After 19 days of competition, medals won, countless celebrations and memorable moments, the Paris 2024 Olympics are drawing to a close.
From the city of Paris being in the spotlight for Simon Biles and USA gymnastics to the return of fans, the Paris Olympics will be remembered for many things.
But what stands out the most?
We asked experts in Paris and elsewhere across France to answer the ultimate question:
What will you remember about these Olympics in years to come?
Sam Borden: For me, it is Trinity Rodman’s unbelievable, surprise goal brings victory for the USWNT in the quarterfinals against Japan. It was the perfect combination: an incredible skill that required power and precision, combined with tense situations — extra time, a penalty shootout looming — and the unparalleled atmosphere of a packed Parc des Princes. The whole sequence was remarkable on so many levels, and one of the funniest parts about the whole thing was that Rodman said afterward that she blacked out when the ball left her foot, so she wasn’t even really sure what she did. If that’s true, she’s the only one who doesn’t remember the goal, because anyone who witnessed it will never forget it.
Coley Harvey: Years later, I will never forget “skinny” finished photo. It was the move Noah Lyles needed to win big. Speaking of Lyles, he had the craziest Olympics of any American medalist. From topping the world with a gold medal on Sunday, to receiving an alarming diagnosis on Tuesday, to pouring every ounce of COVID into his bronze on Thursday, to having to drop out of the relay on Friday, Lyles’ Olympics were, in a word, crazy.
But even with the drama of his time in Paris, the show he and the world’s second-fastest seven men put on on the first Sunday of racing at the Stade de France is one I will always remember. I sat there that night with my colleague Marc Spears, and we both nearly went crazy looking at the video board in the stadium and realizing with Lyles that he was indeed the men’s 100-meter champion.
The volume was deafening. The scene was exhilarating. Had it not been for Lyles’s decision to take a last-second lean at the finish line, he might not have beaten Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson to cement his place in Olympic immortality. For me, that emotional moment helped kick off America’s remarkable run of gold medals in track and field.
Emily Kaplan: Includes the last day of men’s golf tournament at Le Golf National It’s unbelievable. The sport recently returned to the Olympics after more than 100 years, and the Paris Games gave it a boost. Many of the sport’s biggest names — Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood and others — battling it out at the top of the leaderboard, and then seeing the gold medalist Scottie Scheffler The tears during the ceremony highlighted just how important this tournament is to the professionals who earn millions of dollars and are widely known outside the Olympic cycle. The crowd was fantastic, with dozens of countries represented, all creating a lively atmosphere.
McIlroy’s later quote summed it up: “With how bad the game of golf is right now, you think tournaments are probably the purest form of competition in the sport, not for money. So that says a lot about the importance of the sport.”
D’Arcy Maine: I was in Tokyo three years ago, sitting in huge arenas and stadiums and watching athletes make their lifelong dreams come true with hardly anyone there to witness it and no family members there to hug them immediately after winning a medal. Those Olympics were tough on everyone with countless restrictions and rules and an incredibly stifling environment. So what continually struck me in Paris, in every sport, was the sheer joy I saw from the athletes, their loved ones and their fans.
In 2021, I watched Simone Biles withdraw from the team competition and heard the worried, hushed whispers from a handful of attendees, so seeing her and the rest of the U.S. team run around after winning the redeeming gold medal was extra special. I witnessed Novak DjokovicThe dream of a “Golden Slam” being dashed in Tokyo — and remembering his very visible disappointment in the bronze medal match — and then watching him sob on the court and with his family after winning his first gold medal at Roland Garros is something I will never forget. And such examples could go on and on. As I’m sure most athletes who have competed in both Olympics would say, the still-surreal memories of Tokyo make me truly appreciate what I experienced in Paris, and the clear displays of happiness and gratitude are what I will remember most.
Connor O’Halloran: I don’t know if this was broadcast on TV, but anyone who was there in person will know the chant “Allez Les Bleus!” It’s always a cheer for French fans.
