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Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro Wind Down on Sunday


United States' Simone Biles performs on the balance beam during the gymnastics exhibition gala at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 17, 2016.
United States' Simone Biles performs on the balance beam during the gymnastics exhibition gala at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 17, 2016.

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles has been chosen by the U.S. athletes to carry the American flag in Sunday's closing ceremony. Biles, who took four gold medals and a bronze in this year's competition, called the decision "an incredible honor."

The final day of the Olympics Sunday features 12 gold medal events, including men's basketball and men's marathon.

On Saturday, U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte admitted he over-exaggerated assertions he and three teamates were the victims of an armed robbery at a Rio De Janeiro gas station. Heinsisted, however, he did not lie, but still issued an apology." I'm sorry," he said. "Brazil doesn't deserve that."

United States' Ryan Lochte checks his time in a men's 4x200-meter freestyle heat during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 9, 2016.
United States' Ryan Lochte checks his time in a men's 4x200-meter freestyle heat during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 9, 2016.

Lochte maintained he was a victim of blackmail because he was forced by armed guards to give them money. Teamate Gunnar Benz said the guards accosted them after they had urinated behind some bushes and Lochte had ripped an advertising poster from a wall.

In competition Saturday, Brazil defeated Germany for the Olympic gold medal in men's football (soccer). It is the first Olympic win for Brazilian footballers in a country obsessed with the game.

Brazil's Neymar scored the winning goal in a dramatic shootout that ended with a score of 5-4, following a 1-1 draw in regulation.

Brazil's Neymar cries as he celebrates after scoring the decisive penalty kick during the final match of the men's Olympic football tournament between Brazil and Germany at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 20, 2016.
Brazil's Neymar cries as he celebrates after scoring the decisive penalty kick during the final match of the men's Olympic football tournament between Brazil and Germany at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 20, 2016.

Earlier, the U.S. women's basketball team won its sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal, routing Spain 101-72 on Saturday.

Diana Taurasi and Lindsay Whalen scored 17 points apiece to lead the U.S. squad.

The Americans have won 49 consecutive games in the Olympics with only one of those decided by single digits.

With that kind of sustained success, some contend this is the best women's basketball team ever assembled. After the game, Taurasi would only say, "I hope so," when asked if she thinks this squad is the best.

United States' Diana Taurasi, right, leaps into the arms of teammate Angel McCoughtry as they celebrate their win over Spain in a women's gold medal basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 20, 2016.
United States' Diana Taurasi, right, leaps into the arms of teammate Angel McCoughtry as they celebrate their win over Spain in a women's gold medal basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 20, 2016.

They won by nearly 40 points a game, but fell short of the record 102.4 points that the 1996 team averaged.

In Photos: Rio Olympics Day 15

In Photos: Rio Olympics Day 15
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In other events Saturday, Gwen Jorgensen became the first U.S. athlete to win the Olympic women's triathlon, finishing 40 seconds ahead of her nearest competition with a time of 1 hour, 56 minutes, 16 seconds.

Jorgensen, who was foiled by a flat bicycle tire in the 2012 Olympics, bested silver medalist Nicola Spirig of Switzerland, who took gold in 2012.

The track and field program concluded Saturday after the American men and women won their respective 4x400 relay races, while Matthew Centrowitz took gold in the 1,500-meter event - the first American to win the race since 1908.The United States has amassed 31 medals in track and field - 13 of them gold.

Britain's Mo Farah won an electrifying 5,000-meter race to capture the first successive 5,000-meter, 10,000 meter races in 40 years.

Ruth Beitia of Spain earned gold in the women's high jump. Caster Semenya of South Africa easily won the women's 800-meter race. German Thomas Rohler won the men's javelin.

Spain's Ruth Beitia kisses her gold medal for the women's high jump during athletics competitions at the Summer Olympics inside Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 20, 2016.
Spain's Ruth Beitia kisses her gold medal for the women's high jump during athletics competitions at the Summer Olympics inside Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 20, 2016.

On the golf course, South Korea's Park In-bee took gold with a final round five-under-par 66.

China won women's volleyball, while China's Chen Long won gold in men's badminton.

Russia earned four golds - women's handball, team rhythmic gymnastics, modern pentathlon and freestyle wrestling.

Britain's Nicola Adams retained her title in boxing's flyweight division.

Britain's Nicola Adams, right, fights France's Sarah Ourahmoune during a women's flyweight 51-kg final boxing match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 20, 2016.
Britain's Nicola Adams, right, fights France's Sarah Ourahmoune during a women's flyweight 51-kg final boxing match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 20, 2016.

And canoeist Isaquias Queiroz became Brazil's first Olympian to win three medals at the same games. Queiroz and his partner Erlon de Souza took silver in the men's 1,000-meter double after losing to Germany's Sebastian Brendel and Jan Vandrey.

Queiroz also won silver in the 1,000-meter single, also losing to Brendel. He took bronze in the 200-meter race.

The Olympic games in 2020 will be held in Tokyo, Japan, where preparations have been underway since it was awarded the competition in 2013. Tokyo beat out Instanbul, Turkey and Madrid, Spain for the right to host the 2020 games, which will feature five sports that were not held in Rio de Janeiro. The sports are baseball/softball, climbing, karate, skateboarding and surfing.

Some material for this report came from AP and Reuters.

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