PARIS -- For nearly a year, the question of whether International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach would seek another term has hung over the movement.

On Saturday, Bach settled it, announcing at the end of the IOC session that he would not continue on and would call for an election next year. For Bach to have sought a third term would have required an amendment to the Olympic charter whose principles on term limits Bach helped write.

The German lawyer has led the IOC since he was elected to an eight-year term in 2013 and another four-year term in 2021.

The decision will bring to the forefront a campaign to replace Bach, who said he would ask the executive board to approve a March 2025 election with the new president to start his or her term on June 24.

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Team USA men’s basketball defeated France 98-87 at Bercy Arena on Saturday, besting the host country in Paris to win its fifth straight gold medal at the Summer Games. The “riveting and well-played final” was a “spirited affair” (WASHINGTON POST, 8/10). France’s Victor Wembanyama “did everything he could to deliver an Olympic gold medal,” and so did a “spirited French audience, which turned a basketball game into a drum-banging, tricolor-flag-waving, raucous spectacle” (WASHINGTON POST, 8/10).

Team USA “made good on its promise” Saturday by winning arguably the “toughest road game in U.S. history” (THE ATHLETIC, 8/10). Fans were “packed to the rafters” for every basketball game since the sport took over Bercy Arena for the knockout stages. Arena staff “laid French flags in every seat in the section behind one of the baskets.” Fans “banged a drum, chanted throughout the game and waved giant posters of players’ heads” (L.A. TIMES, 8/10).

In the final minutes, the “greatest shooter in history," Team USA's Stephen Curry, "took charge, effortlessly scoring 12 points in the last three minutes, silencing the crowd” (LE MONDE, 8/11). Fans have “witnessed plenty of magic” at these Summer Olympics, but what Curry did Saturday in Paris is “probably the apex” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/11). Never in Curry’s “surefire Hall of Fame career has he had a golden moment like this” (N.Y. POST, 8/10). What Curry did in the final minutes against Serbia and France “will be remembered forever” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/10). When Curry stood on the “highest step of the medal podium, he couldn’t stop smiling.” Curry said, “It was everything I imagined” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/10).

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff was in Paris to take in Team USA’s gold medal win over France, seated right next to French President Emmanuel Macron. So too were NBC's Jimmy Fallon, U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, and former NBAers Scottie Pippen, Carmelo Anthony, Stephon Marbury, Tony Parkerand Pau Gasol. Also, there were Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, Ali Krieger and Tobin Heath (N.Y. POST, 8/10). A “glitzy courtside row" also included Draymond Green, Dirk Nowitzki and Thierry Henry (WASHINGTON POST, 8/10). NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sat with IOC President Thomas Bach (SBJ).

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The USWNT “reclaimed its legacy" on Saturday and launched a “thrilling new era” in their 1-0 win over Brazil in the gold-medal game at the Parc des Princes. This win “firmly puts last year’s World Cup disaster in the past" and “kickstarted the Emma Hayes era with a golden flourish” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/10). The win “signaled the evolution and return to international power” of the USWNT. In reasserting a “once-dominant team,” the U.S. is “back in the sport it owned for so long.” With gold comes the "claim to that stature" (MIAMI HERALD, 8/10).

The IOC today said that U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles "must return the bronze medal she was awarded on floor exercise." This comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport "voided the inquiry that boosted the U.S. gymnast from fifth place to third." U.S. Olympic officials said that they "will appeal the CAS decision." If the voided inquiry is upheld, the IOC will "reallocate the medal to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu." The CAS ruled the inquiry put in by Chiles’ coaches to upgrade her difficulty score was "four seconds too late" after the Romanian gymnastics federation "petitioned" (L.A. TIMES, 8/11). In the history of Olympic gymnastics, only one medal has been "stripped for non-doping reasons," coming in 2000 when investigators found the Chinese women’s gymnastics team had one participant below the minimum competition age (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/11). It was "unclear the exact process the appeal would take first." The two potential places the USOPC could take the appeal "would be to Switzerland's highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights" (AP, 8/11).

