Now that Paris 2024 is in the rear-view mirror, and there’s been time for reflection, Alison Brown shares her top 5 memories from covering the Olympics.
Favorite moments from the Paris 2024 Olympics
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics changed my life. I had never been to France, never attended an Olympics in person, never been away from home for so long. It would be nearly iflamealivepod.com/paris/mpossible to choose the best or most important moments of the experience. But I can’t ignore the tradition of closing a year with a list. How did I pick? These are the first memories that jump at me when I think about my wild summer in Paris. I think they stand up.
So, in chronological order, these are my 5 Favorite Moments from Paris 2024.
One of the Opening Ceremony’s many giant video screens along the Seine, how many spectators watched the big show.
1. Celine Dion at the Opening Ceremony
After three hours of watching performers and athletes slogging through heavy downpours, even those of us safely tucked away indoors watching the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony on television were ready to call it a night.
But then, out of the rainy darkness, Celine Dion filled the screen. Perched on top of the Eiffel Tower in a breathtaking white Dior gown, Celine struck the first notes of the Edith Piaf classic, “L’Hymne à l’Amour.” I was watching the show from the Paris Media Centre with a mostly French crowd. They alternated between cheers and gasps as Celine hit the big notes as only Celine can. Her recent health struggles added to the emotion and we were all left in tears.
It’s going to be a great night at the pool!
2. Swimming – Night 2
Unlike most sports and events at Paris 2024, swimming finals were deemed a “high demand” ticket and we press had to apply to get access to the event. When we requested tickets, I told our contact at Team USA, “If you can only give one night of swimming, make it Day 2.”
Thankfully, the tickets came through, and I witnessed one incredible race after another. Defending gold medalist (and my favorite swimmer) Adam Peaty narrowly lost to Italian Nicolo Martinenghi in the men’s 100 meter breaststroke. Torri Huske upset American teammate and world record holder Gretchen Walsh in the women’s 100 meter butterfly. Leon Marchand claimed the first of his four individual gold medals in the men’s 400 meter individual medley. Trust me, you have never heard “La Marseillaise” like it was sung by French swimming fans in La Defense Arena that night.
They did it! The Grand Palais crowd goes wild!
3. USA women win gold in Team Foil
Paris 2024 outdid itself by putting fencing in the iconic Grand Palais, but fencing also knew how to top itself.
Earlier in the week, Lee Kiefer had defended her title in women’s individual foil fencing. Teammate Lauren Scruggs had unexpectedly reached the finals against Kiefer, winning the silver medal. Joined by veteran Jackie Dubrovitch and teenager Maia Weintraub, the USA women marched through the team event to face Italy in the gold medal match.
The crowd heavily favored the Italians and at first, it seemed, so did the officials. Weintraub came off the bench and showed steely nerve and assertive fencing well beyond her years. The American women grew more and more confident with each point, defeating the Italians 45-39. Jackie Dubrovitch was already crying before she got to the medal podium. Once I saw her tears, I lost all composure and sobbed most unprofessionally in the media tribune.
4. Cole Hocker upsets the field
Fans expected the men’s 1500 at Paris 2024 to be a battle royal between reigning Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen and reigning world champion, Josh Kerr from Great Britain. I do not like Jakob Ingebrigtsen. I find the Norwegian distance runner arrogant, self-important, and, worst of all, no fun.
But someone forgot to tell Cole Hocker. In the last straight away, the American passed Kerr and left Ingebrigtsen falling to fourth place. Oh, and he threw in a new Olympic record for good measure. The crowd in Stade de France, including me, was stunned and confused and asking, “Who is Cole Hocker?” Olympic champion, that’s who.
5. Men’s Artistic Gymnastics team final/pommel horse final
When people talked about wanting to see gymnastics at Paris 2024, they wanted to see Simone Biles. I wanted to see the men’s team and the men’s pommel horse finals.
In the team final, all the medals came down to the last rotation. China and Japan, battling for gold, finished on the high bar. The Japanese hit routine after routine, while the Chinese suffered fall after shocking fall.
The American men moved to pommel horse. Specialist Stephen Nedoroscik sat through the entire competition, cheering on his teammates, waiting for his moment. We all know what happened when he whipped off those glasses and started his routine. For the first time since 2008, the American men’s gymnastic team were on the Olympic podium.
Going into the pommel horse final, Nedoroscik was tied with 2-time defending pommel horse gold medalist Max Whitlock. After the preliminaries, both were a mere breath behind 2-time world champion Rhys McClenaghan.
The British veteran was up first and posted a disappointing score. Whitlock had to sit and watch as he slipped down the leaderboard. Nedoroscik was clean but scored slightly behind Nariman Kurbanov. No one told the Kazakh he was not supposed to be at this party. McClenaghan delivered the routine of the night, claiming Ireland’s first gold medal in gymnastics in Olympic history. The men celebrated together and cheered each other, while we in the crowd lost our minds.