Recapping the 2024 Summer Olympic Games
Paris provided a communal experience the world could use nowadays
Paris has hosted the Summer Olympic games three times. (Wikicommons)
The Summer Olympics returned once again, bringing together thousands from all over the world. This year, the global phenomenon was held in the French capital of Paris and was the first Summer Olympics hosted since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although I don’t keep up with the Olympics as much as I did during the early 2010s, I did try to keep tabs on what was happening this year.
I didn’t get to see much of the opening ceremonies, but the little I did see was fun to watch. A stand-out moment I found funny was Snoop Dogg taking part in the Olympic torch relay. That man seems to be doing every side quest possible in life, and it continues at the Olympics.
On to the events, Canada won 27 medals, coming in 12th place. From what I’ve seen in terms of Canada’s participation in the Olympics, the country is usually more successful in the winter games, which isn’t much of a surprise considering winter sports are more popular in Canada.
However, this year Canada has gained more of a standing on the summer side of the games. Believe it or not, the country has surpassed its medal count of 18 from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, 22 from Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and 24 from Tokyo 2020.
It’s not just the medal count that’s impressive for Canada, though, it’s how many of them are gold medals as well. Back in 2012, Canada had only won two gold medals — one from Rosannagh MacLennan in trampoline and the other from Christine Girard in weightlifting.
Since then, Canada has won four gold medals in 2016 and seven in 2020. This year, they bagged nine gold medals, a record for the country. Swimmer Summer McIntosh secured three gold medals, while Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers each won gold in hammer throw. Vancouver’s Phil (Wizard) Kim won gold in the inaugural men’s breaking, as did Andre De Grasse, Brendon Rodney, Jerome Blake, and Aaron Brown in the men’s 4x100m relay.
Aside from the medals, it was nice to see those competing in events and enjoying the festivities, especially after the COVID-19-era Olympics in Tokyo. Seeing the world come together was a good reminder that people can cooperate and provide some positivity.
Looking towards the future, I’m interested to see the next Olympic Games take place in Italy for winter 2026 and the Summer Games in the United States in 2028.
Seeing the National Hockey League (NHL) allow its players to participate in the next Winter Olympics is something I’m excited to see happen in Italy.
Hopefully plenty of people also enjoyed watching the Olympics this year and felt a sense of connection to their countries and the rest of the world.
