The 2024 Paris Olympics opened on the 26th of July with a magnificent ceremony that saw thousands of athletes ready to battle over two weeks for world dominance. The ensuing games had everyone on the edge of their seats, unveiling a tapestry of unforgettable victories and unexpected turns that captivated audiences worldwide.
Africa’s scoresheet
12 African countries earned medals at the Paris Olympics. Kenya led with four gold medals, and all won during athletics competitions.
Kipyegon claimed gold in the women’s 1500 metre race, while Béatrice Chebet took gold in the 5000 m and 10,000 m events.
Egypt and Tunisia tied with three medals. Botswana, Uganda and Morocco finished with two medals each. Côte d’Ivoire, Cabo Verde and Zambia had one bronze medal each, and Nigeria and Ghana closed with no medals.
Global scoresheet
The contest for most gold medals at the Paris Olympics ended in a 40-40 tie between China and the United States. However, the USA topped the medals table with a whopping 126 overall, compared to 91 for China. Great Britain is in third place, with 14 golds of 65 medals.
The most memorable moments from the 2024 Olympics
A D’Tigress upset
The D’Tigress of Nigeria beat the Opals of Australia — ranked 3rd best in the world — 75-62, and Canada in women’s basketball at the Paris Olympics. Although they were knocked out after an 88-74 loss to USA in the quarter-finals, the team had an undeniably fantastic run at the Olympics. D’Tigress were the first female basketball team in Africa to qualify for the Olympics, win a preliminary round and make it to the quarter-finals.
African women shone at the Olympics
Kaylia Nemour from Algeria made history as the first debut African gymnast to claim an Olympic medal by winning the gold in the even bars category.
Tatjana Smith also earned South Africa’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics after finishing first in swimming, making her the most decorated South African Olympian.
The return of Simone Biles
Simone Biles’ triumph at Paris 2024 completed one of the most remarkable comebacks in Olympic history. The 27-year-old American, who pulled out of Tokyo for a mental health break in 2020, returned to claim three gold medals and one silver medal in Paris.
She guided the American women to victory in the team event at the start of the artistic gymnastics competition and then secured gold medals in the all-around vault, with a silver medal in the floor exercise.
The most decorated female Olympian
American swimmer Katie Ledecky, who at this year’s Olympics added four medals to her total of 14, became the most decorated female Olympian ever.
Love in Paris
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The Paris 2024 Olympics was also a celebration of love. 11 athletes proposed, setting the record for the most marriage proposals at the Olympics.
Historic firsts at the Olympics
The opening twist
The 2024 Olympics started with an opening ceremony held outside a stadium, a historic first at the Olympics. The ceremony saw a magnificent display as thousands of athletes glided along the River Seine, passing vibrant performers on bridges, riverbanks, and rooftops.
An all-black medallist podium
The 2024 Paris Olympics recorded the first all-black medallists for a sport. Simone Biles of the USA, Rebecca Andrade from Brazil, and Jordan Chiles of the USA stood on the podium to accept the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals for women’s artistic gymnastics delivering exceptional performances in the floor exercise.
The Rena Wakama effect
Coach Rena of D’Tigress, Nigeria’s national female basketball team, was recognised by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the Best Coach of Women’s basketball in the 2024 Olympics.
She is also the first female coach of an African team to record a win at the Olympics. The first and only coach of an African women’s team to record a win in the Preliminary rounds of the Olympics and an upset win at the Olympics against a top-ranked team, and the first and only female coach to qualify Nigeria for the Olympics.
The Olympic first medals
Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred delivered a brilliant performance to win the women’s 100 metre gold medal with a national record timing of 10.72 seconds, beating USA’s world champion Sha’Carri Richardson into silver.
Thea LaFond made history for her Caribbean island nation of Dominica by winning gold in the Paris 2024 triple jump to claim the country’s first-ever Olympic medal.
Guatemala’s Adriana Ruano Oliva won her country’s first-ever gold medal in any sport for the women’s shooting event at the Paris Olympics. Oliva hit a Games record 45 of her 50 targets.
Controversies at the Olympics
The Paris Olympics 2024 not only saw stunning sporting performances, but it was also the stage for controversy. From the drag opening ceremony performance to the ban on hijabs and a gender controversy, there was something fresh to keep people talking.
The opening ceremony
The opening ceremony faced severe criticism from the Catholic Church in France, the Middle East Council of Churches, the Vatican, and homophobes in general. They strongly condemned the portrayal of drag queens during a performance set similar to Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, “The Last Supper.” The painting is a famous depiction of Jesus Christ, so various Christian groups viewed the show as disrespectful.
The ban on hijabs
French authorities barred female athletes competing for France from wearing the hijab, or Muslim headscarf, during the Games. However, following backlash from athletes and social media users, they were allowed to cover their hair with a cap.
Athlete Sifan Hassan was praised after wearing a hijab to accept her gold medal for a record-breaking marathon, defying the ban.
Iman’s gender question
After Iman Khelif, a female Algerian boxer, was declared the winner over Angela Carini from Italy. Carini told reporters she had never experienced such hard punches in her career. This saw a series of online bullying and transgender accusations against Iman. The allegations were quickly debunked by the International Olympic Committee, emphasising that Iman was born a woman; the disinformation was soon traced back to Russian sources.
Vinesh’s disqualification: deserving or unfair?
In a moment that will significantly impact Indian sports culture, Vinesh Phogat’s remarkable path to the women’s 57kg freestyle wrestling final was abruptly halted when she was disqualified before the final match for exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams.
Despite being within the weight limit on the initial day, where she won all three matches, she was disqualified from the final and stripped of her chance to compete.
The closing ceremony
As the flames of the Olympic torch flickered out, the final curtain drew on the 2024 Olympics in a spectacular closing ceremony, which saw a handover to Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Leaving behind a legacy of resilience, sportsmanship, and dreams realised, the memories of these extraordinary games will continue to inspire generations.
