Gold

Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs is such a favorite son of Winslow Township that it was not enough for neighbors to watch the 24-year-old wrestler ride by in a hometown parade Saturday. They had to walk in a line behind him. As the winner of the 74kg (163 pounds) freestyle competition waved from a black Mercedes, some joined in the procession in a seeming show of unity and a desire to share in a golden moment. "I'm excited," said Burroughs, who now lives in Nebraska. "It's great to be back home with my family and friends and all the people who supported me through the years.

Scores of proud residents lined the streets of Winslow Township Saturday to welcome home a sports hero who scored a gold medal in the Olympics. Wrestler Jordan Burroughs, winner in the 74 kilogram freestyle event, was the honored with a parade, a proclamation and the admiration of the crowd who came out to catch a glimpse of the gold medalist and 2011 world champion. "I'm super-blessed to be in this position. . . ," said Burroughs in a speech after the parade. " I encourage every young person out here to dream big, shoot for your goals and be able to put the work ethic and time in. " The 2006 Winslow Township High School graduate defeated Iran's Sadegh Goudarzi to win the gold medal on Aug. 10, capping an undefeated streak in Senior-level freestyle competition that goes back to 2009.

ONE WAY or another, athletes are taking advantage of this summer's Olympics in London. The Games wrapped Sunday but the spotlight still basks on many of the athletes. None bigger than the kliegs aimed toward America's Gabby Douglas, who became the first black gymnast to win gold in the all-around competition. Douglas collected two golds overall, and brought them as a guest this week alongside first lady Michelle Obama on the "Tonight Show" with host Jay Leno. Douglas discussed meeting Princess Kate Middleton, her intent to go after gold again at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil and how she celebrated her victories with fast food - much to the chagrin of Obama, an advocate of healthy eating habits among teens.

76ers head coach Doug Collins received the endorsement of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers to lead U.S. basketball to gold in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, according to Comcast Sportsnet. Rivers said Collins would be best suited for the job in part because Collins was on the 1972 team that lost gold to the Soviet Union at the Olympics in Munich. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and Rivers are front runners to replace Duke's Mike Krzyzewski at the Olympic helm.

As soon as Olympic gold medalist Carli Lloyd returned to her South Jersey home this week, after a whirlwind of matches in London, she found herself glued to video of her U.S. women's soccer team's victory over Japan. It was a way to relive an experience she said had brought goose bumps to her arms. She finally found time to become a spectator to the nail-biting game when she returned to the Mount Laurel house she shares with her high school sweetheart, Brian Hollins, who played the sport as a teenager.

The numbers have been much ballyhooed, that the United States won the most medals at the 2012 Summer Games - 46 gold, 29 silver and 29 bronze, for a grand total of 104 hunks of shiny hardware. But every member of each victorious team sported a personal gleaming medallion, which raises the question: Was each one counted among the oft-reported tally? Nope, that 46 golds is the number of events won. The actual medal handout was much higher: 147 gold, 63 silver and 46 bronze, for a total of 256, according to a Team USA list at nbcolympics.com ( http://ow.ly/cVyEi )

LONDON - As soon as the medal was placed around his neck, Andre Iguodala picked it up with his hands and stared at it. He turned it over, ran his fingers around it, then stared at it some more. He wouldn't let it go. Iguodala's life changed dramatically in the last 4 days, but it hasn't sunk in yet. All he's been able to think about was this medal, and finally it was his. "I just froze for a second," Iguodala said. "Only a small group can say they were in that position. " The U.S. men's basketball team defeated Spain, 107-100, on Sunday afternoon to capture its second straight Olympic gold medal.

LONDON - David Boudia used to be scared to dive off the 10-meter platform. Yet when it counted the most, he never flinched. The American plunged off the 33-foot tower, somersaulting and twisting over and over on his last dive to win an Olympic gold medal by 1.80 points over Qiu Bo of China on Saturday night in the closest men's platform contest since 1988. Boudia's victory gave the U.S. its first gold in diving since 2000, and was the first by an American man since the late Mark Lenzi won the three-meter springboard at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

LONDON - Move over Miracle on Ice. The United States has a new group of scrappy underdogs who overcame incredible odds to win an Olympic gold medal. "This means everything," said LeBron James, a feisty young basketball player from Ohio. "A lot of people doubted us. They said we were too small. Said we couldn't compete with the size of a lot of teams. But Chris [Paul] said it. It's not about the size, it's about heart. " This gritty, plucky band of brothers staged a furious rally against international basketball powerhouse Spain, earning a 107-100 victory and a gold medal for the United States.

LONDON - Move over Miracle on Ice. The United States has a new group of scrappy underdogs who overcame incredible odds to win an Olympic gold medal. "This means everything," said LeBron James, a feisty young basketball player from Ohio. "A lot of people doubted us. They said we were too small. Said we couldn't compete with the size of a lot of teams. But Chris [Paul] said it. It's not about the size, it's about heart. " This gritty, plucky band of brothers staged a furious rally against international basketball powerhouse Spain, earning a 107-100 victory and a gold medal for the United States.