Paris Olympics highlights: Simone Biles was the star, but there were many faces in the spotlight
PARIS: Simone Biles stole the show at the Paris Olympics with her spectacular comeback that had everyone watching everything she did both in and out of high school.
All eyes were on Biles as she won four medals, but the spotlight was bright enough to highlight new names, new faces and a few unlikely new stars. The Paris Games will be remembered for their spectacular venues, unprecedented accessibility and Snoop Dogg's starring role in record-breaking NBC coverage.
Paris introduced the world to “The Pommel Horse Guy” and “The Real John Wick,” as well as the appearance of a meme-making Australian professor in breaking's Olympic debut.
French swimmer Leon Marchand put on a Michael Phelps-like performance at his home Olympics, winning five medals, four of them gold. Ilona Maher has decided to star in reality TV show Love Island after leading the US to a stunning victory that earned the US its first ever rugby sevens medal, a bronze.
Noah Lyles was named the fastest man in the world for winning the 100m, but after he finished third in the 200m – his first defeat in his favorite sport since the Tokyo Olympics three years ago – he showed that he has a positive test for COVID-19. Sha'Kari Richardson chased down two athletes in the rain to complete her first Olympics with relay gold after settling for silver in the 100 medley.
The U.S. won the medal count — 121 heading into Sunday's final day of competition, 37 of them gold — and the Americans once again dominated in men's basketball and women's soccer.
Here are some highlights from the Paris Olympics:
The galls rose to gold
Biles returned to the Olympics three years after she withdrew from several events at the Tokyo Games for mental health reasons and won four medals, three of them gold.
She was the most popular attraction in Paris and competed in front of crowds of celebrities. Those who couldn't sit in the stands with Tom Cruise, Spike Lee, Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga watched from afar as NBC reported that 34.7 million viewers on its platforms watched Biles lead the USA to team gold.
Next up for the greatest gymnast in Olympic history is the 30-stop Gold Across America Tour for the GOAT.
Swimming fight
The nine days of competition ended with the Americans barely taking the lead in swimming gold medals, needing a win in the final race of the Olympics.
The US finished with just eight gold medals, its fewest since the 1988 Seoul Games and one ahead of arch-rival Australia.
“This is one of the worst performances in Team USA history,” said Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history.
The rest of the world has won more (20) than the United States and Australia combined, the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Track trouble
The Americans' 34 medals and 14 golds were their best track and field performance at a non-boycotted Games since the early 20th century, when there were more events and fewer countries.
And it came despite the disappointment of Richardson not winning gold in the 100, Lyles losing the 200 after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and the men's 4x100m relay fumbling its way to disqualification.
The relay performance was so poor that Carl Lewis, a nine-time gold medalist, called for top-to-bottom changes in the US track and field program.
But the U.S. won big, with Sydney McLaughlin-Leuron setting another world record by winning the 400 hurdles again, and then she was part of the 4×400 relay team that she and Gabby Thomas led to victory on the final night at the Stade de France.
The Americans won gold in the same race in a much closer finish about 15 minutes earlier.
The US's 14 gold medals are the most Olympic Games without a boycott since 1968.
USA Hoops gets another gold
Stephen Curry added more hardware to his legacy when he finally won an Olympic gold medal.
Curry scored 24 points to lead the USA to a 98-87 victory over France in the men's basketball final. It was the fifth consecutive gold medal for the United States — and the 17th of the Americans' 20 appearances at the Games all-time.
Kevin Durant, the first four-time men's gold medalist in Olympic basketball history, had 15 kills for the Americans, as did Devin Booker. And LeBron James, wearing metallic gold sneakers, scored 14 points for the USA as they won their fourth Olympic medal and third gold medal.
Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points for France in his first Olympic final and was in tears after the game.
The US women's soccer team is back on top
The US women's soccer team won its fifth Olympic gold medal with a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the final. The Americans haven't won gold since the 2012 London Olympics.
Gold ended their unbeaten run to the title in their first international campaign under new coach Emma Hayes.
After the final whistle, the USA players celebrated with Bruce Springsteen's “Born in the USA”. played at the stadium.
Boxing disputes
Women's boxing has been embroiled in culture wars over gender misconceptions involving two female competitors.
Algeria's Iman Khelief and Taiwan's Li Yu Ting have been scrutinized over the decision by the Russian-dominated International Boxing Association to disqualify them from last year's world championships, saying both had failed the women's competition eligibility test, which officials The IBA declined to respond. questions about
Khelief withstood scrutiny in the ring and online abuse from around the world due to misconceptions about her femininity and still won gold in the women's featherweight division.
Lin won the women's featherweight gold medal one night later to end her four-fight unbeaten streak in Paris, winning Taiwan's first Olympic boxing gold medal.
“I am a woman like any other woman. I was born as a woman, I live as a woman and I'm qualified,” Helif said after her victory.
The International Olympic Committee took the unprecedented step last year of permanently banning the IBA from the Olympics after years of concerns about its governance, competition fairness and financial transparency. The IOC has called the sex tests the sport's governing body imposed on two boxers irretrievably flawed.