Chiles “did nothing wrong." She "didn’t dope" and "didn’t cheat." She "didn’t break any laws" and "wasn't even the one who submitted an appeal that we know now was done four seconds too late.” She is losing her bronze medal "because of a procedural error.” The “supposed adults in charge screwed up, but it’s Chiles who is paying the price.” Chiles is “as much a victim in this wretchedly avoidable scenario as Barbosu” (USA TODAY, 8/11). What is happening -- and has happened -- is a “travesty of borderline technical malfeasance that has toyed with the emotions of two women who have done nothing wrong.” The people in charge “seem to have finally done what nothing else could: douse Jordan Chiles’ Olympic spirit” (THE ATHLETIC, 8/10).

World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst said that the “only action national boxing federations can take to ensure the sport is included" on the 2028 L.A. Games program is “joining World Boxing.” The IOC has not included the sport on the LA28 program yet and has “urged national boxing federations to appoint a new global boxing body or risk missing out on the Olympics in four years.” IOC President Thomas Bach on Friday said that a decision on boxing's inclusion at the L.A. Games “has to be made in 2025” (REUTERS, 8/10).

Van der Vorst expects to expand World Boxing's membership base to “50 national federations or more in the weeks after the conclusion of the tumultuous Paris Olympics.” The organization already has 37 members, including most of the top Western national federations. The organization still “faces a major obstacle in the intransigence of many longtime IBA members who either rely financially on the banned body or align politically with its leadership.” The challenge will be to “recruit many key members, including some of the world’s top federations at the moment” (AP, 8/11).

Meanwhile, the two women boxers "caught up in the gender row" have won gold medals. Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting won 57kg gold and Alegria’s Imane Khelif claimed the 66kg gold. Khelif has now “filed a legal complaint against what she says was ‘misogynistic, racist and sexist’ cyber bullying experienced during the past fortnight." It is now up to the French prosecutor to decide “whether there is enough evidence to open a criminal case.” Lin’s two opponents before the final "protested her inclusion in Paris by crossing their fingers in an ‘XX’ sign,” in reference to female chromosomes. Unlike those opponents, Poland’s Julia Szeremeta “accepted defeat graciously” following the gold medal bout (London TIMES, 8/10).

African National Olympic Committees Association Head Mustapha Berraf today said that Egypt will “bid to host the 2036 and 2040 Summer Olympics," with the country’s “improving infrastructure and sports facilities key for a successful African bid.” The continent has never staged an Olympic Games, with Cairo last making an unsuccessful bid for the 2008 Games. Egypt has “spent billions of dollars building facilities, stadiums and sports complexes in recent years” as part of its “plans to modernise the country.” Berraf mentioned that another African bid “could potentially materialise with South Africa's Cape Town considering an Olympic candidacy.” He did not say for which Games it would bid (REUTERS, 8/11).

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday that the Paris Games have been an "'inspiration' for a future German Olympic bid." German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser last week signed a memorandum of understanding which “officially signaled Germany's intention to bid for the 2040 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games” -- which would mark the 50th anniversary of German reunification (DW.com, 8/9).

Here are the final medal results from the 2024 Paris Games, with Team USA finishing with the most overall medals at 126. At the 2020 Tokyo Games, the U.S. won the most medals overall, with 113, and the most gold medals, with 39.

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The U.S. won by far the most medals in track and field with 34 overall, the most for the U.S. since winning 40 the 1984 L.A. Games. Team USA also has the most in each color with 14 golds, 11 silvers and nine bronze medals. In a distant second was Kenya with 11 overall medals (USA TODAY, 8/11). One of those U.S. medalists was high jumper Shelby McEwen, who “passed on the chance to share gold" with New Zealand's Hamish Kerr, instead "engaging in a jump-off to try to win the men’s high jump final outright" and ended up with silver instead. He was being “panned on social media because Team USA was embroiled in a gold medal count battle with China,” and McEwen could have added one to the U.S. total. However, “no athlete in any individual sport should ever be expected to play for a tie” (USA TODAY, 8/11).

