Sunisa Lee was inspired by Simone Biles' presence as she claimed gold in the women's all-around gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics.
Lee is the first Hmong American to compete for the United States at the Olympics and, in Biles' absence, stepped up to deliver the nation's fifth successive gold in the event.
The 18-year-old joins Carly Patterson (2004), Nastia Liukin (2008), Gabby Douglas (2012) and Biles (2016) on that list.
Biles, a four-time gold medallist at the Rio Games, competed in only one event in Tuesday's team competition at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, registering the lowest score of the first rotation before she then left the floor with a trainer.
She then withdrew from the event, revealing she had chosen to prioritise her mental health and stating she had been "fighting demons".
Biles, 24, subsequently chose not to compete in Thursday's final, but was on hand to support her team from the sidelines.
"It sucks that I couldn’t have Simone on the floor with me, but just to have her in the arena was very helpful because she is an inspiration to me and someone I look up to," said a jubilant Lee.
Biles' absence did present its own challenges, however.
"I just had to switch gears because we came in competing for second place. So when the opportunity was there I knew I had to do what I normally do because this whole season I was second to her [Biles]." Lee added.
"I felt there was a lot of pressure on me because I have been second to her the whole season, so I knew that people were kind of counting on me to either get second or win a gold medal.
"I tried not to focus on that because I knew I would get too nervous, and I probably would have gotten in my head."
Lee also hailed the advice she received from the more experienced members of her team, continuing: "They told me to go out there and not worry about anything else. I was starting to put a little too much pressure on myself. Knowing that Simone was gone, I was starting to put that pressure on myself that I had to come back with a medal.
"I tried not to think about it and just focus on myself. That is what they told me to do, to just do what I normally do and that is when I compete the best."
Rebeca Andrade of Brazil claimed silver, and she paid tribute to Biles' decision to withdraw to focus on her own wellbeing.
"It was different for me because Simone is incredible," she said.
"Knowing why she left the competition was very difficult. People need to understand we are not robots. We are human beings, and we have feelings like anyone else. That is the same in the competition.
"We know what it feels like to feel the pressure, but I tried to keep my cool. I tried to put into practice everything that I learned with my psychologist, and it worked. I did what I could and I could not be happier. I wish the best to everyone."
Tatum will not make snap decision on 2028 Olymipcs
Jayson Tatum is not going to discount playing for the United States at the 2028 Olympics, despite limited minutes this time around.
Tatum, a star of the NBA last season with the all-conquering Boston Celtics, had to settle for a bench role at the Paris Games.
He played 11 minutes in Saturday's gold medal game as Team USA saw off hosts France to take the Olympic crown for a fifth straight time.
Tatum did not play at all in two of the USA's games – the group-stage and semi-final meetings with Nikola Jokic's Serbia.
But that does not necessarily mean he would not want to feature for Team USA at the Los Angeles Games in four years.
"It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I'm not going to make any decision off [of] emotions.
"If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028, it is four years from now and I [would have] to take time and think about that.
"So I'm not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually.
"A lot of people text me and reached out and said 'Make sure this fuels you,' which I appreciate. There's a lot of people that care about me.
"I think the tough part is yes, you can use things to fuel you, but I'm still human.
"I've sacrificed and put a lot into this game and work really, really hard. So in the moment it is tough. You're not necessarily worried about fuelling for November or [whenever] the [NBA] season is, but like I said, it's something I'm going to take away from this and learn from this experience.
"It's definitely challenging and humbling at the same time."
Success in the men's basketball was one of 40 golds Team USA scooped at the Paris Games, as they topped the medal table with 126 overall (44 silver, 42 bronze).
China placed second overall, matching Team USA's tally of golds but collecting just 27 silver and 24 bronze.
France might have fallen short in the basketball but they enjoyed a brilliant Games overall to finish fifth.
Curry 'blessed' after claiming first Olympic gold
Stephen Curry says he feels "blessed" to have won his first Olympic gold medal after leading the United States to a 98-87 win over France on Saturday.
Curry shot 8-of-13 from 3-point range in a late masterclass as Team USA held off a late charge from France, sinking four of those after Victor Wembanyama had narrowed their lead to just three points.
It was the USA's fifth straight Olympic gold medal, though Curry's first as he shone on his debut at the Paris Games, and he is cherishing the victory.
"I've been blessed," Curry told NBC after the game. "This ranks very high in terms of the excitement and the sense of relief in getting to the finish line.
"I knew if I got to my spot [to make those late jumps] I could knock it down."
Wembanyama finished with a game-high 26 points for France, while Guerschon Yabusele also had 20, with 15 of those coming in the first half.
Despite falling just short in their late comeback, Wembanyama was in high spirits after claiming silver, though he already has his sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
"I never dreamed of this moment," said Wembanyama. "It is incredible. I couldn't have asked for a better team, better coaches.
"The games were really high intensity, and we could have lost by 20 points, but we kept fighting. I will be going for gold in four years' time."
Curry hails 'no quit' attitude after stunning USA comeback
Stephen Curry praised the United States' "no quit" attitude after proving the hero in their thrilling comeback victory over Serbia in the Olympics semi-final.
Serbia entered the fourth quarter of the game with a 13-point lead, but a stunning late comeback from the USA, who have won gold in each of the last four Olympics, instead saw them prevail 95-91.
Curry starred for Team USA, scoring 36 points, the second-highest scoring game by an individual in the team's Olympic history, and his two free throws in the dying seconds ensured Serbia were unable to force any more drama.
And Curry explained how the lure of a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal spurred them to avoid the shock defeat.
"We talked about it the whole way, all summer," he said. "No matter how it looked, we were going to be challenged at some point.
"Outside of the exhibition series we had a pretty smooth road. Serbia are tough. They're a great team.
"Playing them three times, it's always hard to beat a team that many times, so to come back the way we did was amazing.
"We have no quit, and we know how much this means to win a gold medal with this group and the moment we have in front of us.
"Obviously, I hit the big three, but our defence carried us. Defence wins games in any league, especially in FIBA, so it was pretty special."
Serbia at one point held a 17-point lead in the first half, with NBA MVP Nikola Jokic getting 17 points and 11 assists, though they floundered in the closing stages.
While Curry took most of the headlines, LeBron James made his mark too, tying the game at 84-84 with four minutes remaining.
He got 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to finish with a triple-double, becoming the first player ever to complete the feat twice at the Olympics.
He echoed Curry's sentiments on Serbia's strength, noting how that helped to get the best out of the USA.
"Give a lot of credit to Serbia," James said. "They gave us everything they had.
"It's a great team. They played exceptionally well. They tested us and we needed that."
The USA will face hosts France in the gold-medal match on Saturday.
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