Obama hails women’s soccer team’s Olympic gold

US President Barack Obama congratulated the US women’s football team after it clinched a 2-1 victory over Japan at the Olympic final at London’s Wembley Stadium on Thursday.

“We have to give a special shout out to the women’s soccer team avenging the loss in the World Cup,” said Obama, during a visit to the US Olympic Committee’s training centre in the western state of Colorado.

US footballer Carli Lloyd’s double gave her country a third successive gold medal, making up for her defeat against the Japanese team at the World Cup.

Lloyd missed a penalty when the US lost the Cup final in an agonizing shoot-out, but she enjoyed sweet redemption at Wembley with a goal in each half.

Although Japan’s Yuki Ogimi got one back, the US team held on to secure their fourth gold in women’s football in the last five Olympics.

The United States has enjoyed a remarkable run of Olympic success since women’s football was introduced to the Games in 1996.

The US triumph in London followed previous wins in Atlanta in 1996, Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.

“We could not be prouder” of all of America’s athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Obama said, referring to the Olympic counterpart for athletes with physical disabilities.