TEAM USA star Brittney Griner was overcome with emotion after winning Olympic gold in Paris.
The center was playing in her first Games since being freed from a Russian penal colony via a prisoner exchange in 2022.
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Brittney Griner was emotional after securing Olympic goldCredit: EPA
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France pushed Team USA all the way in the finalCredit: Getty
She helped the US beat hosts France 67-66 in a thrilling final to win her third gold medal.
“This one meant a lot to me,” Griner said.
“I mean, just having a chance to play for gold, represent my country, what my country did for me. Yeah, this is the highest on the pinnacle right here.”
Griner, 33, was handed a nine-year sentence in Russia and spent 10 months in jail.
She spent 10 months in jail before U.S. officials were able to negotiate her exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The Phoenix Mercury center had been playing in Russia during the WNBA break and vowed never to play internationally again unless it was for her country.
“It was a long journey, a hard journey to get back into it,” she added.
“I’m just happy that my body was able to hold up and be able to be here.
“Waking up, going to practice, even when you don’t want to practice, having the opportunity to do that, because we overlook it.
“That’s the opportunity that we get to do and I just cherish every second I can now.”
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Griner scored a record 30 points in the gold medal match at Tokyo 2021 and managed four in five minutes Sunday.
During the Olympics, the U.S. secured another prisoner swap, allowing former marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to come home.
Griner is an advocate for other wrongfully imprisoned Americans – a role she takes very seriously.
“She’s a person that is grateful for all the support that she got through all this,” teammate Diana Taurasi said.
BRITTNEY GRINER PRISON HELL
WNBA legend Brittney Griner spent almost 10 months in a hellhole Russian prison in a case that became closely tied to US-Russian global tensions.
Feb 17, 2022: Brittney Griner is detained at a Moscow airport after customs agents find cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage.
Feb 24: Russia’s army invades Ukraine, sparking the biggest land conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
Mar 17: Griner’s pre-trial detention is extended a further two months a day after President Biden brands Vladimir Putin a “war criminal.”
Mar 23: Griner meets with US officials for the first time, after over a month in prison.
May 6: Griner is honored by the WNBA at the start of the new season with a floor decal featuring her initials and her jersey number, 42.
May 25: Griner’s wife Cherell appears on Good Morning America and urges Biden to bring her spouse home.
Jun 20: Cherelle says she has lost “trust” in the US government after a planned anniversary call between Griner and her wife falls through.
Jul 1: Griner’s trial begins in Russia.
Jul 4: Griner writes a letter to President Biden begging for help. She tells him she fears she will be kept in prison in Russia “forever.”
Jul 7: Griner pleads guilty in court on drug charges, but says it was an accident and she never planned to break Russian law.
Aug 4: Griner is found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison. Biden slams the verdict and calls for her to be released “immediately.”
Oct 25: Griner’s appeal against her nine-year sentence is rejected after just half an hour.
Nov 9: Griner is transferred to a brutal Soviet-era penal colony to serve out her sentence.
Dec 8: Griner’s release is confirmed following months of negotiations as part of a prisoner exchange with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
“And it wasn’t easy. And it’s still not easy for her. She still carries a big burden to make sure everyone gets out.
“She carries that burden really heavy on her back.”
Team USA’s women’s basketball stars earned an eighth gold in a row.
The men secured their fifth, having also beaten France in the final.
Victor Wembanyama registered 26 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal, keeping France in the game until the last seconds.
But Steph Curry, 36, made sure the US would take gold home for the fifth time in a row with a flurry of 3s.
