Security at the highest level
Many media representatives and fans were extremely wary of the organizers’ idea of using the most popular and famous places in Paris to host the Olympic tournaments; everyone was afraid of possible provocations due to too easy access to the competition venues.
The opening ceremony and triathlon swims took place on the Seine River; the marathon course was laid out in the city centre with the finish line in the Invalides, and a beach volleyball stadium was built right in front of the Eiffel Tower. But the local gendarmerie and officials worked brilliantly, allowing no one to do anything illegal: thanks to their work, nothing could prevent all Olympic tournaments from taking place on time.
Games silver medalists gained more popularity than gold medalists
It’s rare for runners-up to get more attention than gold medalists, but the Paris Olympics managed to reverse that trend by giving victory to the close winners.
The most famous vice-champion of the 2024 Olympics was undoubtedly the Turk Yusuf Dikech, who took the prize in the 10m air pistol shooting competition in mixed doubles.
Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec The 51-year-old athlete, who became popular on the internet after winning the silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol at the 2024 Olympics, did not wear special lenses or ear protection, unlike her competitors. A photo of her competing in her normal uniform with her hands in her pockets went viral on social media.
Video/A still from Eurosport
The 51-year-old athlete wowed social media users with his nonchalant shooting pose and the absence of any equipment used by other shooters.
“I keep my hands in my pockets for extra body balance. I didn’t even expect my stance to be so controversial. My friend who won the gold medal said, ‘I came first, but most people are talking about you,'” Dikech said.
Another online star was gymnast Yaqin Zhou, who won a medal in the balance beam exercise. During the award ceremony, the 18-year-old representative of the People’s Republic of China watched in shock as the Italian athletes who won gold and bronze medals deliberately bit their medals.
Global Perspective Press
Zhou was unfamiliar with the tradition but was not surprised and repeated the Italians’ actions on camera, a moment many fans described as the most touching of the entire Olympics.
Russia remains medalless despite suspensions
Russian athletes were admitted to the 2024 Olympic Games in a neutral status – many national sports federations voluntarily refused to send their representatives to France (rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics). Some were not allowed by the International Olympic Committee in principle, despite the qualifications achieved in qualifying tournaments (taekwondo).
The only medal in the Russian treasury was brought by two tennis players Mirra Andreeva and Diana Schneider, who won silver in doubles.
Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters
The athletes, who are only 37 years old between them, competed together for the first time in the first round of the Olympic tournament. Despite their youth and lack of experience, the girls brilliantly passed their tournament group and reached the deciding match, where they were defeated only by the eventual champions, Italians Sara Errani and Yasmin Paolini, in the championship tie-break.
In total, former Russian athletes managed to win six gold medals at the Paris Olympics. One of the long-awaited gold medals was awarded to German gymnast Daria Varfolomeev, who began her sports career in Barnaul.
Sina Schuldt/dpa/Global Look Press
Team USA wins unofficial medal tally
For the first time in the history of the Summer Olympics, we had to wait until the end of all ongoing competitions to determine the winner of the medal standings. The Games program concluded with the final of the women’s basketball tournament, where the Americans met the host team of the Games, France.
The match ended with a score of 67:66 in favor of the USA team. The most productive player of this match was Aja Wilson, who made a double-double; she scored 21 points and 13 rebounds.
With this victory, despite being tied for gold medals, the American team overtook China in the medal standings as they had more silver medals to their name.
Final medal standings:
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Source: Gazeta
Gregory Robert is a sports aficionado and a writer for “Social Bites”. He provides in-depth coverage of the latest sporting events and trends, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the world of sports.