PARIS (AP) — Sprinter Noah Lyles unveils he had COVID-19 after the USA missed another gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris on Thursday.

Elsewhere, French basketball star Victor Wembanyama came one step closer to his dream of a first gold medal after helping Les Bleus defeat Germany and reach a dream final against the United States team after the Americans narrowly defeated Serbia 95-91.

On the same track in the Stade de France where he won the historically close to 100 meters Lyles finished third by five thousandths of a second behind gold medalist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and his US teammate Kenneth Bednarek.

Paramedics tended to a tired-looking Lyles and took him out in a wheelchair. While speaking to reporters, Lyles wore a mask and later said he had COVID.

“It definitely affected my performance,” Lyles said, adding that he tested positive early Tuesday morning but was cleared to compete. The U.S. Track and Field Association said the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee followed all guidelines from the Olympic Games and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

At the Bercy Arena, where former NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker watch their respective compatriots, France won 73:69.

Wembanyama, the NBA Rookie of the Year, clenched his fists as the siren sounded and his teammate Evan Fournier threw the ball into the crowd in celebration.

The 20-year-old star did not play in Tokyo three years ago when France lost the final to the United States. They meet again on Saturday and Wembanyama hopes to give France its first Olympic gold in men’s or women’s basketball.

Highlights of the 13th day of the Olympic Games in Paris:

Curry leads semifinal comeback against Serbia

LeBron James had a triple-double and Steph Curry scored 36 points as the American men gathered by 17 points downwards.

By halftime, the USA had already closed an eleven-point deficit – the largest that an American team has made up since NBA players were included in the Olympic squad in 1992 – and were again eleven points behind the Serbs with just under seven minutes to go.

The Serbian players fell on their backs at the final whistle after coming so close to victory.

It was a far cry from their group opener when the USA rolled up a 110-84 victory.

US team sets world record and breaks 100-medal mark

The United States now has more gold medals and more medals total than any other nation.

With three days of competition left, American athletes have won a total of 30 gold medals, which corresponds to 103 medals in the overall ranking.

The USA took first and second place in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaks her own world record in a time of 50.37 seconds and Anna Cockrell took silver.

Grant Holloway then took gold in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in a time of 12.99, defeating fellow countryman Daniel Roberts.

Long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall also won the women’s long jump, while Jasmine Moore took the bronze medal behind Germany’s Malaika Mihambo.

China’s doubles tournament ends in tears

China won its sixth gold medal in diving at the Paris Games, with defending champion Xie Siyi winning the 3-meter springboard.

The Chinese achieved a double victory on the podium: Wang Zongyuan took silver ahead of Mexican Osmar Olvera Ibarra.

Wang was in tears afterwards.

He had not lost a major diving competition since finishing behind teammate Xie at the Tokyo Olympics. After that silver medal, Wang won three consecutive world championship titles.

“It’s unfortunate that I lost,” Wang said through an interpreter. “I have to learn to accept every failure, and my response is to try even harder to improve.”

Another world record, but no gold

American Sam Watson left the Games with another world record, but did not win the gold medal.

Watson, 18, broke the world speed record in sport climbing for the second time on Thursday at the Paris Games, albeit in the battle for bronze.

Indonesian Veddriq Leonardo won gold in the final in 4.75 seconds.

Charron lifts for another medal

Maude Charron raised Canada’s flag at the Opening ceremonies for the Games in Paris and won another medal in weightlifting.

Charron took home the silver medal in the 59-kilogram category, in addition to her gold medal in the 64-kilogram event at the Tokyo Games.

Rahimi shines in Morocco’s bronze medal

Football-loving Moroccan fans can finally celebrate an Olympic medal after beating African rivals Egypt 6-0 to claim the bronze medal.

Soufiane Rahimi scored two goals and the Casablanca-born striker is sure to become a household name in his homeland after scoring an impressive eight goals in the tournament.

He was comfortable with the Top scorer before Final on Friday between Spain and the 1984 Olympic champions, France.

Morocco won the Africa Cup of Nations title in 1976.

Netherlands end long wait for gold in men’s field hockey

Duco Telgenkamp scored the Golden Gate on penalties, giving the Netherlands a 2-1 victory over Germany.

For the Netherlands, it was the first gold medal in men’s hockey at the Olympic Games since 2000 and the third in the country’s history.

captain Harmanpreet Singh scored both goals as India beat Spain 2-1 to secure their second consecutive bronze medal after defeating Germany at the Tokyo Games.

France wins gold, Portugal a rare medal

Track cyclist Benjamin Thomas survived a fall in the men’s omnium race to give France its 14th gold medal at the Paris Games.

Thomas beat Iúri Leitão, whose silver medal was only the second medal for Portugal – compared to 54 for the French.

New Zealander Ellesse Andrews also won the Olympic title in the women’s keirin.

Nadeem wins Pakistan’s first medal with Olympic record

Arshad Nadeem won Pakistan’s first medal at the Paris Games with his Olympic record in the javelin throw.

Nadeem’s throw of 92.97 meters surpassed Norwegian Andreas Thorkildsen’s mark of 90.57 at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Safe journey for Austria

In the southern port city of Marseille, Lara Vadlau and Lukas Maehr from Austria won gold in a close race in the mixed dinghy race.

The sport became a new sailing category at these Games.

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AP Olympiad: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games