olympic essentials
All good things are destined to eventually come to an end.
And these 33rd Olympiad Games were a very impressive collection of very good things.
The Olympics, which officially began under leaden skies that could ultimately dampen spirits, never let up.
Rain would have helped set the tone during the opening ceremony, as a miscellaneous fleet of boats, laden with increasingly dragged-out cargo, made their way along the steep Seine River.
Spoiler alert: That wasn’t the case.
Part of the reason, of course, was due to the incredible atmosphere surrounding the Olympics.
“We thought of ourselves as a nation of stubborn whiners,” Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said at the closing ceremony.
“Instead, we found ourselves in a country with passionate supporters.”
But that was mainly due to the extraordinary performances of the athletes featured in the tournament, whose exploits were celebrated in a montage of highlights that kicked off the closing ceremony at a packed Stade de France.
Antoine Dupont lit up the Stade de France before the Olympics began. (Getty Images: Corbins/Christian Liewig)
Even before the opening ceremony began, France were enjoying their first moments of competition as the irrepressible Antoine Dupont, as much by force of will as by his brilliance, led his team through the impossible at the Stade de France. led to a great victory.
It sets the tone for a tournament rich with unforgettable sporting moments.
A competition that will be remembered by performances that subvert what we had hoped for in our dreams and especially what the organizers had never dared to imagine.
Leon Marchand kept the party going. The extraordinary 22-year-old’s incredible performance came after a stunning performance in front of a 15,000-capacity crowd at La Défense, with an incredible momentum and momentum that rivaled the drama of his own making. They roared, cheered, and sang with passion. .
Leon Marchand got France off to a great start in the pool. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)
His victory in the 400-meter medley couldn’t have been more reminiscent of an explosion of national pride focused on one man.
That is, until just a few days later, a stunning final-lap comeback in the 200m butterfly did just that, tearing the doors off La Défense and sending him flying into the street. It was only the first of two gold medals he won that night.
“We wanted to be inspired, and we got Leon Marchand,” Estingue explained.
Australia’s Arialne Titmus defended her 400m freestyle title, seeing off a legend of the sport on the one hand and a player who will surely become one on the other.
She was one of five Australians to defend her title in Paris, including Kayleigh McCune, the only Australian swimmer to win a double-double.
There were other jaw-dropping moments in the pool.
Kayleigh McCune won back-to-back titles in the 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)
Katie Ledecky won the 800 meter title. She earned the title simply by ownership. She’s held an Olympic title in this event for 12 years, and with the world of swimming in the palm of her hands, 17-year-old Summer McIntosh can do whatever she wants.
Tokyo was too early for her coming out party. She won three individual gold medals and one silver medal and was the homecoming queen.
It wasn’t just in the pool.
France loves judo, but it loves heavyweight star Teddy Riner even more.
Teddy Riner is a French cultural phenomenon. (Getty Images: Katherine Steenkeste)
While France were playing against Japan in the mixed team final, everyone everywhere stopped what they were doing and watched around their laptops and TV screens as Riner was drawn to fight in the deciding match and exploded with joy when he won. They were flocking to.
Two gold medals at this competition confirmed his achievements.
There were others too. Felix Leblanc, the bespectacled table tennis player, helped France win the bronze medal, and Yussuf Dikechi, whose name may not be well known, went for silver in the most casual and relaxed way imaginable. You might recognize his memes.
Next up were three French medalists in BMX racing. This scenario depicted a scene of complete derangement that continues even after Saya Sakakibara completes her emotional golden fairy tale.
Saya Sakakibara has completed the fairy tale. (Getty Images: Xinhua News Agency/Hu Hu Hu)
Criticism of the tournament is inevitable and understandable.
Just as conflicts occur during the so-called Olympic Truce, the cost of living crisis did not stop during the Olympics, and ticket prices were prohibitive for most people.
But the Olympics aren’t just about stadiums and arenas. Paris has taken full advantage of its stunning surroundings more than most other competitions, allowing road-based events to be enjoyed in a naturally spectacular arena.
The fencing at Le Grand Palais is an amazing sight
Nothing was more incredible or insane than the cobbled streets of Montmartre during the men’s and women’s road races, with an estimated 500,000 people crowding the roadsides.
The Seine was a hot topic throughout, but no athlete denied the impact that bringing swimming and triathlon to the heart of the city would have on its profile.
It didn’t hurt that home country hopeful Cassandre Beaugrand won the women’s race, but the relay races for the men’s and mixed teams ended up in two epic sprint finishes.
