The 2024 Paris Olympic Games wrapped up on Aug. 11, and it is worth noting the incredible accomplishments that the Team USA Olympians secured.
Olympic women’s swimmer Torri Huske earned the most medals of any USA Olympian, with three gold and two silver medals, earning her five medals total. On the men’s side, swimmer Caeleb Dressel won three medals, two gold and one silver. In total, the U.S. earned 126 metals with 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze according to the official Olympics website.
Along with earning the most medals, the U.S. Olympians made history this year at the games. First, the men’s rowing team, which earned gold in the Coxless Four event, became the first time the U.S. won gold in rowing since 1960. Another long-awaited win was in the women’s road race cycling event. First-time Olympian Kristen Faulkner earned gold for the US for the first time since 1984. The Alaska native started taking cycling seriously in 2017 and just four years later, quit her job as a venture capitalist to train full time, according to NBC.
One team that had everyone watching was none other than the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. As a team, the women won the gold medal. Three-time Olympian Simone Biles proved yet again how dominant of a gymnast she is by earning three individual medals. Biles won a gold medal in the women’s all-around event and vault. Additionally, she earned silver in the women’s floor exercise. By the end of the Olympic games, Biles was tied for most medals earned by a U.S. Olympic gymnast at seven total with Shannon Miller. She continues to add to her decorated career with 37 Olympic and world medals.
The women’s rugby team captured everyone’s attention during the games, as the team won the bronze medal against Australia. The game itself is worth mentioning because first-time Olympian Alex Sedrick was able to break through Australia’s defense and tie the game with only 30 seconds left, according to the official Team USA website. The normal kickers for the team had been subbed off so it was up to Sedrick to make a successful conversion. This allowed for a 14 to 12 win and secured the first-ever medal for the US.
Women’s rugby player Ilona Maher had captivated social media audiences prior by showcasing her sport and her stance on body positivity. In a TikTok video she posted at the beginning of the Olympic games, Maher stated, “All body types matter. All body types are worthy. From the smallest gymnast to the tallest volleyball player, from a rugby player to a shot-putter, a sprinter. All body types are beautiful, can do amazing things. Truly see yourself in these athletes and know that you can do it too.”
The last time the Olympics saw the women’s national soccer team, they had earned bronze against Australia. With a new head coach, Chelsea’s Emma Hayes stated how she wanted to refresh the team by adding new players with returners.
Throughout the games, tensions were high but the team was able to make it to the gold medal match against Brazil. By halftime of the gold medal game, it was still scoreless but both teams were putting up an impressive fight. At the 57th-minute mark of the second half, Mallory Swanson was able to put the ball in the back of the net. The battle between both teams continued until the final whistle, indicating that the US women’s national soccer team had just won gold for the first time in 12 years.
In a post-game interview with NBC, head coach Emma Hayes stated, “We got more aggressive as the game went on. I was encouraging that…The heart, the determination, the grit — everything about these players is so unbelievable. I’m so proud.”
Many of the women Olympians showcased just how much determination and dedication they have for their respective sports. That being said, it is important to note the increase in media coverage and viewership for women’s sports. In past years, many women’s events were put on the back burner since viewership wasn’t that high.
“I think this year women’s sports has seen a rise in their media coverage,” Wilkes women’s soccer Coach Jon McNichol said. “This started during the college basketball season and continued during the WNBA and NWSL seasons. It was great to see the Olympics end their games with the women’s marathon, which is not usually the case (it is usually the men’s marathon). Seeing the amount of coverage and attention on women’s sports has been great.”
Coach McNichol advises Wilkes athletes to represent their sports well and be role models to younger players.
“We talk with our student-athletes about the positive impact they can have on their community all the time. Younger female athletes hold all of our student-athletes in such high regard because they play in college. To them there is no difference between Divisions, they see them as college athletes. By taking time to talk to you female athletes that attend our games or they see on campus goes a long way.”
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No story on the 2024 Olympics would be complete without a nod to a newly added sport: breaking, commonly known as break dancing. “Breaking is an urban dance style that originated in the United States in the 1970s,”according to the official Olympic website. It was first featured in 2018 at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Due to the success, it was brought into the games this year. Victor Montalvo won the bronze medal for the U.S. in the men’s event.