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The United States never trailed in the second half but did not officially put Spain away until Dwyane Wade, unofficially the best player in these Olympics, drilled a 3-pointer with 2 minutes 2 seconds remaining. Wade, who led the team with 27 points, stayed in that spot for a second and posed with his hands on his hips and a cocksure grin. If there was ever a night for the Americans to show off a bit, this was it: They had completed their long journey back from a disappointing bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Games. Carmelo Anthony, a veteran of Team USA, said the squad had put “American basketball where it’s supposed to be — on the top of the world.” After embarrassing the United States on and off the court in Athens, this so-called Redeem Team lived up to its moniker with vigor. The players guarded as if their meals depended on it, shared the ball as if they were starring in “Hoosiers” and made not even a wisp of trouble off the court. Their performance here validated the formula of USA Basketball’s managing director, Jerry Colangelo, who had dozens of the country’s best players commit to the program for three years. The players’ defensive zeal and camaraderie were a testament to just how far the Americans had come from the petulant and selfish group in 2004. “The fact that we had this team for three years was the telling difference in this game,” Colangelo said. “It was a great game. It was a pressure game from the get-go, and we never cracked. The fact that we were together for this period of time was the difference.” They needed that resolve as Spain stayed in the game with a flurry of Juan Carlos Navarro teardrops, Pau Gasol lobs and Rudy Fernandez 3-pointers. Fernandez finished with 22 points and Gasol added 21 after looking soft in Spain’s 37-point loss to the Americans during pool play. But the Spanish team settled for silver and also inherited the title as the most controversial basketball team of these Games. Spanish players posed for a picture in a newspaper advertisement that the International Olympic Committee deemed “clearly inappropriate,” because they had pulled the skin behind their eyes in a gesture that many felt mocked Asians. “They gave a better feeling of a team,” he said. And afterward, the Americans had a chance to tell everyone about it as a team. Just as they planned to walk up on the podium with their arms locked, the entire team showed up at a news conference designed to accommodate no more than six people. They complimented Spain’s valiant play but talked about how their shared experience of the past three years had allowed them to fend off every Spanish run. The United States shot 60 percent from the field. Aside from Wade’s late 3-pointer, Kobe Bryant came through with numerous clutch fourth-quarter shots. After Spain had cut the lead to 2 points in the fourth quarter and forced Coach Mike Krzyzewski to call a timeout, Bryant hit a shot that started a 12-2 run. He later made a 3-pointer to boost the lead to 8 with 3:10 remaining, putting his finger over his lips to quiet the crowd. “Everybody wants to talk about N.B.A. players being selfish and arrogant and being individuals,” Bryant said. “Well, what you saw today was a team bonded together, facing adversity and coming out of here with a big win.” The victory appears to portend well for USA Basketball. Although Krzyzewski is not likely to return as head coach, Bryant is one of five core players — Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard are the others — who said they would gladly return to play in London in 2012. LeBron James, Anthony and Wade said they would consider it when they must decide. “I think it’s important to play for the national team now,” the assistant coach Jim Boeheim said. “I think that’s what Jerry wanted to do. That was the whole goal.” The other goal was to end up atop the podium. Along they way, they contributed to an instant classic of a game. referrence:www.sterlingtiffamy.com

In addition to fireworks, there were acrobats clinging to a large “memory tower” at the center of the stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, precision drummers, bicyclists and performers representing 56 ethnic groups singing, “Please Stay, Guests From Afar.” And unlike in the opening ceremony, with its orderly parade of countries and their athletes, the closing ceremony brought flag bearers congregating in the middle, and athletes filing in somewhat haphazardly and many dressed less formally. In the handover ceremony for the 2012 London Games, a red double-decker bus entered the stadium just after 9 p.m., followed by three cyclists. The bus then opened into a stage with Jimmy Page, the Led Zeppelin guitarist, perfoming “Whole Lotta Love” with the British singer Leona Lewis, and David Beckham, the soccer star, taking a soccer ball from a young Chinese girl, handing the games off to London. Beijing had staked everything on the Games, galvanizing the nation, spending billions to rebuild the ancient capital, erecting fantastic stadiums and producing the kind of opening and closing ceremonies that can only be created in China, with tens of thousands of performers dazzling a global television audience the vibrant displays of color and mass synchronization. Leading up to the closing ceremony, the United States basketball team, the self-named “Redeem Team,” defeated Spain to recapture the gold medal. The American men’s volleyball team, disoriented