This year, the Summer Olympics were held in Paris, France. Many people were very excited that the Olympics were in their city and couldn’t wait to see some of the events. Even though the Olympics were meant to highlight the sports, we saw a lot more—the issues before the events, the success of the athletes, the different nationalities of the athletes and both the physical and mental sides of the Olympics.
Even though people were excited for the Olympics, there were many who had concerns about how the laws in France would interfere with the rules of the Olympics. One of the biggest concerns was the pollution in the Seine River. Local French citizens were very upset about how much of their tax money was going towards cleaning the Seine, but in the end, there was no confidence that the river would get cleaner. There was a discussion of a change of location of the event, until the governor of France decided to go for a swim to prove how clean the Seine really was. Another issue faced was the law of the Hijab Ban. Because of this, there were some athletes who couldn’t compete in the Olympics at all. One of the major controversies seen prior to the games was the fact that a convicted child rapist was able to compete. Although there were many issues, ultimately, there were many successes.
Throughout the 2024 Summer Olympics, there were a total of 17 world-records that were broken. One of the most monumental world-records was broken by Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis from Sweden, who broke the pole vault record with a record of clearing 6.25m. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world-record in the women’s 400m hurdles. Canada’s Katie Vincent broke the world-record for rowing and canoe sprint. The USA’s Bobby Finke also broke an impressive record, winning a gold medal and breaking the world record for the men’s 1500m freestyle swim. During the games, the world recognized many sports giants while also meeting some new faces to the world stage.
Some sports giants we saw this year included Mijain Lopez, Simone Biles, and Novak Djokovic. Mijain Lopez is a wrestling star, in which he became the first athlete to win five consecutive gold medals. Simone Biles made a very impressive comeback and won a total of 11 medals, seven of them gold. Lastly, Novak Djokovic finally won his highly anticipated gold medal at the age of 37, winning four major opens and the Olympic games. Not only were we reminded of the giants, but audiences also met some new faces. Julien Alfred, for example, won gold for the women’s 100m, which led Saint Lucia to their first gold. We also met Adriana Ruano, who earned Guatemala their first gold medal in history for shooting. Finally, Algeria showcased Kaylia Nemour, who became the first African gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal.
The time of the Olympics is a time where everyone gets together to support our country. Recently, many people have been separated by politics, and unfortunately, some of that has crept into these games. Yet, it seems the Olympic games as a whole will always be more unifying than divisive. With the Olympics coming to Los Angeles in 2028, it will no doubt bring that same kind of unity closer to home.
