With DHS’ fall sports season starting off strong, what better than a rundown of the greatest athletic competition that unites the globe? The friendly competition of the most elite athletes from around the world took place again this summer at the Olympics.
In case you missed any and all news (which was blatantly a very hard thing to do), the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France were a spectacle of fascination. These games racked record numbers of people tuning in, averaging 30.6 million viewers across NBCU platforms, and harboring over 1.4 million tourists traveling to witness the games live. The multiplatform extensive coverage of this year’s games also helped revamp the media and the public’s interest in the event. Average viewership increased by 82% from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The opening ceremony was a breathtaking extravaganza held along the Seine River, a unique approach to introducing the countries’ teams, to say the least. A flotilla of boats carried athletes from around the world, each adorned with decorations as they participated in the “waving of flags,” all proudly representing their countries. The procession also featured performances on floating stages, Parisian art dancers, musicians, and artists.
Surfing Spotlight
An exciting twist in this year’s Olympics included an intermission in the opening ceremony that was used to introduce the surfing athletes—from a rather odd place. The surfers spent the ceremony getting settled into their “Olympic village” that was located on a boat headed for Tahiti. For the first time ever, a total of 48 surfers (a balanced 24 men and 24 women) were unable to make the opening ceremony, and instead were filmed dressed in their countries’ proper induction attire, sailing towards South Pacific.
Tahiti was chosen for its legendary waves, offering some of the biggest and most challenging surf on the planet—and that the Olympics has ever seen.
According to ESPN’s scoring rundown, a surfer’s two highest-scoring waves are combined for an overall total. A perfect ride is 10 points—so, hypothetically, a perfect heat would end with a competitor scoring 20 points. Gabriel Medina took home the gold for Brazil with a score of 16.27, and USA’s Carissa Moore clinched the women’s gold medal with a score of 14.93. The surfers were then boated back to France from the island and accompanied their teammates in the Olympic Village for the remainder of the games and closing ceremonies.
T&F Takeover
The track and field events were marked by an overwhelming audience of viewers this year. The athletes’ competitiveness and record-breaking performances dramatically increased their social popularity. Armand Duplantis of Sweden set a new world record in the pole vault, clearing 6.21 meters, which he recently broke again; following the games, he jumped 6.26 in a national competition. In the women’s marathon, Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei defended her title with a remarkable run, finishing in just over two hours. The sprinting events saw the renowned Sydney McLaughlin break and win another 400m title, as well as the emergence of a new star: Jamaican Briana Williams. She dominated the 100m and 200m races, showcasing blistering speed and securing gold in both events.
What’s Up With Team USA?
After her sudden hiatus from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles made her stunning comeback, clinching silver in floor, as well as gold in vault and artistic individual all-round. She also won the group all-around gold with her teammates Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Healy Rivera, and Jordan Chiles. Despite the immense pressure of returning, Biles dominated critics’ expectations for her and became a prominent leader for her fellow gymnasts, all while leading them to the gold.
In another nail-biting finish, the men’s gymnastics team came incredibly close to clinching gold. The competition was fierce and difficult, with scores on each event coming close to dropping the team, but it was the phenomenal performance on the pommel horse that secured their final standing.
Stephen Nedoroscik—or the “horse man,” as he’s now famously dubbed—was the only gymnast on the team that competed in a just one event: the pommel. Nedoroscik captured the nation’s attention as he calmly awaited his event for over two hours (NBC actually placed a countdown on their broadcast). All the while, Nedoroscik cheered on his other teammates in their events. When it was finally time for his specialty, he executed a flawless routine, securing a well-deserved silver for Team USA.
American swimmer Katie Ledecky continued her reign in the pool, adding multiple gold medals to her already impressive tally, with victories in the 400m, 800m, and especially the 1500m freestyle event. She still holds the top 20 fastest times in women’s history in those events.
The USA men’s basketball team, led by Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum, faced stiff and alternating competition before the quarterfinals against South Sudan, but ultimately secured the gold medal after a tense final against Spain. The women’s team, with stars like Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson, continued their dominance, winning their seventh consecutive Olympic gold.
But…
Numbers and medals aren’t everything. Paris quickly disovered that the sporting magnificence on display wasn’t the only reason the Olympics dominated the news cycle. The city faced many struggles in the preparation process. Hosting the biggest athletic competition in the world doesn’t come easy, and many of the athletes suffered under these ill preparations as a result.
The triathlon events were particularly grueling this year, with challenging courses and extreme weather conditions interfering with the event. After spending over 1.5 billion in preparation in improving the water quality so that it was swimmable for athletes, Paris was forced to delay the start of the triathlon due to the sudden fall in water quality in the Seine River, theorized to have stemmed from the rainfall at the opening ceremony three days prior. Nevertheless, the triathlon began 48 hours after on Wednesday the 31st.
Unfortunately, several athletes still fell ill after the swimming segment, leading to concerns about the proper testing and care of the water quality. Despite rigorous testing and safety measures, the contamination issue caused significant distress and led to the withdrawal of Team Belgium from the race after multiple members of their mixed team fell ill. This raised concern about the athletes’ ability to perform at their highest potential. While all teams showed reliance and dedication through the triathlon, it was ultimately Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt who was able to pull through with the gold for the men’s event, and Flora Duffy from Bermuda who took gold in the women’s.
The extreme heat in Paris also posed a significant challenge for athletes, particularly in endurance events. Several participants in the marathon and long-distance races suffered from heat exhaustion and dehydration, requiring medical attention. The men’s road race also witnessed a severe crash involving multiple cyclists. Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel suffered a serious injury, causing him to withdraw from the race.
These incidents raised questions about the safety of the courses and highlighted the need for better protective measures for the athletes, ensuring their health is prioritized over the display for the public.
Inclusive: Accessible Games and AI
An upside to Paris’s preparation was their incorporation of diverse projects.
Inclusivity was a key theme for Paris 2024. Organizers made significant efforts to ensure that the games were accessible to everyone, especially those with disabilities. This included the design of barrier-free venues, accessible transportation options, and special programs to engage underrepresented communities.
The Games also saw the introduction of several technological innovations. From smart stadiums with real-time data analytics to enhanced security measures, AI played a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of the games. These advancements not only improved the experience for athletes and spectators alike, but could also influence the presentation of future Olympics.
The uniqueness of the events, along with the amazing athletic performances and insiders capturing the behind the scenes of Paris, made this summer’s games some of the most engaging in recent memory.
Annica • Sep 15, 2024 at 8:38 pm
As The Spectrum’s unofficial tennis correspondent, I must add that Novak Djokovic’s gold medal win was absolutely legendary. Excellent article nonetheless!