The 25 most memorable moments from the Tokyo Summer Olympics

Baseball and softball were back on the Olympic menu for the first time since 2008. The host nation of Japan swept gold in both events, beating the United States in each final contest by matching 2-0 scores. However, the showings by both American squads were highly entertaining. Softball, which featured veterans Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott, earned a pair of walk-off wins during the tournament, while USA baseball's rag-tag group suffered its only two losses versus Japan. The bad news: neither sport will be part of the Olympic program in Paris in 2024.

One of the more closely-watched athletes of these games was Jessica Springsteen. If the last name sounds familiar, it should. The 29-year-old is the daughter of legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen, with his wife and bandmate Patti Scialfa. The younger Springsteen made her Olympic debut in equestrian, and towards the end of the games, she was rewarded as a member of the U.S. jumping team, which won silver. 

Water polo might not be one of the traditional marquee Olympic sports, but Americans should pay attention to its women's team that is amid a dynasty. With this year's 14-5 win over Spain in the tournament final, the U.S. women claimed a third consecutive gold medal in Olympic water polo. Bouncing back from an early-round loss to Hungary (an Olympic first for the U.S. women since 2008), the Americans, led by goalie Ashleigh Johnson, have now won half of the all-time gold medals awarded in Olympic water polo.

Uzbekistan gymnast Oksana Chusovitina did not win a medal at the Tokyo Games. That didn't really matter. The fact that she was still able to compete in an Olympic program at age 46 is a feat in itself. The Tokyo Games were the eight summer offerings of the kind that Chusovitina has taken part in. She was honored for that accomplishment when her competition was finished. Chusovitina did win a team Olympic gold for the Soviet Union in 1992 and silver on the vault while a member of the German national team.

We'll get to the U.S. women's basketball team's continued Olympic dominance in a moment, but props need to be shown to the American women after they claimed the first Olympic gold in 3x3 basketball. Including WNBA stalwarts Stefanie Dolson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and Allisha Gray, the Americans won their first six games before losing to Japan in pool play. However, they were able to rebound for a semifinal victory over France, then posted an 18-15 triumph over ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) in the gold-medal contest.

Not all the memorable moments from the Tokyo Games were positive. Naomi Osaka, the native of Japan rightfully celebrated for lighting the Olympic cauldron, was poised to win women's singles gold in Tokyo. However, she didn't make it past the third round in her first action since pulling out of the French Open due to mental health issues. On the men's side, No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic -- trying to become the first man to win all four grand-slam events and Olympic gold -- lasted longer, but fell in the semifinals and also lost his bronze-medal match. Reportedly, the overall pressure to win it all at these Games got to both stars. 

By finishing first in the 4x400-meter relay on the Games' final weekend, the U.S. men's runners avoided going without a gold medal in Tokyo. That performance also salvaged what should be considered an underwhelming collective effort on the track for the American men, who also recorded four silver medals and two bronze. Perhaps the most notable, or infamous, track moment for the U.S. men in Tokyo came with their disastrous sixth-place heat finish in the 4x100 relay that shockingly kept them out of the final.

At 19-years-old, Athing Mu is an Olympic champion. The first-generation American, whose parents immigrated to the United States from South Sudan, set a national record by winning the 800-meter run at Tokyo in a time of 1:55.21. All that alone is pretty impressive, but adding in that Mu is the first American to win the 800 in 53 years and the victory is even sweeter. It also should be mentioned that Mu's teammate Raevyn Rogers took home the bronze in the 800. Mu wasn't done, though, wasn't done as she won gold as part of the U.S. 4X400 relay. 

American men and women took home an Olympic-best nine medals from the Tokyo Games -- three gold, two silver, and four bronze. One of those golds went to 30-year David Taylor, the former Penn State star who won the 86 kilogram class by defeating 2016 Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani, from Iran. Gable Steveson (125 kg) and Tamyra Mensah (68 kg) joined Taylor in taking home gold this summer.

If this was the final run for the core group from the U.S. women's national soccer team,(Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, and Alex Morgan for starters) they went out on a moment of underachievement. The Americans, seemingly poised to contend for gold after losing to Sweden in the 2016 quarterfinals, were  dropped 3-0 by the Swedes to open this tournament. However, the U.S. managed to regroup before losing 1-0 to eventual Olympic champion Canada -- another great story from these Games --  in the semifinals. Rapinoe and Co. closed out the tournament with a bronze-medal winning 4-2 triumph over Australia. Not the way it was supposed to go, but at least they didn't leave Tokyo empty-handed.

Usain Bolt wasn't running in Tokyo, but that did not stop the Jamaican sprinters from shining bright in these games. In the women's 100 meters, marquee Olympic sprint event, Jamaican runners claimed all three podium spots. Elaine Thompson-Herah won gold in an Olympic record time of 10.61 seconds. She was followed by teammates Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson,  for silver and bronze, respectively. The trio was also part of Jamaica's gold medal-winning 4x100 relay.

Athlete reactions, for better or worse, are always a highlight of the Olympics. Perhaps the most memorable of these Games came when South African swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker reacted with amazement after winning the women's 200-meter breaststroke. Schoenmaker, however, not only won the event for her first Olympic gold but did so in a world-record time of 2:18.95. In addition to that historic swim, Schoenmaker took home a silver medal in the 100 breaststroke. 

