Argentina and USA win gold at Youth Olympic Games 2018

BUENOS AIRES (Youth Olympic Games 2018) -  Argentina's men and USA's women struck gold at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 17, 2018.

2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medalists Argentina won gold at home after defeating  Belgium in the final (20-15) in one of the loudest days in 3x3 history thanks to thousands and thousands of fans packing the stands and the surroundings of the 3x3 venue located in the Urban Park.

Argentina's Marco Giordano took over in the final scoring 11 points for the  winners while Moussa Noterman had 10 for Belgium.

In the men's bronze-medal game, Slovenia defeated Ukraine 21-13 to win their first Youth Olympic Games medal in the 3x3 team's competition. 

FIBA President Horacio Muratore and IOC Member Dr Gerardo Werthein presented the players with the silverware.

In the women's category, USA won back-to-back gold medals after dominating France (18-4) in the final. It's the third time that USA have won a Youth Olympic Games medal after Nanjing 2014's gold and Singapore 2010's bronze.  This is the second silver medal France have earned this year in this category after the one they took home at the FIBA 3x3 U18 Europe Cup 2018 in September.

Aliyah Boston and  Paige Bueckers dropped 6 points apiece for USA in the final.

In the bronze-medal game, 2010 Youth Olympic Games gold medalists Australia were up from start to finish against China and won 16-13 .

IOC Member Ivo Ferriani and Athlete Role Model Janeth Arcain handed out the prizes to the medalists.



FIBA President Horacio Muratore and IOC President Thomas Bach watched the 3x3 action at the Youth Olympic Games.

In the individual contests, more players were awarded medals, which were presented by FIBA and IOC officials - including FIBA Vice-President Hamane Niang, German Basketball Federation President and FIBA Treasurer Ingo Weiss and  IOC member Willi Kaltschmitt Luján.

In the Shoot-Out Contest, Mathilde Peyregne struck gold for France after scoring 9 points in 49 seconds. Katerina Galickova, from Czech Republic, won silver after getting  8 points in 44 seconds, 5 seconds faster than Argentina's Sofia Acevedo, who won bronze.

Fausto Ruega (Argentina) won gold at the dunk contest after defeating Russia's Nikita Remizov by unanimous decision in a fourth dunk play-off in the final after both dunkers were tied with 81 points. Niccolo Filoni (Italy) won bronze with 51 points.

Final Standings of the Youth Olympic Games 2018

Men
1. Argentina
2. Belgium
3. Slovenia
4. Ukraine
5. Italy
6. Russia
7. Brazil
8. Georgia
9. Estonia
10. USA
11. New Zealand
12. China
13. Latvia
14. Venezuela
15. Kazakhstan
16. Turkmenistan
17. Mongolia
18. Kyrgyzstan
19. Andorra
20. Jordan

Women
1. USA
2. France
3. Australia
4. China
5. Hungary
6. Argentina
7. Ukraine
8. Netherlands
9. Mexico
10. Spain
11. Germany
12 Romania
13. Venezuela
14. Estonia
15. Indonesia
16. Czech Republic
17. Sri Lanka
18. Egypt
19. Iran
20. Andorra

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ABOUT FIBA 3x3

Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court. 

It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefited from the launch of a yearly city-based FIBA 3x3 World Tour (www.fiba.basketball/3x3worldtour) and national-team FIBA 3x3 World & Continental Cups. On June 9, 2017, 3x3 was added to the Olympic Program, starting from the Tokyo 2020 Games. 

For further information about 3x3, visit FIBA3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo, Tencent, Twitter, Youku and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.com.