after the head coach’s father-in-law had been murdered while touring Beijing, also captured a gold medal, defeating a powerful Brazilian team. A Kenyan runner won the men’s marathon, and a Cuban tae kwon do athlete was banned for kicking a referee. With Chinese fans chanting “Zhongguo Jiayou!” or “Go China!,” and hundreds of millions of people tuning in everyday by television, some of the biggest audiences in television history, the games served to strengthen pride in the country at a time of rising nationalism. Liu Xiang, this country’shurdling champion, was injured and unable to defend his title in the 110-meter hurdles, but China dominated in diving, gymnastics weightlifting, shooting and a host of other sports. There were stories of incredible athletic accomplishments: American swimmer Michael Phelps winning a record eight gold medals and the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt being crowned the world’s fastest man. India, a country of one billion, won its first gold medal in an individual event. And Togo, a West African nation of 6 million people, won its very first Olympic medal, a bronze in the kayak. Grave concerns about pollution and athletes donning masks disappeared after the fifth day, after heavy rains cleansed the skies and sun broke through for the opening of the track and field events. Whether China’s weather tamperers really seeded clouds and created rains that were perfectly timed to clear up the weather is still unclear. But Beijing did take draconian measures to ensure a successful Olympics, limiting cars on the roads, forcing the closure and removal of factories from around Beijing, and essentially ordered large parts of the nation to do everything possible to make these games a success. Some political analysts say Beijing placed too much importance on the Games, and others said the country failed to live up to its promises to open up and undertake political changes that would improve the country’s human rights record. But this afternoon, Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympics Committee, which awarded the games to Beijing in 2001, said: “The world has learned about China, and China has learned about the world, and I believe this is something that will have positive effects for the long term.” John Branch contributed reporting from Beijing. referrence:www.sterlingtiffany.com

Redskins’ Taylor is hopeful for opener vs. Giants Jason Taylor sported a big black brace on his right knee and the type of attitude he hopes will keep his consecutive games streak alive. “I have been a quick healer in the past,” the Washington Redskins defensive end said Monday. “People think I’m old. I’m not that old yet, so hopefully those healing cells are still in there.” Taylor sprained his knee in the second quarter of Saturday night’s 47-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Redskins estimate he’ll be sidelined 10 to 14 days, which gives him a shot at returning for the Thursday night NFL opener Sept. 4 against the New York Giants. “I have every reason to believe he’s going to be there, so my cup’s half-full,” coach Jim Zorn said. “But it’s only half-full, because there’s a chance he could miss the first one.” Taylor hasn’t missed a game since 1999. His streak of 130 consecutive regular-season starts ranks seventh among active players. He has played with various injuries, including a broken arm. “To be able to play through those things and show up on Sunday is something I take pride in,” Taylor said. “But some things are out of your control, too.” Taylor’s injury isn’t pleasant viewing when reviewed in slow motion—his leg bent awkwardly in a pile at the end of a running play—and he realized it could have been much worse. The Giants lost their star defensive end, Osi Umenyiora, to a season-ending knee injury Saturday night on a play that didn’t look as scary as Taylor’s. “You hope it’s not the big one,” Taylor said. The prime-time season opener is already a big game, and for Taylor it was to mark his debut for his new team. Taylor, who turns 34 next week, was acquired on the first day of training camp in a trade with the Miami Dolphins. “It’s live games,” Taylor said, “and I’m not one for missing games.” Reference: http://www.sterlingtiffany.com

Colts consider activating Manning on Tuesday Peyton Manning might be activated by the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday, although the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player is not expected to play in the team’s final preseason game Thursday night. Manning underwent surgery July 14 to have an infected bursa sac removed from his left knee and has been on the physically unable to perform list the entire preseason. He has never missed a regular-season start in his 10-year career. “We have a chance to get Peyton activated and out to practice. So we’ll see how that goes,” Colts coach Tony Dungy said Monday. Manning got limited light work in practice last week and was on the sideline, but not in uniform, during Sunday night’s 20-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Backup quarterback Jim Sorgi, who started the first three preseason games in place of Manning, also missed Sunday’s game because of a sore knee. Due to the injuries to Manning and Sorgi, Dungy said the Colts might keep three quarterbacks on the roster during the regular season. “We have not been a three-quarterback team since I’ve been here, but I would think, especially early in the season, we would be,” Dungy said. Jared Lorenzen and Quinn Gray played Sunday and are battling for the third quarterback spot. Dungy said with only three days to prepare for the Bengals, Manning is not likely to play Thursday against Cincinnati. Sorgi, kick returner T.J. Rushing and center Jeff Saturday also could miss the game because of knee ailments. Dungy also said rookie tight end Tom Santi and wide receiver Roy Hall might return to practice this week. Santi also has been on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing a surgery similar to Manning’s in early July. Hall has been nursing a strained hamstring for the past two weeks. Reference: http://www.sterlingtiffany.com