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The NWSL and NWSLPA have "agreed on a new long-term collective bargaining agreement." Players plan to announce the new deal “later this month.” The NWSLPA “appeared to respond” to an initial report from Sportico on Friday that a new CBA had been agreed, writing on X: “Any news concerning the Players’ lives will be shared directly by them, on their terms. Respect that. Stay tuned. In the meantime, we’re cheering for all our members playing in the gold medal match” (THE ATHLETIC, 8/9). The new CBA will run through 2030 after the current deal -- negotiated in 2022 -- would have expired in 2026. No details for the new CBA were available, but they “generally concern player movement, free agency and trades” (AP, 8/9).

Steelers President Art Rooney II said that he anticipates the team “could play an international game next year" and pointed to Mexico and Ireland as the “likely destinations.” Those countries would be “no surprise given the franchise’s connections and marketing rights with both.” Rooney said, "I think there's a good chance we'll play, in the 2025 season, that we'll have an international game. Of course, it's up to the league, not up to us. We're kind of due for that.” The Steelers have not played outside the U.S. since losing to the Vikings in London in 2013. Rooney also referred back to a 1997 exhibition the Steelers played in Ireland, in which the Rooney family has “deep roots.” Rooney said, “It was a lot of fun and well received. We have a lot of Steeler fans in Ireland, so it would be fun to get over there again” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE 8/9).

Florida State is scheduled to “enter mediation next week” with the ACC over their legal dispute around the enforceability of its grant of rights in an initial step to leave the conference, according to sources. While it is a “significant step in the proceedings," the mediation phase is an “expected one and is not guaranteed to produce a settlement decision.” The neutral mediator "has been chosen," and the two sides, “barring something unforeseen, will convene for the talks next week.” FSU is attempting to "exit the conference without paying both the exit fee and the cost of buying out its media right,” which it agreed years ago to grant to the conference. A settlement, "in all likelihood, would involve a compromise in the multimillion-dollar exit fee" (YAHOO SPORTS, 8/9).

Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens said he is "going to stay totally out of" the ongoing process by team owners to sell their majority stake. Stevens said he is "thankful to the Grousbecks, to Wyc and Irv and everything they’ve done for all of us." He added they will "run their process," and he does not "know who’s all involved." Stevens said of co-owner Steve Pagliuca, who plans to bid for the majority stake in the Celtics, "I love working with him. At the same time, I’m not going to be the one involved in the bidding process at all. So I’m just staying out of it." Stevens said the basketball side has "really tried to be basketball operations, just stay the course, do what we’ve talked about and planned for a long, long time, and just keep doing what we’re doing." He said the sales process is "going to be interesting to watch, for sure” (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/10).

Plaintiffs’ attorneys in the Fontenot v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit, which is not part of a recent $2.78B settlement agreement, filed a motion Friday asking a judge to “deny preliminary approval of the deal.” The attorneys said that the agreement to three antitrust lawsuits facing the association and five major conferences is "settling for 'just pennies on the dollar.'” A preliminary approval hearing in front of U.S. Judge Claudia Wilken in the Northern District of California has been scheduled for Sept. 5 (AP, 8/9).

CrossFit CEO Don Faul on Friday said that the organization initiated an investigation into athlete Lazar Dukic’s drowing, which “will include an independent third-party review," according to Lee, Bellware & Paul of the WASHINGTON POST. Following Dukic's death on Thursday, Faul in a statement said they “made the decision to move forward with the 2024 CrossFit Games, dedicated to Lazar Dukic.” Lee, Bellware & Paul noted some of the questions about the game’s safety precautions "concern CrossFit’s decision to have athletes begin Thursday at 7am with a 3.5-mile run before tackling the half-mile swim." Experts said that other multisport endurance events with a swimming component, such as triathlons, “generally have athletes begin in the water, based on the notion that it’s safest to swim when entrants are least fatigued.” CrossFit did not respond to a request for comment Saturday seeking more information about the safety measures. Faul at a news conference Thursday said that CrossFit had a “fully planned and documented safety plan" in place, but did not provide additional details, saying that those “will be part of the information that’s to come as part of the investigation” (WASHINGTON POST, 8/9).

