The quadrennial Olympic Games occurred once more in 2024, lasting from July 26th up to August 11th in Paris, France. As usual, the Olympics were filled with historical and controversial moments. The first notable controversy of this year’s Olympics came during the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony celebrated French culture and history, and included what many believed to be a bizarre interpretation of da Vinci’s The Last Supper that featured drag performers. However, according to ceremony director Thomas Jolly, the segment was “an interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus that makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.” The same day that the ceremony occurred, a series of arson attacks damaged the lines of the French railway system, directly impacting 800,000 travelers.
As the Olympic sporting events formally began, historic and viral moments soon followed. The world has witnessed every nation’s greatest athletes, showing why they belong at the Olympics. Notable moments include Simone Biles winning her 11th Olympic medal, the USA dominating men’s and women’s basketball, and Noah Lyles’ triumphant 100-meter dash victory which he won by five-thousandths of a second. As the athletes competed with the rest of the world, some became famous for various reasons. Breakdancing debuted as an Olympic sport in 2024 and was quickly seen as disappointing by many. The most popular figure of the breakdancing event was Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, who went viral for awkwardly scooting on the ground and leaping like a kangaroo during her dance routine. Another viral athlete was Turkish sharpshooter, Yusuf Dikeç, who despite being 51 years old and having no extra equipment, won a silver medal in the air pistol team event.
Arguably, the most controversial moment of the Olympics was when Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won gold for her nation. However, the dominance shown by Khelif was seen as suspicious by many, as she had previously been disqualified from international boxing competitions after she failed unspecified gender eligibility tests. Many assumed that Khelif was a transgender man, despite substantial evidence that this was not the case. The uproar about Imane Khelif came to its pinnacle when she defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini in 46 seconds after Carini forfeited. After withdrawing from the fight, Carini fell to her knees sobbing and refused to shake hands with Khelif. As a result of the controversy, the Olympic Committee had to publicly state that Khelif showed no medical proof of XY chromosomes found in men or enhanced testosterone levels.
Athletes competing in the Olympics also had their complaints, as the city of Paris went to drastic measures to ensure 2024 would be the most environmentally sustainable Olympics ever. This had both positive and negative effects on the city and the athletes. The triathlon and marathon swimming events were planned in the Seine River, despite swimming in the Seine being outlawed for over 100 years due to the Paris sewer system being designed to dump wastewater into the river. To combat this, Parisian officials took on a project that would cost over a billion French euros to construct a massive underwater tank and tunnel system that could hold sewage during heavy rain to minimize contamination of the Seine. However, the rainy weather in Paris for weeks leading up to the games led to the contaminated river, and multiple athletes fell ill only days after the triathlon.
In conclusion, despite controversy, the 2024 Olympics stood as a symbol of success for countless nations and people. Four nations won their first-ever Olympic medals, and many more were brought success and pride by their athletes. In total, the top 5 nations in total medals won were the United States with 126, China with 91, Great Britain with 65, France with 64, and Australia with 53. The Olympic Games ended with a triumphant closing ceremony, which saw musical performances from the likes of Snoop Dogg and Billie Eilish. The purpose of this final ceremony was to transition the Olympic flag over to Los Angeles, California where the 2028 Olympics will take place. Despite only taking place once every four years, the Olympic Games are meticulously planned and prepared years in advance, and Los Angeles has already made significant progress in making 2028 better. Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, told CNN that the city plans on making the L.A. Games “car-free” for the sake of the athletes. The city has also already begun building out its public transportation system and will use the University of California, Los Angeles campus as the athlete village.