The New York Giants are interested in luring Michael Strahan out of retirement after losing Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a season-ending knee injury Saturday night. The Super Bowl champions contacted the representative for the seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end on Monday to gauge Strahan’s interest in returning ? With Strahan’s status uncertain, the Giants shuffled their defense Monday and moved Mathias Kiwanuka back to end from his strongside linebacker spot. “We are going to go forward with the players that we have,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “And we are always looking for and searching for people who can help our team. And nothing is going to change with regard to that.” General manager Jerry Reese had said earlier Monday that the Giants were looking at all their options. Jets quarterback Brett Favre, recently unretired himself, said the Giants should do whatever possible to get Strahan back. “As I know it, he is probably on a beach somewhere sipping on some pina coladas, so I doubt football is the first thing on his mind today,” said Justin Tuck, who replaced Strahan at left end. Defensive tackle Barry Cofield said Strahan gave no indication he wanted to play again when he visited training camp in Albany, N.Y., less than two weeks ago. Danny Clark, a nine-year veteran who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, will move from weakside linebacker to the strong side to replace Kiwanuka. Gerris Wilkinson will start at weakside linebacker. “His spirits are still high,” Tuck said. “He is another one of those infectious personalities, so his personality and his mind-state are always going to be at the utmost highest, so I am not worried about him on that point.” Reference: http://www.sterlingtiffany.com

About 40,000 flag-waving people gathered in front of Buckingham Palace for a party to celebrate the hand over from Beijing, as the British capital got its first chance to show what it hopes will be a quirky, personal and fun approach to the games. As music played from a huge stage erected next to the ornate gates of Queen Elizabeth II’s official London residence, even the police indulged in a brief, embarrassed dance when invited to by the master of ceremonies—a sight difficult to imagine in China. The spectacle was short of the scale and coordination that has wowed athletes, officials and fans alike in Beijing over the past two weeks. But in terms of conveying what London has to offer to visitors when the Olympics arrives, the show did its job. Even the summer weather lived up to its reputation, providing warm sunshine and cooling showers in equal measure. London organizers have long known they would be unable to match Beijing in terms of scale, not least because London’s Olympic budget is less than half of its predecessor’s. But Sunday’s show—with its occasional awkward pauses, high spirits and relentless audience participation for dance-offs, competitions and the wave— suggested London is set on providing a total contrast to what has been described as Beijing’s “no-fun games.” In a city with a long history of music hall entertainment, it was appropriate the crowd was entertained by some of British television’s most popular entertainers. While big screens showed Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and football star David Beckham live at the official ceremony in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium, less internationally recognized names such as operatic quartet Il Divo, boyband McFly and Will Young—the first winner of Britain’s Pop Idol TV show—took to the stage in central London. Many of the performers seemed as excited as the crowd. Organizers have promised to hold a more relaxed Olympics, which was already on display in Beijing when Johnson was unable to contain his excitement as he prepared to receive the Olympic flag from IOC president Jacques Rogge. After saluting the crowd, Johnson stood clenching and unclenching his fists in a “give it to me” gesture as he waited to grab the flag. The London crowd laughed appreciatively at the mayor, who is depicted in the British media as the latest in a long line of lovable bumbling figures of fun. As Johnson waved the flag, more flags were raised at 650 buildings across Britain to mark London becoming the Olympic city. Another 80 were raised in British sites, such as embassies, around the world. British cyclist Bradley Wiggins, who won two gold medals in Beijing, said Britain’s surprising fourth-place finish in the medal table helped contribute to a party atmosphere. Phelps and Wiggins were cheered on stage, but some of the biggest response from the London crowd didn’t have anything to do with what was unfolding in their own Olympic city. They were reserved for Beckham’s appearance in Beijing. “The eyes of the world have been on Beijing for the last two weeks as they have staged one of the most spectacular and uplifting Olympic Games ever,” London 2012 deputy chairman Keith Mills said. “For a short amount of time today, however, the world stopped and considered what’s coming next.” Reference: www.sterlingtiffany.com

