Clearly, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics were an undeniable success.
The emphasis is on “appearances.”
If you’re looking for thrills, the Games delivered. It wouldn’t have been more spectacular than the men’s 100-metre final, with sprinter Noah Lyles winning the gold medal in a photo finish.
“I told you, America,” Lyles told a television camera after finishing first in one of the closest races in history. “I can do it.”
Despite his predictions, the brash sprinter only finished third in the 200m final, earning him a bronze medal. But it was an incredible feat, considering Lyles was sick with COVID.
If you wanted redemption, the Olympics were a success. Gymnast Simone Biles personified redemption by winning three gold medals and a silver after her mental health struggles on the world stage at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Biles, who became the most decorated gymnast in history with 11 Olympic medals, even gave us a lesson in humility when she and teammate Jordan Chiles lost on the medal stand to Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, who beat them in the floor final, capping a comeback after three knee surgeries.
“It was an all-black podium, which was super exciting for us,” Biles later said of the gesture, which went viral on social media. “Jordan was like, ‘Do we bow to her?’ And I was like, ‘Absolutely. It was the right thing to do.’”
And if you wanted to see stars, the Olympic crowd consisted of a who’s who of A-list celebrities: Spike Lee, Serena Williams, Tom Cruise, Tom Brady, Mick Jagger, Eva Mendes, Ryan Gosling, Sharon Stone.
Who would have thought when they brought us “Gin and Juice” and “Fight the Power” that Snoop Dogg and Flavor Flav would be global ambassadors?
Flav, the ultimate rap hype man, was in Paris to lend his personal and financial support to the women’s water polo team.
“I’m here to motivate them,” Flav, born William Drayton, told CBS. “I’m here to try to get them in the mood to win that fourth gold medal.”
Flav’s presence, alongside Snoop Dogg, highlighted the Olympics as a victory for hip-hop, which is still celebrating its 50th anniversary as a cultural phenomenon.
So it was the perfect time for breakdancing — breaking, as it was called back when it took place in Bronx basements — to be introduced as an official Olympic sport.
“We’re going to have all eyes on us, so I just want to make sure everyone understands what this dance is and what hip-hop is about, because it’s about peace, unity and fun,” Team USA breaker Viktor Montalvo told CBS.
Montalvo will compete on Sunday.
Sunday will also see the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. In a parade of nations in grand style, competitors, coaches and organisers will celebrate two weeks of sporting excellence.
What they will not celebrate is peace on our planet.
The aim of the Olympic Games, according to the official charter of the International Olympic Committee, “is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humanity, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.”
But since the Games began on July 26, there has been nothing but dissension on a global scale.
Early Saturday morning, an Israeli airstrike hit a school converted into a shelter in Gaza, killing at least 80 people, according to Palestinian health officials.
Russia remains at war with Ukraine, which was behind a surprise cross-border incursion last week that put the Kremlin on edge.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as doubts over his electoral victory grow, is trying to cut off public access to X, formerly known as Twitter, and WhatsApp.
Thanks for the break, Paris. Now we’re back to our usual chaos.
