Felix wins 11th medal

Allyson Felix knows the way to the Olympic medals stand better than any runner alive.

She made her record-setting 11th trip there Aug. 7, after starring as the headliner on a 4x400 relay win that featured a who’s-who of American running.

With the gold medal dangling from her neck and the “Star-Spangled Banner” playing in the near-empty stadium, “I took a moment just to close my eyes and take it in one last time,” Felix said.

After the final race of the final Games of the 35-yearold sprinter’s career, Felix leaves the stage having won the most medals of any track athlete in U.S. history. It’s some list. She passed Carl Lewis, and now she only trails one person in the Olympic record book — Paavo Nurmi — the Finnish

distance runner who won 12 between 1920 and 1928.

Felix, who a day earlier took bronze in the 400 meters to become the mostdecorated woman in Olympic track, has no plans to go any further. In her mind, as a sprinter at least, she also has nothing left to prove.

“I feel at peace,” she said. “I went out, had all the confidence in these amazing women. I wanted to take it all in one last time around, and it was special.”

Also in celebration mode was the U.S. men’s relay team. The combo of Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon and hurdler Rai Benjamin combined to win America’s first and only gold medal for the men’s runners on the track. The U.S. closed out action at the stadium with seven golds and 26 overall medals.

There were other firsts. Neeraj Chopra won India’s first-ever gold medal in Olympic track and field with a javelin throw of 87.58 meters.

And Mariya Lasitskene of Russia took the first gold of the Olympic track meet for that team, which was only allowed to bring 10 athletes to track due to sanctions related to the country’s longrunning doping scandal.

Water polo

Ashleigh Johnson made 11 saves, Maddie Mussleman scored three times and the United States women routed Spain 14-5 in the water polo final. The U.S. won its third consecutive gold medal. The U.S. joins the men’s teams from Britain (19081920) and Hungary (20002008) as the only countries to win at least three straight water polo titles at the Olympics.

Baseball

A Japanese team of All-Stars fulfilled a determined national mission to win the Olympic baseball gold medal for the first time, beating the United States 2-0 behind Munetaka Murakami’s third-inning home run. Masato Morishita and four relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Japanese men matched the accomplishment of the women’s softball team, which upended the Americans for their second straight gold medal.

Women’s golf

Nelly Korda gave the U.S. a sweep of gold medals in golf, holding on for a one-shot victory. Korda led by as many as three shots on the back nine. In the end, she needed two putts from just inside 30 feet on the 18th hole for par and a 2-under 69.