China proved an acquisitive first-time Olympic host, topping the gold-medal chart with one of the most dominating and diverse performances ever. The United States, Britain and an array of small nations also had reasons to celebrate. China’s haul of 51 gold medals was the largest since the Soviet Union won 55 in Seoul in 1988. Fielding athletes groomed since childhood in sports academies, it won medals in 25 different sports, including its first ever in sailing, beach volleyball and field hockey. Not since 1936, when Nazi Germany prevailed at the Berlin Olympics, had a country other than the U.S. or the Soviet Union/Russia led the gold medal list. The United States trailed well behind the Chinese in golds with 36, the first time since 1992 it didn’t lead the category. But the Americans did break their own mark for total medals in a non-boycotted Olympics; they won 110 in all, two more than their previous high set in 1992 and 10 ahead of China’s overall tally this year. Britain, getting an early jump on its host role for the 2012 Summer Games, had its best Olympics in a century with 19 gold medals—good for fourth place behind the Russians. Its cyclists and sailors were the class of the field, and 19-year-old Rebecca Adlington stunned the swimming world with two golds in distance events. It was also a satisfying Olympics for many of the world’s weaker sporting nations. A record 87 nations won medals, seven more than the previous high in Sydney in 2000, and a dozen nations won either their first-ever gold medal or first medal of any color. The United States was disappointed by its boxing team (one bronze medal) and a lack of golds by its sprinters, but was delighted by breakthroughs in lesser sports such as fencing, as well as by the historic eight golds for record-smashing swimmer Michael Phelps. Overshadowing the entire U.S. effort, however, was a recognition of China’s arrival as the dominant Summer Olympics power. China, of course, has the largest population pool—1.3 billion people— from which to recruit athletes. Several far smaller nations distinguished themselves in medals per capita. Jamaica’s sprinters and hurdlers—led by triple-gold sensation Usain Bolt— won 11 medals, one for every 245,000 of its 2.7 million people. With a population of 21.4 million, Australia won 46 medals, one for each 465,000 people. Cuba won 24 medals, one for each 470,000 of its 11.3 million citizens. Populous countries with no medals included Pakistan, the Philippines and Bangladesh. Kenya, despite election-related unrest which killed hundreds and disrupted its preparations, had a great games with five golds and 14 medals overall. Ethiopian runners Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba each won rare double golds in the 5,000 and 10,000. Overall, Africa won 40 medals—the most ever. Those included the first-ever Olympic medals for Togo in canoeing, Mauritius in boxing, and Sudan in the 800 meters. Also winning first-ever medals were Tajikstan, Bahrain (a gold by Rachid Ramzi in the men’s 1,500), and war-torn Afghanistan. Tuvshinbayar’s medal triggered raucous celebrations in Mongolia’s capital, Ulan Bator, and a presidential decree declared him a “hero of Labor.” There were other breakthroughs—Tunisia and South Korea won golds in swimming for the first time; long jumper Maurren Higa Maggi became the first Brazilian women to win a gold in track. Reference: www.sterlingtiffany.com

Some players flashed their Olympic medals to the crowd. One pretended to take a bite, just to make sure it was real. Yep, it was gold—the color the Americans always used to win but hadn’t since 2000. Culminating a three-year mission to end years of embarrassment, the U.S. team survived a huge challenge from Spain, winning 118-107 in the gold-medal game Sunday. After overwhelming everyone for seven games, the Americans led by only four points with under 21/2 minutes to play. Then they proved they could handle a close game that it seemed would never come in Beijing. Their prize: the first U.S. gold medal since the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Argentina won the bronze with an 87-75 victory against Lithuania. Dwyane Wade scored 27 points for the Americans, who found a much gamer Spanish team than the one they humiliated by 37 points earlier in the tournament. Kobe Bryant added 20 points. In a game so devoid of defense that it felt more like an NBA All-Star game than one with a title at stake, the Americans had too much offense down the stretch. Bryant converted a clutch four-point play with 3:10 remaining, holding his finger to his lips to quiet the rowdy Spanish crowd behind the basket. Wade added another 3-pointer that made it 111-104 with just over 2 minutes left, and only then could the Americans relax a little. They began to celebrate during a break after some technical fouls on Spain with 26 seconds left, then partied at midcourt when it was over with “Born in the USA” blaring over the arena’s speakers. Nobody else had been close to the Americans in Beijing. This team’s only Olympic competition had been history, in a Dream matchup with guys named Jordan, Magic, Bird and the rest of the U.S. team that dominated the