MORE CONSIDERATIONS: In Fort Worth, Mac Engel noted the decision to proceed with the CrossFit games was "not finalized until late Thursday evening." After event directors conferred with some of the athletes, and Dukic’s family, the decision was “made to keep going.” This is an international event that while it is "certainly not the Olympics it does have a loyal following, and canceling this would have been difficult.” People are “nervous to say it because of the implications,” but the drowning death of Dukic “should not have happened.” Having the CrossFit Games in Texas in August is “one of those decisions that needed more consideration.” This is the first time in the 18-year history of the event it is in Texas. Then there is the decision to “hold the swimming event after the running.” In triathlons, the swim is always the first event. CrossFit does have its protocols and procedures in case of emergency but what happened on Thursday morning was “simply human error” (FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/9).

Singer Luke Combs brought QB C.J. Stroud and other Texans players "on stage with him" at his Houston concert on Saturday. Texans CEO & Chair Cal McNair "took the break in the concert to another level” as he “shotgunned a beer with Combs" before the singer broke into his 2020 hit “1, 2 Many.” Stroud "stuck around for the entire show" while Combs sported a Texans ballcap (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/11).

Meanwhile, Jets QB Aaron Rodgers made a "surprise appearance at Madison Square Garden for a comedy event" on Saturday night. At the end of a live episode of the “Kill Tony” podcast at MSG, Rodgers was seen “launching several footballs into the crowd.” Rodgers was joined by host Tony Hinchcliffe as well as a “bevy of comedians,” including Joe Rogan, Shane Gillis, Joey Diaz, Jeff Ross, Andrew Dice Clay and others (N.Y. POST, 8/10).

Brewers players and coaches "hopped onto around 30 golf carts" about an hour and a half before Saturday's game against the Reds and were "driven through American Family Field parking lots to surprise fans and toss out a couple thousand shirts" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/10).

ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” is back in Seattle for the first time in 20 years for tonight's Mets-Mariners game at T-Mobile Park. The telecast last visited Seattle for a White Sox-Mariners games on June 6, 2004 (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/10).

Indiana Fever G Caitlin Clark, along with boyfriend Connor McCaffery, hit Yankee Stadium as part of her Olympic break for the Yankees’ doubleheader against the Rangers, "getting a tour of the grounds before the game, while also meeting some players" (N.Y. POST, 8/10).

“You don’t like us, man. Why do you do this to yourself? No, I’m serious. Why do you do this? Like you know you don’t. Like why do you do this?” -- Univ. of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders, to a Denver Post reporter at a press conference Friday, on his perception that the outlet does not like his team (N.Y. POST, 8/9).

Brent Larkin, the editorial director of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER from 1991 to his retirement in 2009, writes for the publication under the header, "Browns stadium fight all about enriching team’s owners." The Browns "should stop lying about why they want to build a domed stadium in suburban Brook Park." What it is "really about is enriching Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam." 

On the Olympics:

• Women experienced the best of the Olympics -- and the worst -- in Paris.

• Have the 2024 Olympics really changed the game for women in sports?

• The Olympics’ toughest act: Balancing sports and politics.

• From Snoop Dogg to Simone Biles, Olympics were welcome break from world woes.

• Did Snoop Dogg just save an Olympic sport from itself? Sort of.

• Can America keep winning the Olympics? The key is in the future of college sports.

• A lot of Olympic dreams are in the hands of NCAA schools. Gee, what could go wrong?

Also:

• What goes into Kansas City Current game day at CPKC Stadium? More than you might think.

• How much should a UFC event cost? On pay-per-view, piracy and the UFC's broadcast future.

• College football's next big problem: Parity.

• College football becoming like the NFL? Bring it on.

• Why European soccer headed to the U.S. for preseason -- and what comes next?