When it comes to visibility, the Stade de France’s purple track was a standout, both visually and in terms of the action it offered.
The closest and most exciting men’s 100m final in history. Just 0.005 seconds separated the gold and silver, with the entire field finishing within 0.12 seconds.
The men’s 100m final was the closest in history. (Getty Images: Xinhua/Li Jing)
Armand Duplantis does what Armand Duplantis is supposed to do with incredible regularity, and the near inevitability of his 6.25m vault world record was a huge surprise when we actually saw him achieve it. It did little to quell my excitement.
Then there were some shocking races like Jess Hull’s 1,500m silver medal, followed by Britain’s Georgia Bell, who returned to competition due to the coronavirus pandemic and is now an Olympic medalist, in third place. Ta.
But perhaps nothing shocked me more than the women’s marathon. Sifan Hassan topped Tigst Assefa in the sprint, capping off a great event that saw him also win medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m on the track. This is the best record since the great Emil Zatopek. In 1952.
Sifan Hassan and the women’s marathon podium finishers were given a hero’s welcome. (Getty Images: Michael Reeves)
Her medal was the first in Olympic history to be awarded to a woman at the closing ceremony, and it was also groundbreaking as athletes crowded around the podium at the Stade de France to honor these brilliant women. I felt that.
Another female Sindi winner, Jankeu Gamba, also made history by becoming the first refugee Olympic team to win a medal in boxing, winning a bronze medal.
Check out the big news from Paris:
Want to know more? Here is the complete list of all articles about the Olympics
There were also some refreshing new events, including the chaotic kayak cross. It didn’t just help the Fox family sweep the slalom medals, but there were also events that everyone expected to jump that definitely fell through.
But old favorites were also here. LeBron James and the NBA’s best star-studded cast got the job done once again against a brave French team, with Simone Biles back in good health.
Win, lose or draw, the Australian camaraderie shined through this team. (Getty Images: Ian McNicol)
But for all these international stars, the Australian Games were one of almost unparalleled success.
There are many medals for cyclists. Grace Brown won gold in the road individual time trial, while Matthew Richardson and Gretzer won bronze and silver in the track, making Australia’s medal total of 53 second only to the number won in Sydney. .
From Fox to Molly O’Callaghan, Alisa True to Arian Titmuss, and closing ceremony flag bearers Matt Weirne and McCune, Australians have typically excelled on the biggest stages in unprecedented ways.
Perhaps Australia’s executive chef Anna Mears was in the best position to sum it up at the closing press conference.
“I told the teams who welcomed us into our village that the pages of the Paris 2024 chapter are blank,” she said.
“The mark this team leaves on these pages will show they are the most successful Australian Olympic team of all time.”
Australia has never had such great success.
A total of 18 gold medals were won at the Paris Games, making the Australian team the most medals in history and fourth in the medal rankings.
But despite the Australian flag flying, the Advanced Australia Fair pipes and the medals around their necks, it was other moments that summed up just how special this group is.
The Australian women’s water polo team celebrated a silver medal. (Getty Images: Speed Media/Icon Sportswire/Pete Dovgan)
The Australian men’s water polo team surprised teams that won titles at the last two Olympics and then won this one, giving them and everyone else confidence that something special is happening. . That was made possible by the women’s team who pitched. Free yourself from the disappointment of losing gold to enjoy silver.
Maybe it was Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn. Her viral performance does not define her contribution, which accounts for half of the Ph.D.’s award in the cultural politics of sport.
Or Maddison Keeney, heartbroken by a late mistake in the 3-meter synchronized race, showed incredible fortitude to win the individual silver medal.
ABC Sports Daily Podcast
Perhaps it’s because Charlie Sr. did a backflip with his opponent after winning a silver medal, or even though Australian boxers are under threat from ignorant and hypocritical administrators, Caitlin Parker It could have been his contribution to the best performance in the ring by an Australian boxer since 1960, or it could have been Harry Garside’s emotional reaction. His performance severely overwhelmed him.
“The end of the gold medal doesn’t come with a complete stop,” Mears said.
“That includes silver medals, bronze medals, reaching the finals, personal best performances and great acts of sportsmanship and sportswomanship.”
Australia has, as always, exemplified these characteristics everywhere else in a competition marked by fair play and a vaguely Olympic spirit.
But the truth is that the last words should go to Paris, and they should be used in the same words that brought this glorious event to a close in this solemn closing ceremony.
Now, we have established a fait accompli.
That’s how we did it.