Barcelona Games in 1992. Forget comparisons to those guys. The Americans were lucky to be better than Spain on Sunday. Rudy Fernandez scored 22 points and Pau Gasol had 21 for the Spanish, the reigning world champions who were hoping to win their first Olympic gold. U.S. players appreciated the challenge, hugging the Spanish players afterward. Bryant had an especially long embrace for Gasol, patting his Los Angeles Lakers teammate on the back. Seeming to appreciate the moment, after congratulating Spain, the team joined in a circle, jumping up and down at center court and waving triumphantly to the crowd as Krzyzewski applauded on the sidelines. The Americans had won their first seven games by 30.3 points, including a 119-82 rout of Spain. But they never had control of this game, giving up open looks from the perimeter and plenty of points in the paint against the defending world champions, who were playing without injured point guard Jose Calderon. Bryant, who waited so long to finally wear the red, white and blue, hit two 3-pointers in a big fourth quarter to add the gold medal to his collection of basketball hardware. The three-time NBA champion and league MVP pounded his hands toward the floor in celebration at the end. Jason Kidd ran his record to 56-0 in senior international play and collected another gold to place alongside the one he earned in 2000, becoming the 13th U.S. player with multiple golds. That elite list, which includes Michael Jordan and seven other Dream Teamers, could grow in 2012. Paul and Dwight Howard said they would be in London if asked, and perhaps half this team could join them. Spain hit seven of its first nine shots, leading for much of the first quarter. A quick burst of 10 points by James and Wade had the U.S. advantage up to 14 points with 4 minutes left in the half, but Spain chipped away and trailed only 69-61 at the break. Fernandez’s 3-pointer cut it to 91-89 with 8:13 remaining in the game, but Bryant answered with a bucket and then a 3, and things seemed safe when James scored to make it 103-92. Spain made one last push to close within 108-104 on Carlos Jimenez’s 3-pointer, but Wade hit one on the other end, and the final score became lopsided when the Americans hit a bunch of free throws after the Spanish became frustrated and were called for the technicals. Reference: www.sterlingtiffany.com

It came late Sunday afternoon, shortly before the Closing Ceremony, from boxer Zhang Zhilei in the super heavyweight division, and the only thing that did not seem entirely appropriate as Zhang collected his prize was that he had just finished second. Gold, not silver, was the color that defined these Games for the Chinese. They finished with 51 gold medals, the highest figure for any nation at an Olympics in 20 years, and they won them across a wider range of sports than any team in Beijing. “Here the message is clear; you’ve got to win,” said China’s fencing coach Christian Bauer, a Frenchman, in an interview last week with the French newspaper L’Equipe. “When you’ve got a gold medal here, you’re somebody. When you have a silver, you’re not.” The individual most defined by gold, of course, was Michael Phelps, whose eight gold medals included dramatic, too-close-to-call finishes in the 100-meter butterfly and the 4x100 freestyle relay. It will take an unimaginable effort to trump Phelps. Who will have the ways and means to even compete in nine medal events at a future Olympics, much less win nine? Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter, certainly did all within his preternatural power to match Phelps’s global impact: winning the 100 and the 200 and the 4x100 relay all in world-record times and giving his ailing sport its latest shot of adrenaline. One can only hope that there is no dark epilogue to either Bolt’s or Phelps’s phenomenal success stories. This is an era when too many larger-than-life sports figures have turned out to be frauds, including Marion Jones, who has now been stripped of the five track and field medals she won in Sydney at the 2000 Games “I know, for me, I’m clean,” Phelps said. “I purposely wanted to do more tests to prove it. People can say what they want, but the facts are the facts.” The only prominent athlete to test positive during these Games was Lyudmila Blonska of Ukraine, who was stripped of her silver medal in the heptathlon and removed from the women’s long jump final. But the Games’ competitive landscape was also altered before the Olympics began when track’s governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations, suspended seven Russian athletes for tampering with their doping samples, including Yelena Soboleva, the overwhelming favorite to win the women’s 1,500 in Beijing. With Soboleva absent, the Kenyan women won their first Olympic gold medals on the track, taking the 800 and 1,500. The Russian Olympic team showed signs of decline, dropping to third in the overall medal standings behind the United States, which finished with 110, and China with its conveniently round 100. The Russians won 36 gold medals and 88 over all in 2000; they won 27 golds and 92 over all in Athens. This time the final tallies were 23 and 72. It will be intriguing to see whether Russia, with its increased national wealth and intention to upgrade its sports facilities, will be able to reverse the downward trend in time for London 2012. The Chinese, however, are clearly in the ascendancy. They continue to dominate in diving, weightlifting, badminton and