Star

Shawn Johnson finally ended her silver streak in Beijing with a gold medal on the balance beam. The world champion, who already had three silvers, edged fellow American Nastia Liukin, who finished with a gold, three silvers and a bronze.

Medals

The United States secured its 26th gold medal, and a total of 79 medals overall, while China has 43 golds and 76 medals overall.

Gym Dandy

China’s men swept both events on the final day, with Zou Kai winning high bar and Li Xaiopeng winning parallel bars. China took all but one men’s event, the vault — in which there was no Chinese finalist. China’s men won the team title, Yang Wei took the all-around, and the Chinese also took the still rings, pommel horse and floor exercise.

A-Hoy!

Britain’s Chris Hoy won his third gold medal, beating teammate Jason Kenny in the men’s track cycling sprint. Hoy’s earlier medals were in the men’s team sprint and the keirin.

Chinese takeout

Dawn Harper of the United States won the women’s 100-meter hurdles after teammate Lolo Jones, who had a clear lead and was pulling away, was knocked off balance when she hit the next-to-last hurdle. … Sylvia Fowles had 26 points and 14 rebounds to help the U.S. women’s basketball team beat South Korea 104-60 and advance to the semifinals. … The U.S. women’s water polo team advanced to the gold medal match with a 9-8 victory over Australia and will face the Netherlands on Thursday. … American Henry Cejudo, a 21-year-old prodigy who had competed in only one world-level senior tournament before Beijing, won the gold medal in men’s freestyle 55-kilogram wrestling by defeating Tomohiro Matsunaga of Japan. … American Anna Tunnicliffe came from behind to win women’s Laser Radial class sailing. … Argentina beat Brazil and will face Nigeria in a rematch of the 1996 men’s soccer final in Atlanta, when the Africans won 3-2 for their first and only title.

Quote

“There’s so many people concerned about me and who support me. I feel very sorry. But there’s really nothing I could do.” — Popular Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, who pulled out of the 110-meter hurdles Monday due to injury.

Wednesday’s schedule highlight

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt races in the 200 meters, trying to become the first man since American Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200, which begins at 10:20 p.m. (10:20 a.m. EDT).