By John Schumacher | Sacramento Bee

For 2 1/2 weeks, as swimmer Michael Phelps made history, sprinter Usain Bolt stretched the speed limit and gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson delivered a one-two punch, athletes from a certain capital city made a statement of their own.

Take a bow, Sacramento Olympians.

Carmichael's Gabe Gardner capped a powerful performance by local Olympians when the U.S. men's volleyball team beat Brazil 3-1 Sunday to earn the gold medal. That finishing touch gave a group of 14 athletes with ties to the Sacramento area eight medals – five gold, two silver and one bronze – in the Beijing Games.

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