're done already?
It seems like only yesterday that the 2016 Rio Olympic Games began with preliminary matches in soccer and an exhilarating Olympic opening ceremony, but now we're nearing the finish line. The 16th and final day of full competition is on tap for Sunday, with the last 12 gold medals up for grabs.
The United States' men's basketball team faces Serbia for the gold medal, looking to win its third straight Olympic title, while golds will also be handed out in men's indoor volleyball and men's team handball. On the individual side are the final competitions in boxing, BMX cycling, rhythmic gymnastics, wrestling and the men's marathon.
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Here's a breakdown of the most notable events on tap for the final day of the Rio Games:
Basketball
It hasn't been as dominant as many projected, and the number of nervous moments created by a top-tier collection of NBA stars have been far too frequent. But the bottom line is the United States men's basketball team is one win away from its third consecutive Olympic gold medal, if it can handle a Serbian team it narrowly beat during pool play.
The Americans won 94-91 on Aug. 12, the first of two straight three-point victories—the other was over France—to finish pool play unbeaten. Poor defensive efforts were responsible for both of those results, but then team USA held Argentina to 78 points in the quarterfinals and Spain to 76 in the semifinals (though it managed only 82 in that contest).
Serbia comes into the final as the more impressive squad, having blown out Australia 87-61 in the semifinals after knocking off Group B champion Croatia in the quarterfinals. It held the Aussies to 33 percent shooting and just 4-of-31 on three-pointers.
"We like our chances, so we've got to come out and play with a lot of intensity, and a lot of passion and energy, and we'll be fine," Kevin Durant told USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt.
Australia and Spain will meet for the bronze, with Australia seeking its first Olympic medal in men's basketball.
Boxing
Claressa Shields is 76-1 in her boxing career, which has seen her win the 2012 Olympic gold medal and two world championships as a middleweight. Another victory and she'll become the United State's first-ever two-time Olympic boxing gold medalist.
"The legacy is definitely important," Shields told the Detroit News' John Niyo on Friday, after beating Kazakhstan’s Dariga Shakimova 3-0. Shields is set to face Nouchka Fontun of the Netherlands, whom she beat in May to claim her second world title.
A win for Shields would also make her the second two-time Olympic women's champion, joining Great Britain flyweight Nicola Adams, who achieved that feat on Saturday. Women's boxing was added to the Olympics in 2012.
Indoor Volleyball
After falling to Italy in Friday's semifinals, Team USA's men's volleyball team will face Russia for the bronze medal on Sunday. A win would give the Americans their fifth Olympic medal and first since winning gold in Beijing in 2008.
The United States came to Rio as the No. 5 team in the world, but were reigning World Cup champions and coming in with plenty of confidence. That conviction was tested right off the bat when it lost to Canada to open pool play, going 3-2 overall and needing a win over Mexico to advance to the elimination round. It beat Poland 3-0 in the quarterfinals but then lost to Italy in five sets in the semifinals.
Italy will take on Brazil for the gold. Brazil won silver in 2012 while Italy was the bronze medalist.
Track & Field
It's been 44 years since an American man won the Olympic marathon, and if that drought is going to end, it might happen because of the exploits of a novice marathoner.
Galen Rupp won the U.S. Olympic Trials in February in his first-ever 26.1-mile race, beating Meb Keflezighi by more than a minute. Keflezighi is the last American to medal in the marathon, getting silver in 2004 and taking fourth in 2012.
Rupp has previously medaled in the 10,000-meter, winning silver in 2012. He was fifth in that event in Rio, and to win the marathon will require beating a strong field that includes reigning gold medalist Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda.
Wrestling
The United States has claimed two medals in Rio in wrestling, a gold by Helen Maroulis in the women's 53-kilogram freestyle, and a bronze by J'den Cox in the men's 86 kilogram freestyle. Two more men have a chance to add to the American total on the final day of competition.
Frank Molinaro is competing in the 65 kilogram freestyle division, taking on Poland's Magomedmurad Gadzhiev in the round of 16 with up to five more matches after that. In the 97 kilogram division, Kyle Snyder opens against Cuba's Javier Cortina, hoping to give the U.S. consecutive golds in the event after Jake Varner won in 2012.
Handball
The United States didn't qualify in team handball, men's or women's, and hasn't in quite some time. But the exciting sport has been a fan and Internet favorite during the Rio Olympics, and Sunday's final matches should make for a great finish to the competition.
Following a bronze-medal competition between Germany and Poland is the gold medal match, pitting two-time reigning Olympic champion France against Denmark. France earned a 33-30 win during pool play and made the final by beating host Brazil and then Germany, while Denmark knocked off Slovenia and then needed overtime to outlast Poland.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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