Thursday, today at the Games

Thursday at the Games

Water polo

The Netherlands against the United States and, you guessed it, more heartbreak for the Americans.

Danielle de Bruijn scored seven goals in her final Olympic game, including the game-winner with 26 seconds remaining for a 9-8 victory in the gold-medal match. The Americans came back from a 4-0 deficit but couldn't stop De Bruijn.

"I face a knee surgery, and after that, I am retiring from international competition," she said. "It has been tough years, and now I think I will do other things in my life besides water polo."

Women's basketball

Diana Taurasi scored 21 points and Tina Thompson added 15 to help the U.S. women pull away from Russia 67-52 to take the gold medal game against Australia, which routed China 90-56.

"We were ready for this test, and it was a test," U.S. point guard Sue Bird said. "They played a great game. Even when we weren't making our shots, they seemed to be making everything. We never got rattled. We stayed poised and our defense really led us through this."

The U.S. had been averaging 99.2 points as they cruised through the first six games, winning by 43 points a contest.

Belinda Snell had 16 points to help the Aussies, sending them back to the gold-medal game for the third straight time — and to yet another matchup with the United States. They have lost to the Americans in the medal round of the past three Olympics.

Taekwondo

American Mark Lopez came within one kick — and one second — of winning gold.

South Korea, which has never failed to get at least a bronze in its native martial art, took the two taekwondo golds on the second day of competition, with Son Tae-jin scoring in the final second to send Lopez home to Texas with a silver.

But there is some consolation. Lopez's kid sister, Diana, got a bronze. And his big brother and two-time Olympic champion Steven still has a shot at the gold.

Son beat Mark Lopez in the men's 68-kilogram taekwondo competition.

"He threw a kick and I threw a kick and in my humble opinion I thought it should have been 1-1," Lopez said. "But I respect the judges' decision in giving him a point and not me. ... It's a subjective sport."