It’s now more than a week since the closing ceremony at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, and the joy of the experience has not subsided.
From the rain-soaked opening with the traditional lighting of the Olympic cauldron to the mesmerizing closing ceremonies with music, song, theatrics, a reenactment of the revitalization of the Olympics (and a recreation of its five-ringed emblem) and the traditional “passing of the torch” to the 2028 host city of Los Angeles, the Paris Olympics had it all.
There were, of course, memorable performances by incredible athletes, who make us smile as we marvel at their discipline, commitment, tireless training and extraordinary talent. Team USA led the competition with an eye-popping 126 medals, including 40 gold, 44 silver and 42 bronze, all accomplished by an impressive collection of world-class athletes.
Everyone had their favorites. Among the top U.S. examples are Simone Biles, who came to Paris as the most decorated gymnast ever and left with another four medals (three gold, one silver); swimming sensation Katie Ledecky, who became the most decorated female U.S. Olympian of all time (14 medals) when she won four medals (two gold, one silver, one bronze); and Noah Lyles, who won a gold medal in the men’s 100-meter dash by just five-thousandths of a second and came in a surprising third (bronze) in his signature 200-meter sprint, only to reveal that he had tested positive for COVID earlier in the week and ran anyway.
Other countries were also well-represented. France had Leon Marchand, the 22-year-old who won four gold medals and became the first athlete in decades to win two individual swimming gold medals — the 200m breaststroke and the 200m butterfly — both on the same night and both in Olympic record time.
But the most talked-about athletes were not the most decorated. For example, there was Turkey’s 51-year-old pistol shooter, Yusuf Dikec, whose nonchalant approach to his discipline earned him instant celebrity. With no specialized equipment — like the custom glasses, ear protection and tinted lenses used by other competitors — and a hand comfortably resting in one of his pants pockets, Dikec took casual aim and claimed Turkey’s first Olympic medal, a silver, in the 10-meter air pistol event.
Similar celebrity was bestowed on the bespectacled Stephen Nedoroscik, a U.S. pommel horse gymnastics specialist, who won adoration and celebrity as he helped Team USA win the overall team bronze medal with his singular performance and took home a second bronze in the individual competition.
But it was the impressive performance of the city of Paris, with its magnificent venues, rich history and traditions and surprisingly open and welcoming arms that invited the world to share in the glory of the Olympic Games and enjoy them safely, thoughtfully and with style.
Los Angeles will host the 34th Olympiad in 2028. Although that celebration promises a different tone and vibe — moving from the traditions of Europe to the unique mixes of culture and entertainment in Southern California — we know that the athletic accomplishments at the games will continue to take our breath away. We can’t wait.
