The 2024 Summer Olympics has now concluded, with thrilling events, records broken, and unforgettable moments. Some highlights were broadcasted across television and others were more niche to their sport. This Olympic year, as Jackson Hurd ‘26 puts it, “was one of the best ones” because of how close “gold medal results [were]” and because of its “epic storylines.”
One of the standout highlights of the U.S. national team was its rowers, consisting of Nick Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady, and Liam Corrigan. The Americans took the gold in the men’s straight four for the first time since 1960, edging out New Zealand by just 0.85 seconds. Rowing student-athlete Rhett Curtis, 26’ remarked, “Truly a race to watch, and being a rower myself, it certainly inspired me to push harder and cement my spot on the Belmont Hill Rowing team.”
Now on a more comedic note in the Olympics, the sport of breakdancing debuted as an official Olympic sport for the first time. Australian breakdancer ‘Raygun’ became a worldwide meme for her remarkably sub-par skills. While Australia didn’t secure a medal, their performances certainly put breakdancing across the map, as many students in Belmont Hill, including Eita Fuse ‘26, expressed that “it was quite humorous.”
Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec also became a worldwide meme, however, this was because of his stellar performance despite a nonchalant nature. His calmness and lack of assistive equipment besides his glasses made him a worldwide sensation. Soon to be referred to as a “hitman” for having one hand in his pocket during competition, Jack Dragomanous 26’ remarked, “I think the Turkish guy was pretty dialed. Definitely had some practice perchance”.
American sprinter Noah Lyles also made headlines, securing gold in the men’s 100 meters by a hair. His win added to a string of U.S. track and field successes at the games, contributing to the country’s strong medal tally. Lyles’ victory was particularly notable as he managed to fend off strong competition and outrage from his, “World Champions of what?” interview when discussing the NBA champions.
The US Men’s National Basketball Team pushed through tough competition to put on a show in the finals. After tough exhibition matches against South Sudan, snatching the win by just 1 point, and Germany, who lost by 4 points, the future of the team was not looking promising. However, the star players proved their talent and put on a show when it was needed. An avid basketball fan, Jackson Hurd ‘26 explained how this “was the most talent-filled Olympic [basketball] tournament of all time.” The Greatest of All Time, Lebron James, cemented his unarguable longevity as one of the greats, and Steph Curry shot down jumpers and three-pointers as the definite Greatest Shooter of All Time to be crowned champions over France in a jaw-dropping 98 – 87 point win.
The Paris Olympics were truly a spectacle, and many athletes were able to put years of training and dedication on the biggest international stage. With the help of social media, many niche sports and heartwarming moments were shared with millions, and excitement was provided to many watchers. The US won the most medals 126 (40 gold medals) with remarkable performances across the board. China, who managed to tie the US in gold medals, came in second with 91 total medals. However, the dominant US performance shouldn’t take away from the amazing stories and moments created from this year’s Olympics, a true spectacle.
