Beijing ? Winning certainly wasn’t a given Thursday for the American athletes, though the women’s soccer team won its third gold medal in four tries, edging Brazil, 1-0, on Carli Lloyd’s goal in extra time; and the men’s 400 runners swept the medals.

That late-night success carried over to this morning, when the U.S. men’s volleyball team of Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser completed the American sweep of the beach volleyball gold medals, beating Brazil in three sets. It is the third beach volleyball gold for the American men in four Olympics since the sport was added for Atlanta in 1996.

And in the BMX debut at the games, Americans Mike Day and Donny Robinson won silver and bronze in the men’s final, while Jill Kintner took the bronze in the crash-filled women’s final – giving the U.S. half of the six medals in the first batch of laurels ever awarded.

Soccer

The U.S. women, minus their best attacker and best defender, still had enough to hold off favored Brazil for the gold medal.

Carli Lloyd scored in the sixth minute of extra time, then the Americans barely held on as the world’s top player, Marta, and her countrywomen pressed for a tying goal.

In fact, the Brazilians carried the play for much of the soggy night, but goalkeeper Hope Solo – benched for last year’s semifinal match with Brazil – stood like the Great Wall of China in front of the net.

Track and field

More disappointment for the Americans – the men and the women – particularly in the relays. Both teams dropped the baton, meaning the Americans would go 0-for-6 in the sprints for the first time.

“I take full blame for it,” Tyson Gay said of his bad exchange with third-leg runner Darvis Patton. “I kind of feel I let them down.”

About 25 minutes later, women’s anchor Lauryn Williams flubbed her exchange with Torri Edwards, who stared in disbelief at the baton sitting on the track. At the 2004 Olympics, Williams started running too early and missed a handoff from Marion Jones in the final.

But the Americans also got that medals sweep in the 400. LaShawn Merritt won, and Jeremy Wariner, the defending world and Olympic champion and the favorite, slowed up at the end and barely held off David Neville, who dived across the finish line.

Volleyball

The “Iron Hammer” has calmly lead the U.S. women’s volleyball team to its best Olympic finish in more than 20 years.

Jenny Lang Ping – who was a member of the Chinese team that beat the U.S. in the final of the 1984 Los Angeles Games – led the Americans to the title match with a three-set win over Cuba.

The U.S. will play Brazil on Saturday for the gold medal.

Water Polo

The Netherlands’ Danielle de Bruijn scored seven goals in her final Olympic game, including the winner with 26 seconds remaining for a 9-8 victory in the gold medal match. The Americans came back from a 4-0 deficit, but couldn’t stop De Bruijn.

Basketball

Diana Taurasi scored 21 points and Tina Thompson added 15 to help the U.S. women pull away from Russia, 67-52, to make the gold-medal game against Australia, which routed China, 90-56.

Diving

China is 7-for-7 after Chen Ruolin rallied on her last dive to earn four 10s, winning the gold medal in women’s 10-meter platform. Only one diving event remains: men’s platform.