They shouted it with their mouths and stomped their feet. At times, the arena felt like the Colosseum. The chant provided a rousing soundtrack to every event that any French athlete participated in, and it didn’t need any sign of success to get going: I’ve heard French fans chant it when they lost in boxing and in track and field events when they had no chance of winning. It exploded across the table tennis arena when a French guy was trying his best to stop his Chinese opponent and basically missed every shot. France lost 12 out of 14 games in that team match. It was a rout, but all you could hear was “Allez Les Bleus!”
Alyssa Roenigk: Witness the redemption of the four Golden Girls who returned to the Olympics after a difficult, strange two weeks in Tokyo. A few months ago, it seemed highly unlikely that all four women — Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles — would make the team. When they did, they became one of the most intriguing storylines of the Games. Biles wanted to turn things around and have another chance at the all-around gold medal. Lee wanted to make it to the uneven bars final again. Carey wanted to make two big jumps to prove she was one of the best in the world, and Chiles wanted to win an individual medal.
They did all that and won the team gold medal — while supporting each other and honoring their opponents. Although there are three bodies including the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the International Gymnastics Federation and the IOC Chiles was ordered to return her bronze medal. Because her coach filed a claim on her score four seconds after the deadline, Chiles had her moment on the podium. And in six days, a bronze medal.
Regardless of the decision, the final and most memorable image after a week and a half of exhilarating gymnastics will still be the sight of Olympic gold medalists Biles and Chiles bowing to Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade on the podium, which speaks volumes about the type of athlete who is leading the sport into its next era.
Jeremy Schaap: It was Henri IV, who rejected Protestantism and converted to Catholicism to ascend the throne of France in the 16th century, who uttered the immortal words: “Paris deserves to attend Mass.”
He might have added that the city would also be the ideal setting for a gathering of the world’s greatest athletes — and he would have been right.
Of all the stars shining in the City of Light during the Thirty-third Olympic Games, none could shine brighter than Paris itself. A flood during the opening ceremony? Yes. Dirty river water disrupting the competition? Yes.
But…
Sometimes the host city is largely secondary to the proceedings — just a jumble of arenas that could be anywhere, plus road closures. The sheer logistical demands can suck the soul out of any metropolis. Paris, on the other hand, is the star attraction at these Games, with events held in all sorts of familiar and stunning locations. And what better backdrop could there be?
In the words of an American who left his mark on Paris — right around the time the last Olympic Games were held here, in 1924 — for those lucky enough to attend these Games, or just witness them, in person, or even on screen, it will stay with them, because Paris, yes, is a moving feast, even under the weight of the Olympic rings.
Marc Spears: I’ve covered the NBA for 25 years, college basketball for five years, and two Olympics. But of all the basketball games I’ve been to, perhaps the greatest game I’ve ever seen was Semifinal between USA and Serbia. Feels like a movie. Serbian team, with NBA MVP Nikola Jokicjumped ahead and led most of the game. Didn’t make it to the gold medal game for LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant & Co., would be the most embarrassing moment of their basketball careers. But somehow, Team USA pulled it all together and fought on both ends of the court to pull out an emotional victory.
The only other thing that comes to mind is seeing Ray Allen’s late 3-pointer save the game. Miami Heat in the NBA Finals vs. San Antonio Spurs. Robert Horry’s 3-pointer sealed the victory in the final against Detroit Pistons also huge. But the US-Serbia game, was great. Thought it won.
Brian Windhorst: The basketball game in Lille, which held 27,000 fans, was an unusual but huge venue. The unforgettable moment came, naturally, when France pulled off a miraculous comeback when 21-year-old guard Matthew Strazel hit a four-point play with 10 seconds left to force Japan into overtime. The huge crowd’s sudden transition from despondency to elation in a matter of seconds was memorable. And it mattered. The French won the overtime game, sending them into the medal round.
