Shamik Chakrabarty
This Olympics came against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war, and said: “We are the world/We are the children”.
The Olympics still remains an outlier at a time when commodification has engulfed the world of sport. At the Games, however, it is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and achieving personal fulfilment. Winners are celebrated, but there are no losers. Ask Kinzang Lhamo, and she would answer in the affirmative.
The athlete from Bhutan finished last in the women’s marathon, clocking three hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. She crossed the line to a standing ovation, notwithstanding that the winner was an hour-and-a-half faster than her. Lhamo embodied the Olympic spirit — it’s not about winning, but about participating.
Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, said as much, as the curtain fell on the Paris Games. “Your performances were amazing,” he said at the closing ceremony. “You competed fiercely against each other. Every contest on the edge of perfection, every performance sparking excitement around the world. You showed us what greatness we humans are capable of.”
At the other end, America and China fought a fierce battle for supremacy. In modern times, sport is used as a soft power and with Russia watching from a desolation row, it was always going to be between the United States and China. The latter had a slight edge, going into the final day of the competition, but the US came back via Jennifer Valente in the omnium and their women’s basketball team. The two superpowers eventually finished on 40 gold medals each, but the US’ total medal count, 126, trumped China’s 91.
The US women’s basketball won their eighth straight gold, an unprecedented feat in Olympic team sports. As far as individual performances are concerned, Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis broke his own world record by clearing 6.25m in the men’s pole vault. The 24-year-old is unquestionably among the greatest athletes of his generation.
In other sporting news:
Key Takeaways from #Paris2024
5 key lessons India s hould take from #Paris2024 to boost their medal count at the next Olympics.
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Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez revealed she was seven months pregnant, as she competed at the Olympics. Archer Yaylagul Ramazanova of Azerbaijan faced off with China’s An Qixuan in the 1/32 elimination round while being six months pregnant. They personified determination.
Simone Biles, meanwhile, made a triple gold return. The great gymnast withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics to look after her mental health, something that drew criticism from certain quarters. In Paris, she epitomised excellence and courage.
Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem’s javelin gold via a record 92.97m throw was the merry song of a commoner who started off with a bamboo spear in his village near Mian Channu and rose through the ranks to become world famous. It is one of the most heartening stories of the Games.
India, as usual, were the also-rans, finishing with six medals, one less than their Tokyo’s tally. If the shooting team performed commendably, the athletics team, with the exception of the excellent Neeraj Chopra, was a massive letdown. The archery team yet again showed they didn’t belong.
Vinesh Phogat’s case is in the hands of a CAS judge, but the 21-year-old Aman Sehrawat ensured that India’s wrestling contingent didn’t return empty-handed. Badminton, save Lakshya Sen’s march to the semi-finals, proved to be a disappointment. The men’s hockey team won back-to-back bronze medal. Harmanpreet Singh & Co played brilliantly throughout the tournament, just that they failed to convert their chances against Germany.
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony divided opinion. The closing ceremony was an amalgamation of French culture and Hollywood. The whole event was a celebration of human spirit. The show is over now, and until the LA 2028, au revoir.
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