Today, August 11, the Olympic Games come to an end. It is a bittersweet finale for the athletes who participated – some leaving Paris with gold, silver, and bronze hardware, others heading home with once-in-a-lifetime memories. Politics have often tarnished the Olympics, and a tinge of it lingered throughout the competition. However, this year, despite a rocky start at the opening ceremonies, the Summer Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris brought forth the essence of athleticism, which encompasses enormous personal discipline, team spirit, and an inspirational ability to overcome unimaginable obstacles. These are the qualities Team USA brought to the games, and America should take pride in its athletes.
For 19 days, more than 10,000 athletes competed in 32 sports. Between all the heats and semi-finals, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) supervised 329 events. However, the power of the Olympics does not lie in its numbers but in the hearts of the athletes, who revealed true grit in their performances.
Even before the games got underway, American swimmers were amped up by some smack talk from their archrivals – the Aussies. Eight-time Olympic medalist Cate Campbell (who did not qualify for the games this year) threw it down right after the World Swimming Championships in 2023:
“It is just so much sweeter beating America. There were a couple of nights, particularly the first night of competition, where we did not have to hear ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ ring out through the stadium, and I cannot tell you how happy that made me. When we’re right next to each other in the warm-up areas, the U.S. have this infernal cowbell they ring. And as someone leaves to go to the competition pool, they ring out, ‘USA, USA,’ and I have never wanted to punch someone more."
That taunt fueled US swimmers to victory. They brought home the most gold, effectively letting their performances do the talking in their historic pool rivalry with the Australians. If 2024 is any indication, there’s likely to be more of that “infernal cowbell” in the future.
Yet another rivalry building to a crescendo is between China and the US. While the Chinese excelled in precision sports like synchronized diving, the Americans demonstrated their athletic prowess with imagination and artistry. This was best exemplified in women’s gymnastics, where Team USA proved too talented for the Chinese and took home the gold. The women’s best all-around gymnast went to US athlete Simone Biles, with Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade taking the silver and American Sunisa Lee the bronze.
USA Olympic Overcomers
Inspiring stories of US athletes overcoming setbacks added to the drama and proved particularly powerful. Gymnast Sunisa Lee was sidelined with two debilitating kidney diseases in December of 2023, but she came roaring back, ultimately winning not one or two, but three Olympic Medals.
Similarly coming off what should have been a career-ending injury, US gymnast Brody Malone exhibited exceptional team spirit by putting his disastrous personal performance behind him and focusing on guiding his crew to a bronze medal in the team competition.
While events at the pool and on the mat showed the grit and determination of the Americans, it was the track where US athletes shined brightest. Alexandria, VA, track star Noah Lyles took home the gold in the men’s 100-meter final. On the women’s side of the same event, Sprinter Gabby Thomas powered her way to a gold medal performance as well. Then there was USA’s Cole Hocker, who came out of nowhere in a mouth-dropping race to win gold in the men’s 1500-meter competition. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also stunned the packed Stade de France when she broke her own world record, winning the gold in the 400-meter hurdles. By and large, the US dominated the track events and appeared worthy of their “catch me if you can” swagger.
Politics and the Olympics
Historically, the Olympics have provided a unique backdrop for political unrest. In 1936, a stadium filled with Nazis in Berlin shocked the world with their Hitler salute. In the summer of 1968, ten days before the Games opened, the Mexican army opened fire on people who were protesting the government using funds for the Olympics instead of social programs, killing over 200 protesters in the Plaza of Three Cultures. Then, there was the haunting tableau of a black power salute from two US sprinters as the Star-Spangled Banner was being played in their honor. Things only got worse at the 1972 Munich Games when Palestinian terrorists breached security at the Olympic Village, killing two members of the Israeli team and taking nine others hostage, who the terrorists ultimately murdered.
So it came as no surprise when politics wrestled to take center stage a few times at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Russian athletes were barred from taking part in the games due to the Ukrainian war, which is sad for the athletes themselves. Yet, somehow, not having to deal with the Russian judges applying their standard favoritism was a relief. There were also charges of Chinese swimmers illegally doping and a dreadful boxing match in which an Italian woman bowed out after being hit by a competitor whose gender was called into question. The first several hours of the opening ceremonies were bizarre and blasphemous. Still, it somehow ended on a high note, with Celine Dion belting out her heart and soul in an unforgettable performance from the middle of the Eiffel Tower. In the end, the negative politics could not match the drama of the powerful athletic performances.
NBC was well-served by choosing sportscaster Mike Tirico to replace longtime anchor Bob Costas. Tirico displayed a steady hand when tasked with announcing the controversial moments of the games and balanced his primetime coverage with a friendly, affable on-air countenance. He displayed an ability to keep things entertaining while avoiding the inane and incessant prattling of how everything was so “awesome and amazing.”
The TV coverage with its movable cameras and drones was exceptional, and the thrill of victory on the faces of the athletes somehow managed to overcome the agony of defeat as losers often trekked over to a winner to offer a congratulatory hug, demonstrating true sportsmanship. All in all, the Summer Games of the XXXIII Olympiad provided viewers with a warm and fuzzy dose of the joys inherent in competition – something sorely needed in this season of bitter and toxic politics.
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