table tennis. But they also won their first Olympic gold medals here in archery, rowing, boxing, sailing and the gymnastics discipline of trampoline. They won their first medals in beach volleyball, synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics and field hockey. In track and field, the Chinese won just two bronzes and lost their biggest status symbol, Liu Xiang, to an Achilles’ tendon injury before he could even clear the first hurdle. But Chinese athletes were so successful that even the disappointment of Liu could not spoil this extraordinary national celebration. With impeccable timing with London looming, the British were the biggest mover, climbing from 10th in the medals standings last time to fourth by any measure this time. Their 19 gold medals and 47 overall medals gave them their best overall performance at an Olympics in a century. Rebecca Adlington, their 19-year-old surprise double gold medalist in swimming, and Chris Hoy, their triple gold medalist in track cycling, will surely not lack for attention over the next four years. Nor, of course, will Phelps or Bolt, both of whom intend to compete in London. But they, like all future Olympians who try to match their achievements, now have an exceedingly difficult act to follow. referrence:www.sterlingtiffany.com

While his players hugged and shouted and leapt into one another’s arms Sunday after the United States men’s volleyball team won its first Olympic gold medal in 20 years, Coach Hugh McCutcheon walked off the court, alone. He headed for a hallway beneath the Capital Indoor Stadium and buried his shaved head in his hands. And, finally, he wept. “It was just too much for me to take,” he said. “For the past few weeks, I’ve been kind of compartmentalizing my emotions. Finally, the filters came down.” No matter how amazing it was to see his team defeat Brazil in four sets to win the gold medal, McCutcheon did not consider it a salve for the pain he has kept at bay during these Olympics. His father-in-law, Todd Bachman, will be laid to rest this Friday in Lakeville, Minn., after being killed here at a popular tourist site the day after the opening ceremony. His mother-in-law, Barbara Bachman, has been hospitalized with serious stab wounds from the same attack. She remains in good condition. The attacker threw himself to his death from the top of a nearby tower. McCutcheon gathered his composure after a few moments Sunday and returned to the floor to be with his team. His players, who had the initials “TB” and “BB” written in marker on their sneakers, had been looking for him. Scott Touzinsky, an outside hitter, gave McCutcheon a long, hard hug. “I told him that he deserves this,” Touzinsky said. “He has taken this program a long way. He had a smile on his face, and we haven’t seen that in a long, long time. It was a beautiful thing.” For 16 days, the United States team, undefeated at this tournament, surged forward after the attack placed a dark cloud over the start of the Games. McCutcheon missed the first three matches while he grieved and sat at his mother-in-law’s bedside. With the blessing of his family, McCutcheon returned and told his team that he was focused purely on volleyball. On the bench, he remained stoic, but his players said they could tell he was struggling to hide his heartache. “Hugh said he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, but he does,” said Lloy Ball, a four-time Olympian. “I think it fueled his fire even more to lead us to this victory.” McCutcheon called his wife after the match, telling her not much more than: “Hi. We’re gold medalists.” No more words were needed. She sent both teams an e-mail message last week, encouraging them to play hard. Both responded. The men came back from a set down to beat top-ranked Brazil, 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23. From the start, every player was energized, hitting the ball with a ferociousness that had yet to be seen in this tournament. The American players later said they had, in part, been playing for the Bachmans. “Making them happy, just for a moment, was a special feeling,” outside hitter Reid Priddy said. But there was no disguising it: they were also playing for themselves and their families — and for a lifetime of sacrifices they have made to succeed in their sport. Ball, 36, said he had been dreaming of winning an Olympic medal since he was 4. At the 1996 Atlanta Games, he and the team finished ninth. In 2000 in Sydney, Australia, they were 11th. In Athens in 2004, they were fourth, achingly close to a medal. So when that gold medal was finally around his neck, Ball said his entire sports career flashed through his head. Awash with those memories, he sprinted to the stands, jumped a barrier and then embraced his wife and his 7-year-old son, Dyer. “Your whole life has been spent on this one thing, focused on this one goal,” Ball said. “I can’t explain how good it feels to have finally reached it.” Before the match, middle blocker Ryan Millar made a celebration plan, just in case the United States won. He executed it almost perfectly. On the medal stand, Millar’s lips quivered while he sang the words of the national anthem, his eyes fixed on the American flag as it was raised to the rafters. McCutcheon stood on the side, staring at the flag. His eyes were clear. He remained frozen. Millar said, “It could have been a storybook ending, but, because of all the circumstances, that just won’t be possible.” referrence:www.sterlingtiffany.com