Here are five takeaways from Day Fifteen at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

China consolidates table tennis dynasty

Wang Manyu, Sun Yingsha, and Chen Meng won gold in the table tennis Women's Team Gold medal match on Saturday claiming China's 300th gold medal in Summer Olympics history but more impressively completing an incredible clean sweep of Paris Olympic gold medals in the table tennis for China. 

The Chinese team won 3-0 against a determined Japanese squad, clinching a fifth gold medal from five Paris 2024 table tennis events after Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, and Wang Chuqin won in the Men's Team gold medal match on Friday.

It means China will see out the Paris 2024 Olympics as the undisputed table tennis masters adding another illustrious chapter to China's table tennis legacy and providing China with 5 important gold medals that help them towards their top-of-the-table position. 

China had come close at Tokyo 2020 only for the host nation Japan to secure gold in the Mixed Doubles and defy China the chance of a clean sweep. In Paris 2024, however, China reigned supreme across all events.

NBA all-stars end French hopes 

After China's table tennis clean sweep USA had a chance to chase its top-of-the-table rival in a mouthwatering men's basketball final against host nation France. 

There have only ever been three Olympic basketball finals that have not featured the United States, and the USA has secured a gold in every Olympics since 2004. Add to that the star-studded final lineup featuring LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, and it's safe to say the USA team fancied their chances.

Between the USA and a fifth successive Olympic men's gold stood a French side spearheaded by 20-year-old NBA Rookie of the Year, Victor Wenbanyama but despite a late fightback and tremendous resolve from France, there was no Miracle on the Seine.

The USAsealed the deal winning 98-87 at the Bercy Arena to add another gold medal to their impressive tally.

The French knew they would have to stop Stephen Curry but the ten-time NBA All-Star proved too much and scored three incredible shots from beyond the arc to ensure consolation points from Nando de Colo and Victor Wembanyama did little to stop the USA in its course.

Consecutive golds for Kenya's Kipyegon

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon made history on Day 15 becoming the first athlete to win three consecutive Olympic 1500m gold medals. 

Having won at Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016, the 30-year-old blazed to victory setting a new Olympic record at the Stade de France with her time of 3:51.29 beating the record she herself set at the last Olympics in Tokyo.

She had already clinched a silver medal in the 5000m behind fellow Kenyan Beatrice Chebet but it was the 1500 title that would complete the Olympic 'hat-trick' that she had set her eyes on.

Super sub Tamirat Tola takes gold as a legend bows out

In the men's marathon, all eyes were on Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge who was attempting to seal his own unprecedented hat-trick of Olympic marathon titles but sadly, the marathon legend's final bow ended in disappointment as he did not finish the race due to a back injury.

The gruelling race, dubbed the most difficult marathon in Olympic history, was instead won by Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola who set a new Olympic record of two hours six minutes 26 seconds to secure Ethiopia's first gold of the Games.

Remarkably, the 32-year-old was not even expecting to compete in Paris until two weeks ago when he entered as a substitute following an injury to teammate Sisay Lemma.

"Sisay told me that it was better for him to drop out and for me to compete saying 'You can do better than me in my condition.' So it is thanks to him, this victory also belongs to him for giving me this opportunity" said Tola.

"I am happy today because I fulfilled my goal," Tola said. "I prepared well. I trained hard so I could win. In my life, this is my great achievement."

Slovenia's Janja Garnbret scales greater heights

The Le Bourget Climbing Venue witnessed its last climbing spectacle after an exhilarating week of climbing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games came to an end. 

Slovenia's Janja Garnbret stole the show in the Women's Combined Sport climbing event despite suffering from a finger injury in the Olympic bouldering showdown which ultimately proved too tough for all eight finalists.

The defending Olympic champion beat out competition from friend and training partner Brooke Raboutou of Team USA to secure her second Olympic title and become the most successful Slovenian athlete at the Summer Olympics. 

After scoring highest on a route that former Olympian Shauna Coxsey described as "quite possibly the hardest route that we’ve ever seen in women’s competition in elite climbing,” Garnbret was quickly embraced by silver-medallist Raboutou who ran onto the stage to celebrate with the champion exhibiting the camaraderie between Olympic climbers.

So, who's at the top of the medal table at the end of Day Fifteen?

As the penultimate day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games draws to a close both the People's Republic of China and the USA strove to add to their gold tallies but it was the former that ended the day on top with 39 gold medals.

While the USA's total of 122 medals is higher than China's 90, the USA sits second going into the final day trailing China by one with 38 gold medals.

Australia are some way behind the frontrunners in third with 18 gold medals, 18 silver medals, and 14 bronze medals with Japan on their tails having also won 18 golds but just 12 silvers and 13 bronzes.

Host nation, France makes up the top five with 16 golds, 24 silvers and 22 bronzes while Team GB sits below them in sixth with 14 golds, 22 silvers, and 27 bronzes.

Bring on the closing ceremony!