Remember when the critics arose after the U.S. men's basketball team was stunned by France in its Olympic opener? They were quite quiet after the Americans bounced back and eventually topped that same French squad to win its fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal. To no real surprise, star Kevin Durant led the way, averaging 20.7 points with 5.3 rebounds for a team that outscored its opponents by an average of 20 points. The U.S. has now won 16 of the 20 Olympic basketball tournaments. 

At 19-years old, American Nevin Harrison became the first woman to win gold in the single 200-meter event this summer. While Harrison was certainly among the favorites to capture gold in the race, the fact that she's the first American to do so in an Olympic canoe or kayak event since 1992 made it even more special. One would think this is only the beginning of Olympic dominance for Harrison, who is about to become a freshman at San Diego State.

The fact Wisconsin's Molly Seidel won bronze in the Olympic women's marathon is quite the accomplishment. Considering she did so in just her third time running a marathon makes the feat worth celebrating even more. Her exhilaration down the home stretch and crossing the finish line was one of the lasting images of these Summer Games. Braving some brutal heat and humidity, Seidel became the third U.S. woman to medal in the marathon.  

Competitive swimming pools are few and far between, but 17-year-old Anchorage native Lydia Jacoby not only became the first Alaskan swimmer to make their way on to the U.S. national swim team but dramatically won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke in Tokyo. Her victory captivated the early portion of the Summer Games and turned Jacoby into an overnight star. If that wasn't enough, Jacoby earned a silver medal as part of the American 4x100-meter relay. 

We knew coming into the Tokyo Games that the dual between American teammates Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad in the women's 400-meter hurdles would be must-see viewing. Both delivered. McLaughlin won the event, setting a world record with her time of 51.46 seconds. Edging Muhammad, the reigning Olympic champion in the event, by .12 of a second. Muhammad's 51.58 time was a personal best, and she did leave Tokyo with a gold, joining McLaughlin as part of the victorious U.S. 4x400 relay squad.

With four more swimming medals won in Tokyo, the great Katie Ledecky raised her total to 10 for her Olympic career. She won silver in the 400-meter freestyle and also as a member of the U.S. 4x200 freestyle team. Her two gold medals, meanwhile, came in the inaugural 1,500 freestyle and in the 800, which she won for a record third consecutive Olympics. Ledecky's seven swimming gold medals are the most by any woman in Olympic history. And, she might not be done.

Australia's Ariarne Titmus enjoyed quite the Olympics, winning swimming gold in the 200 and 400 freestyle, as well as silver in the 800 free and bronze as a member of the 4x200 relay squad. Plus, who can forget her  coach Dean Boxall's reaction when Titmus set an Olympic record (3:56.69) while beating Katie Ledecky in the 400? Or his celebration after she won the 200. It was certainly one of the more humorous moments of the Games, but an example of how the Olympics bring out the passion in those who have skin in the game.

With Michael Phelps retired, the U.S. needed a new king of the pool. Caeleb Dressel was poised to be the one in Tokyo and did not disappoint. After winning a pair of relay gold medals at the 2016 Rio Games,  Dressel won gold five times this summer. While two came on relays, Dressel truly stamped his mark on an individual front. He set Olympic records in the 50 meters (21.07 seconds) and 100-meter freestyle (47.02) and a world record in the 100 butterfly (49.45). Dressel joins Phelps, Mark Spitz, Eric Heiden, and Matt Biondi to win at least five gold medals at a single Olympic Games over that last half-century.

For those keeping score at home, that's seven consecutive Olympic gold medals for the U.S. women's basketball team. The dynasty has no signs of ending any time soon. The Americans rolled to gold in Tokyo , winning all six of its contests by an average margin of 16.0 points and extending its Olympic winning streak to a stunning 55 games. The U.S. was led by tournament star Breanna Stewart, who averaged 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. American stars  Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird became the first basketball players to win five Olympic gold medals.

Perhaps the greatest feel-good moment of these Games came in the men's high jump. When Qatar's Mutaz-Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy each recorded jumps of 2.37 meters, then both failed to top that score on their next attempts. The two eventually decided to share the gold. Olympic officials signed off on the decision and the Tokyo Games had their first true moment of goodwill within the competition. Amid a global pandemic, and heightened political discourse and social justice issues in certain parts of the world, this was one moment that proved there's still reason to have faith in humanity. 

No doubt, the story of these Tokyo Games is that of Simone Biles. One of the all-time Olympic greats (and not just in gymnastics competition),  Biles pulled out of the all-around competition early in the Games, posting on Instagram that she was "(feeling) the weight of the world on (her) shoulders." Biles' stunning announcement drew both international praise and criticism, and certainly put the mental health of athletes in the spotlight. However, Biles, who earned a silver medal with the U.S. during the team competition, eventually found herself back in the mix to finish third on the balance beam for the bronze.

When Simone Biles withdrew from the gymnastics all-around competition, the door was open for another American to potentially take center stage. Thanks to a stellar effort on the uneven bars, 18-year-old Sunisa "Suni" Lee worked her way to the all-around title -- the sixth American female gymnast to do so. Her victory, combined with a silver in the team competition and bronze on the uneven bars, capped a truly special Olympic experience for Lee, who endured the struggles of a 2019 accident that left her father paralyzed and loss of an aunt and uncle to COVID-19. 

When it comes to true Olympic greatness, Allyson Felix must be part of the conversation. At age 35 and competing in her fifth Olympics, Felix won two more medals (bronze in the 400 meters and gold as part of the U.S. 4x400 relay team). That increased her total to 11 Olympic medals (seven gold, three silver, and two bronze), the most of any American track and field athlete. All signs point to this being the end of Felix's legendary Olympic career, and what a way to go out.