Just three days left until the flame goes out, and 20 gold medals will be given out on Day 14. Athletics, beach volleyball, canoe/kayak, BMX cycling, women's field hockey, taekwondo and table tennis are just some of the sports that will close competitions today. First, though, a look back on a Day 13 full of fascinating women's team sports moments.

SOFTBALL: The United States, winners of three straight gold medals in a sport they invented, spent these Games fully unapologetic for their dominance. Outscoring their opposition 53-1 in their seven preliminary games, they were determined to leave a painful mark on the Games, whose governing body cut softball from the London 2012 menu in a secret-ballot vote three years ago.

It's much too late for softball to return. The math is against it -- only 10 members of the 114-person IOC come from nations that have medalled in the sport. It's hard for anybody to defend the game as anything other than an excuse for America to pick up a cheap championship.

At the close of each day of competition, this blog will present the brackets of all active team sports.

Results of the Day 13 competitions.

Wet, rainy, sloppy. That's what Beijing looks like this evening, as the Bird's Nest track is slick and smooth, and competitions around the city are being delayed or postponed. What's the latest?

ATHLETICS: It's been a rough track meet for the United States so far. Heading into Day 13, only three golds for the most decorated nation in Olympic athletics. But there was a real sense of historic familiarity this evening. In wet conditions, the Stars and Stripes covered the podium at the 400m, with LaShawn Merritt, Jeremy Warriner and David Neville taking gold, silver and bronze respectively. This is the fifth American sweep of this event at the Games, and second consecutive three-flag salute.

A drab and rainy afternoon in Beijing, which may affect tonight's running of field events like the women's javelin throw and men's triple jump. Elsewhere, the women's basketball semis are set to tip off, and the women's 10m platform diving final will take place at the Watercube. The United States women's volleyball team (above) pulled a surprising straight-set win over Cuba in those semifinals. What else is going on?

TABLE TENNIS: As the fields in the men's and women's singles competitions are winnowed down, the Asian powers are reasserting their dominance over the sport. But a moment of respectful tribute to Nigeria's Segun Toriola, the 33-year old Commonwealth champion. This is Toriola's fifth Olympics, and perhaps his last, and he won three matches for the first time. First, a seven-game victory over American David Zhuang, followed by another marathon match against Joao Montiero of Portugal. In both rounds, he had to fight back from a game down to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 win. He had an easier time yesterday with Belgian Jean-Michel Saive, winning in six.

Rain is falling hard in Beijing this morning. The BMX event was washed out until tomorrow, and the beach volleyball gold medal game is half world-class competition and half wet bikini contest. What else is going on in the Olympic city on Day 13?

ATHLETICS: Olga Kaniskina of Russia (above) dominated a rainy 20km race walk this morning, as she kept her feet on the ground and kept reaching for the gold. It was an Olympic record of 1:26:31, and she only received one bent-knee warning.

Rules are rules, and you can't bend your knees or have both feet off the ground. Poor Elena Ginko of Belarus broke that law three times and was disqualified after 14km, as was Mingxia Yang of host nation China, whose feet left the ground thrice. Kaniskina's national teammate Tatyana Kalmykova mixed it up a bit, with two bent knees and an airborne violation. All three were in the chase group when they were DQ'ed.