In its semifinal game of the 2024 Paris Olympics, France’s national women’s basketball team came back from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat Belgium 82-75 in overtime Friday.
For the French, it was a significant accomplishment. Not only did they earn the victory in front of an energized home crowd eager for international glory on home soil, but they guaranteed themselves of a medal and moved one step closer to winning the country’s first-ever gold medal in women’s basketball.
That wasn’t all their win achieved, either.
By defeating the Belgians, France moved on to its first Olympic gold medal women’s basketball game since 2012, where it will take on the United States, the seven-time reigning gold medalist.
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If that pairing looks familiar, it’s because it is — Team USA and France will also be facing off in the gold medal game on the men’s side.
Just how rare of a feat is that?
Here’s what you need to know about Olympic basketball gold medal games and whether there have been identical matchups between countries in the men’s and women’s tournaments at a single Games:
How many times have the same countries played in the Olympic gold medal game in men’s and women’s basketball?
France’s win against Belgium Friday in the women’s bracket did more than just keep the French’s gold medal dreams alive. It made a bit of history, too.
This weekend in Paris will mark the first time ever that the men’s and women’s basketball gold medal games at the Olympics featured the same two countries squaring off.
Though men’s basketball has been included at the Olympics since 1936, women’s basketball didn’t make its Olympic debut until the 1976 Montreal Games.
Despite its lack of historical precedent, the idea of it happening coming into the Paris Games wasn’t far-fetched.
The meeting between the American and French men is actually a rematch of the gold medal game from the 2020 Tokyo Games, which Team USA won 87-82. On the women’s side, the United States has an active 60-game Olympic win streak and France has been one of the best international teams for more than a decade, having advanced to the semifinals in each of the past four Olympics.
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How many times has a country won the Olympic gold medal in men’s and women’s basketball in the same year?
The same country has won the gold medal in men’s and women’s basketball at the same Olympics seven times before, with all those sweeps coming courtesy of the United States.
The Americans have won the gold in both the men’s and women’s competition at each of the past four Olympics and six of the past seven.
Here’s a look at when it has happened:
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1984: United States
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1996: United States
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2000: United States
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2008: United States
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2012: United States
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2016: United States
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2020: United States
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What channel is the Team USA men’s basketball Olympic gold medal game?
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Date: Saturday, August 10
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Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
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TV channel: NBC | Telemundo
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Streaming: NBCOlympics.com | NBC Olympics app | Peacock | Fubo (free trial)
Saturday’s men’s basketball gold medal game between the United States and France will air on NBC, with tip-off scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. There is a Spanish language broadcast available on Telemundo.
Streaming options for the game include NBCOlympics.com, the NBC Olympics app, Peacock and Fubo, the last of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
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What channel is the Team USA women’s basketball Olympic gold medal game?
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Date: Sunday, August 11
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Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
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TV channel: NBC | Telemundo
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Streaming: NBCOlympics.com | NBC Olympics app | Peacock | Fubo (free trial)
Sunday’s women’s basketball gold medal game between the United States and France will air on NBC, with tip-off scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET. A Spanish language broadcast will be available on Telemundo.
Streaming options for the game include NBCOlympics.com, the NBC Olympics app, Peacock and Fubo, the last of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Have the same countries ever played in the basketball gold medal games at the Olympics?
