We have now arrived at the final day of Paris 2024.
This summer’s Olympic Games, following the corruption-ridden Games in Rio in 2016 and the pandemic-hit Games in Tokyo in 2021, needed to be a positive experience and the French have ensured Paris 2024 has not just been a success, it's been a triumph.
The soaking wet Opening Ceremony may not have been universally acclaimed in the way the organisers would have hoped but from there, this Olympic Games has been an absolute joy to behold.
There's been many memorable moments created over the past 17 days, so here's my takeaways from Paris 2024.
TRACK AND FIELD REMAINS THE ULTIMATE GLOBAL SPORT
Athletics has long been the blue riband sport of the Olympic Games and there seems few signs of this standing abating.
Much of the joy of track and field is its ability to produce champions from every corner of the globe in a way no other sport can come close to matching, with Paris 2024 illustrating this point perfectly; the women’s 100m champion, Julian Alfred from St Lucia and triple jump champion, Thea LaFond from Dominica became their respective countries first-ever Olympic medallists in any sport.
THE OLYMPICS HAS A PULL LIKE NOTHING ELSE ON THE PLANET
Look no further than Simone Biles, and the calibre of fan she brought to the Olympics, if you want proof that the Olympic Games is the greatest sporting event on the planet.
From Tom Cruise to Snoop Dogg to Anna Wintour to Ariana Grande in the stands to watch Biles live, to Taylor Swift fan-girling over her fellow American on social media, the Olympics is the biggest show in the sporting world, and arguably the biggest show on the planet, full stop.
GOLF AND TENNIS DESERVE THEIR PLACES ON THE OLYMPIC PROGRAMME
I’ve been sceptical, to say the least, of the addition of both tennis and golf to the Olympic programme.
In both sports, I’ve always believed their four majors per year are valued more highly than Olympic gold.
Paris 2024 has made me change my view.
From Andy Murray choosing to end his career on the Olympic stage to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz both sobbing following their thrilling gold medal match to the golf tournament being hailed as the best golf event of the year, I’m now a convert and a staunch believer in the legitimacy of both tennis and golf as Olympic sports.
SPORT IS A LEVELLER LIKE NO OTHER
There are few other vocations in which one can rise from the bottom rung of the ladder to the very top.
Opportunity matters in sport, of course it does, but stories like Rebeca Andrade, the Brazilian gymnast who was born in a favela in Sao Paulo, was one of eight children raised by a single mother and, as a child, had to walk a four hour round trip to gymnastics practice prove that even the most underprivileged starts in life can end in glory.
Andrade won gold, two silvers and a bronze at Paris 2024 to add to her brace of medals from Tokyo 2020 and few could fail to be moved by her ascent to the top of the world.
SPORT IS BRUTAL, OLYMPIC SPORT EVEN MORE SO
Spanish badminton player, Carolina Marin became Olympic women’s singles champion in 2016 and after missing Tokyo 2020 due to a ruptured ACL, she'd stated that she wanted to regain her Olympic title in Paris more than anything else in the world.
She was well on track to reach the gold medal match leading, as she was, by a set and 10-5 in her semi-final.
However, a routine move saw her crumble to the ground and, despite hobbling on for a few more points, Marin sunk to her knees sobbing uncontrollably at the realisation her Olympic dream had been thwarted, yet again, by injury.
Even the most casual sports fans couldn’t fail to be moved by the unjustness of her body failing her at the worst possible moment.
MONEY TALKS, TO WHICH THE OLYMPIC MEDAL TABLE ATTESTS
Yet again, Team GB excelled in rowing, track cycling and equestrian.
Britain does not produce genetically better rowers, track cyclists or horse riders than the majority of other countries on the planet but rather, it does pump more money into these sports than most other countries.
So often, Olympic success is a direct result of money invested rather than anything else.
ON THE DAY, OLYMPIC PRIZE MONEY MATTERS NOT ONE JOT
Much was made of the move by World Athletics to introduce prize money at Paris 2024 - $50,000 for each gold medal, to be precise - and, in my opinion, prize money was a welcome addition to the landscape.
But, while athletes undoubtedly deserve fiscal rewards, it matters not a bit to them on the day.
Don’t tell me prize money, or the lack of it, made the slightest bit of difference to a single one of those athletes who were fighting for gold medals in Paris.
UNDERDOGS CAN PRODUCE THE MOST MEMORABLE OLYMPIC MOMENTS
Few events on the Olympic programme were anticipated quite as hotly as the men’s 1500m. It was, said the commentators, and I include myself in that, a straight head-to-head between reigning world champion, Josh Kerr and reigning Olympic champion, Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
However, both were too busy watching each other to pay much attention to the American, Cole Hocker, who departs Paris as one of the most unlikely Olympic champions in recent memory.
THE OLYMPIC MAGIC IS REAL
Nothing beats the magic of the Olympics.
I admit, I’m biased having been obsessed with the Olympics for over three decades – something that was only reinforced by competing in it – but each edition reinforces how amazing an event it is.
I now have another Olympic obsessive in my house, with my five-year-old son having watched hours of diving, triathlon, athletics, swimming, taekwondo, skateboarding and the rest, proving that nothing pulls in new fans quite like the Olympics.
Paris 2024 was spectacular, and I feel almost bereft that it’s another four years before I’ll feel the Olympic magic again.
Bring on LA 2028.
