The summer of 2024 was a hot one, and so were the Summer Olympics! According to CNN, this year’s Olympics were the most watched of all time, with 30.6 million viewers. The Olympics occurred in Paris, France, where the United States won the most medals (126) followed by China (91) and Great Britain (65).
Influential athletes led the US on the road to winning the medal count. Noah Lyles and Sha’carri Richardson led the track and field events for the United States, winning two medals each. Simone Biles continued her dominance in gymnastics. She is now the most decorated gymnast ever, with moves named after her. She earned 11 medals.
US team sports also topped headlines. The reimagined men’s basketball team, with LeBron James, and the women’s soccer team, with Sophia Smith, both won gold.
Senior Ousmane Syll watched several Olympic events.
“The soccer was my favorite,” said Syll, “and sometimes I [would] watch the track.”
Sophomore Kai Harris did not spend much time watching the Summer Olympics.
When asked if he watched the Summer Olympics, Harris said, “Not really, [although] I heard about the women’s soccer team [winning gold].”
The Olympics offered many new events this year such as, 3×3 Basketball, Kayak Cross and Breaking. One of these new events, breakdancing, led to controversy. Australian breakdancer, Rachael Gunn’s, unconventional routine, led to a vast amount of backlash from the internet. She failed to score any points in the games, losing 0-18 in all three rounds.
Whether you watch the Olympics for the sports culture or the athletes’ craft, you witness history being made by all the amazing athletes across the globe. As history is written in the books from Paris, the four-year wait for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics begins!
Matthew Klein • Sep 18, 2024 at 3:10 pm
This is awesome! the olympics part was cool