Glorious golds for the likes of Keely Hodgkinson and Bryony Page put some shine on an otherwise disappointing Paris 2024 for Great Britain, who finished a lowly seventh in the medals table behind the likes of hosts France and the Netherlands.
The final haul of 14 golds was the lowest since Athens in 2004, and disappointment was especially palpable across traditionally big ticket sports such as cycling, sailing and boxing, which failed to deliver on their lofty pre-Games expectations.
Nevertheless, inspiration came in plentiful supply, and no more high-profile than Hodgkinson, who belatedly emerged from a succession of major silver medals to see off her 800-metre rivals and burst to Olympic gold.
In a sailing event blighted by a persistent lack of wind, Ellie Aldridge stole the show by becoming the first female champion in the high-octane sport of kite-surfing, the Olympic regatta’s answer to the increasing urbanisation of the Games programme.
Other sports seized their moments in the spotlight: Amber Rutter’s dramatic skeet-shooting silver, just three months after giving birth, propelled her onto the front pages, while Page bounced to trampoline gold at the third time of asking.
But a five-medal haul by Britain’s equestrian team was overshadowed by controversy over dressage star Charlotte Dujardin, who was forced out on the eve of the Games after video footage emerged of her mis-treating a horse.
Elsewhere, the news narrative was hijacked by a gender row involving boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting, both of whom would go on to win gold medals, and the questionable abilities of an Australian breakdancer called Raygun.
Paris itself was lauded for bringing the Games back to the people by resisting the recent trend of Olympic Parks and placing the majority of their events in established venues within easy reach of the city’s metro system.
It fostered a close relationship between the city and the ongoing Games programme which was badly needed after the awkward atmosphere of Covid-hit Tokyo in 2020, and the disappointingly soulless Games in Rio in 2016.
There were plenty of reasons for the French public to celebrate, not least rugby union hero Antoine Dupont leading the hosts to gold in the men’s rugby sevens event, and judo icon Teddy Riner snaring his third career gold on the mat at the Champ de Mars.
For all its various mis-fires – not least a pair of spectacularly mis-judged ceremonies – there were some truly memorable moments, be it beach volleyball players serving in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower, or fencers and taekwondo stars descending the stairs of the Grand Palais.
Lording it over the programme was the ubiquitous Snoop Dogg, clad in full riding kit for the dressage competition in Versailles, or declaring open the first and probably last Olympic breakdancing event, which for all of Raygun’s worst efforts, went down well.
Snoop played his part, via video link, in the closing ceremony too, presenting a timely reminder that the 2028 Olympics will be heading to his native Los Angeles. Despite Great Britain’s relative struggles, the Paris Games will take some beating.
