When International Olympic Committee (OIC) president Thomas Bach delivered the closing speech of the Paris Summer Olympics on Aug. 11, he declared the games “sensational, or dare I say, ‘Seine-sational’,” calling them “Olympic Games of a new era.”
The United States won the most medals overall at 126, including 40 gold medals. Chinese athletes, who also won 40 gold medals, took a total of 91 medals home. Third place in golds was Japan, which won 20.
However, while the summer games and their participants saw their fair share of triumphs, some aspects of the event, which began on July 26, were plagued with scandal, from accusations of spying to concerns about pollution levels in the Seine River.
Despite the controversies, a series of victories highlighted the athletes at their best and their commitment to make their countries proud.
Arshad Nadeem’s gold for Pakistan
Representing Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem won the gold medal in men’s javelin at the Olympics, with his throw of 92.97 meters, defeating India’s Neeraj Chopra by a large margin. Not only was this a new Olympic record, Nadeem’s victory was also Pakistan’s first individual gold medal.
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Nadeem reunited with his family at his home village of Mian Channu, but not before thousands of supporters came to cheer for him at the airport.
“I want to thank the entire nation, especially Mian Channu, for showing me so much love,” he told the people of his village.
Nadeem also pointed out how important this sport is to the youths of both Pakistan and India, when rivalries and conflicts between the two are still heated. Chopra also voiced his support for Nadeem, acknowledging the winner’s skills.
United by a selfie
Despite the decades-long divide between North and South Korea, that did not stop some of its athletes from coming together for a joyous selfie. This viral moment came when table tennis players from the two countries gathered and smiled for a photo after receiving their medals for the mixed doubles competition.
South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon took the group photo with his Samsung phone, while his partner Shin Yu-bin and the North’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong smiled. They were soon joined by the Chinese players, who won the gold medal; South and North Korea won bronze and silver respectively.
The act of camaraderie highlighted a rare moment of unity amidst tense relations between the two Koreas.
A skateboarder’s dream
Australian skateboarder Arisa Trew, only 14, secured gold for the women’s park event, becoming the country’s youngest gold medalist in its history. Sporting her pink helmet, Trew fired through the final round to the cheers of the crowd at Place de la Concorde.
After her victory, she said during a press conference that her parents promised her that if she won gold, she could get a pet duck.
“Ducks are really cute and I really wanted a pet duck,” Trew told reporters.
Also competing was 11-year-old Zheng Haohao, who became China’s youngest Olympic athlete.
A viral shot
Though only winning silver, Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec’s shot won the hearts and minds of the Internet, becoming an instant meme. The man was shown wearing a simple T-shirt, shooting his pistol with his other hand tucked in his pocket. He was only wearing an ordinary pair of glasses, without the use of other equipment like additional lenses or ear defenders.
He won the silver medal alongside Sevval Ilayda Tarhan in mixed team 10-meter air pistol shooting.
Following this casual moment, other athletes like Roje Stona and Armand Duplantis — the latter having once again broken the world record in pole-vaulting for Sweden — replicated his legendary pose in honor of the pistol shooter.
Spying suspension
The Games in Paris were not without their scandals and controversies.
Bev Priestman, Canada’s head coach for its women’s national soccer team, had been removed by the Canadian Olympic Committee following allegations of using drones to spy on their opponents. Two staff members — assistant Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi — were also suspended.
The case came after French police apprehended Lombardi obtaining a drone that was hovering over the training facility for the New Zealand team. Footage of the New Zealand team’s practices were found in the drone, in addition to text messages between Lobardi and Mander, suggesting that the latter was at least aware of the act.
“I am absolutely heartbroken for the players, and I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for the impact this situation has had on all of them,” Priestman apologized in a statement.
The Canadian women’s team previously scored gold in the Tokyo Olympics, sporting “sportsmanship and integrity” as Priestman mentioned.
“As the leader of the team on the field, I want to take accountability, and I plan to fully cooperate with the [Canadian Soccer Association] investigation.”
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Not so ‘Seine-sational‘
The French government has spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.53 billion) to clean up the famous Seine River since 2015. Yet, the waterway is still heavily polluted, leading to concerns about its suitability for hosting Olympic events.
Water quality tests done showed that the river contained “very good” levels of fecal bacteria like E. Coli, which was claimed to still be safe for swimming for the athletes.
However, several athletes had to drop out of the mixed relay competition after suffering from illness. It was not confirmed if the river’s pollution was the cause.
To circumvent the possibility of contracting illness, athletes drank Coca-Cola in an effort to flush out whatever bacteria they may have picked up from the river.
Inter-Korean mix-up
During the opening ceremony, Olympics officials wrongly announced the South Korean athletes as North Korean. The team was traveling down the Seine River during the ceremony when they were announced as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — which is the official name for North Korea. South Korea is officially called the Republic of Korea.
The side of South Korea’s boat during the ceremony still featured their correct sign.
“We deeply apologize for the mistake that occurred when introducing the Korean team during the opening ceremony broadcast,” the Olympic committee posted on X.
The South Korean Ministry of Culture Sports and Tourism vice minister Jang Mi Ran had called for a meeting with Thomas Bach over the incident, the ministry said in a statement.
Displacements and dress code
To prepare for the Olympics, France reportedly evicted many homeless people and migrants from their homes across Paris, forcing them into cities like Strasbourg and Orleans.
An umbrella group supporting undocumented migrants reported that over 12,000 people were displaced by forced removals between April 2023 and May 2024.
Moreover, authorities also banned women athletes for France from wearing the hijab, the headscarf worn by Muslim women. In September 2023, Amelie Oudea-Castera, the former French Sports Minister, would be forbidden from wearing the hijab during the Olympics.
French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla, who competed in the 4×400 meters relay, was also banned from participating in the opening ceremony. However, after a backlash by several athletes and social media users, Sylla was allowed to wear a cap over her hair.
