More than 11,000 athletes are competing in the Olympics, and there are also more than 11,000 inspirational tales of success, sorrow, hope, and tenacity. Here are some of those stories, as shared by Olympians and other attendees of the Games, as the Paris Olympics draw to a close. All of them will always be Olympians, even though some are taking medals home and others are just leaving with memories.
“Whoa, I’m so amazing.”
Noah Lyles was behind the lead for nearly the whole 100-meter sprint. However, he was leading at the finish line, and his expression upon realizing he had won is one of the greatest Olympic quotes ever.
“This is what I intended to convey: we have a lot of rights in France, including the ability to love whom we choose and the freedom not to be worshippers. We are a republic in France.”
A lot of people were offended by the Olympics Opening Ceremony because they thought it was parodying a picture of the Last Supper that showed an almost nude, blue-skinned Dionysus. A lot of Christians were offended. Thomas Jolly, creative director of Opening Ceremony, insisted that offending spectators was the last thing he wanted to accomplish.
“It was right before my eyes. I said, “Don’t worry, I will talk with your wife,” when I was behind him. You may gain one more significant gold in a few days, but for now you have lost one.”
Gianmarco Tamberi, the flag bearer and Olympic high jumper for Italy, was comforted by his teammate Francesco Di Fulvio after he misplaced his engagement band during a soggy Opening Ceremony on the Seine.
In the gold medal game, Steph Curry made one of the most spectacular and exciting shots in Olympic basketball history to completely destroy the French. and then wore a T-shirt that said “Night Night” in French.
“Never in my life have I been smacked so hard.”
A global debate concerning gender and sports began after Italian boxer Angela Carini was hit so severely by Algerian boxer Imane Khelif that Carini had to withdraw from the match after just 46 seconds of action. The International Olympic Committee let Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of China Taipei to compete even though it was purported that they had failed IBA DNA testing because of a lingering disagreement with the International Boxing Administration. Khelif and Lin would eventually take home gold medals.
“Water tastes like water.”
The $1.5 billion River Seine cleanup for the triathlon and marathon swims was the big news leading up to the Games. Significant rain during the Opening Ceremony caused the river’s pollution levels to rise, delaying the triathlon’s start. This prompted major doubts about whether the swimming competitions would take place at all. They did, and Taylor Spivey of Team USA had the perfect answer for every query regarding the precise flavor of the water.
“After his race, one of the Hungarian triathletes commented that the Seine would be much cleaner because he had drank a lot of it. He performed incredibly well.”
Hungarian gold medallist in the marathon swimming revealed he had some assistance during his race, which was held a few days after the triathlon.
“lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions”
Simone Biles dominated these Olympics once more, winning three gold medals and one silver. She also took aim at anyone who dared to criticize the U.S. women’s team, regardless of whether they were a part of the program.
“YEEEEAAAHHHHH!”
The early star of the Games? None other than Flavor Flav, a reality TV personality and original member of Public Enemy who has unexpectedly stepped forward to support the women’s water polo squad. He inspired the team from the sidelines with his signature hype-man cry, “Yeeeeahh!” Even at Team USA’s inaugural game, he crossed paths with First Lady Jill Biden—a match that defies logic no matter how often it is observed.
“You won, 100% of the time.” . “Please bring your sneakers.”
India’s Vinesh Phogat missed her weight for her gold-medal match against Team USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt by 0.1 kilos, or less than a quarter of a pound, in one of the most bizarre and tragic circumstances of these Olympics. At first Hildebrandt was informed she would automatically win the gold, but later on she was told she would have to fight for it. Despite her victory over Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba, Phogat left Paris with a broken heart.
“I didn’t require the specialized gear. I shoot like a natural, naturally.
One of the most popular players from the Games is Yusuf Dikec, a Turkish shooter who simply gets up and fires without the need for any kind of aiming gear, magnifying glasses, or ear protection. Dikec’s carefree, one-hand-in-pocket demeanor turned became a meme before its time, and he’s probably carrying a silver medal with him.
“To compete in the Olympic Games was my goal and the dream of our family. That was not realized in the past. However, it’s alright. My dad is ninety-two years old, and I am fifty-eight. I at last fulfilled his desire for him.”
Several athletes who were much older than the “traditional” young age of Olympians were Zhiying Zeng of Chile. There’s always plenty of inspiration to be found at the Olympics.
“I had a party till four o’clock on Sunday night. After that, I stayed in bed all day. I went to a restaurant after that. On Tuesday, I rode my bike and went to a restaurant once more. Then, for the recon, we took a plane here. I slept for a very long night after that.”
Some train very hard in anticipation of the Olympics. Some employ different strategies, such as Belgian Remco Evenepoel. Who knows who’s right, though? Evenepoel took home the gold in the men’s cycling individual time trial.
