Paris Olympics 2024: A rollercoaster of controversies, records and iconic moments

PARIS:

From a colourful, controversial opening ceremony to Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medal to boxers caught up in a gender row to respectful bows on the gymnastics podium, the 2024 Olympics served up many memorable moments.

The Express Tribune looks at 10 of the best moments:

Controversial Opening Ceremony

Organisers promised a spectacular opening ceremony and the rain-soaked boat parade on the River Seine ended up making global headlines, but not for the expected reasons.

Church leaders, conservatives and even US presidential candidate Donald Trump were left outraged by a scene involving drag queens and lesbian DJ Barbara Butch that appeared to parody Jesus's Last Supper.

Artistic director Thomas Jolly denied any such intention. He and others involved ended up facing vicious online harassment that led to police complaints.

Arshad Nadeem wins gold for Pakistan

In a landmark achievement for Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem clinched the gold medal in men's javelin at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Nadeem's winning throw of 92.97 meters, a new Olympic record, was a standout moment in a competition marked by intense performances. Throughout the event, Nadeem exhibited remarkable precision and composure, consistently leading the field. His final throw, which surpassed India's Neeraj Chopra, by a significant margin, secured his place at the top of the podium. "Rivalry is there when it comes to cricket matches, other sports, the two countries have a rivalry, but it's a good thing for the young people in both countries to watch our sport and follow us. It's a positive thing for both countries," said Nadeem.

Djokovic triumphs, Murray retires

Novak Djokovic stunned Carlos Alcaraz in a memorable men's final to clinch tennis gold and become only the fifth player to complete the Golden Slam of all four majors plus Olympic gold. The 37-year-old celebrated with a roar which echoed around Roland Garros before the tearful Serb clambered into the player's box to embrace his wife Jelena and two children.

"There is no greater inspiration than representing your country," said the 24-time Grand Slam title winner.

Alcaraz was also in tears, claiming he "had let Spain down". Meanwhile, Andy Murray bid farewell to his career in Paris, showcasing his enduring determination and grit. Partnering with Dan Evans, Murray made a dramatic run to the men’s doubles quarter-finals, overcoming five match points in the opening round and two more in the second before finally losing to the US pair of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.

Biles star of the show

Simone Biles may have been the star of the show but she was widely praised for bowing to her arch-rival Rebeca Andrade on the podium.

Biles said it was "just the right thing to do" after she and team-mate Jordan Chiles finished in silver and bronze medal position respectively behind the Brazilian in the floor final.

"Rebeca's so amazing, she's queen," said Biles.

Romanian Ana Barbosu was later awarded the bronze medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Chiles should not have been upgraded from her initial fifth-place finish.

The ultra-close men’s 100m

World champion Noah Lyles roared to victory in 9.79sec to claim gold in a dramatic men's Olympic 100m final in the closest finish in modern history -- just five thousandths of a second separated him from Jamaica's Kishane Thompson.

"I'm the man amongst all of them. I'm the wolf amongst wolves," said Lyles whose victory was only confirmed after a photo-finish.

Unified Selfie Goes Viral

Images of Olympic table tennis players from North Korea and South Korea taking a selfie together on the medal podium went viral in South Korea, hailed as a rare show of cross-border unity.

After South Korea won bronze and North Korea silver in the mixed doubles behind China, South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon took a group photo after the medal ceremony.

North Korea's Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, the South's Shin Yu-bin and the victorious Chinese team Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha all beamed into Lim's phone, a South Korean-made Samsung.

"A selfie with both Koreas' national flags and a Samsung phone," said the widely read daily JongAng Ilbo.

Young skateboarder makes history

Australian skateboarding sensation Arisa Trew, just 14, won the women's park event to become her country's youngest ever gold medallist.

Trew nailed a high-risk and high-speed final round in her trademark pink helmet, bringing the crowd to their feet at a sun-drenched Place de la Concorde.

The event also featured 11-year-old Zheng Haohao, the youngest athlete ever to represent China at the Olympics.

"Skateboarding in the Olympic Games isn't much different from skateboarding in my neighbourhood. It's just more spectators," she told reporters.

Imane Khelif defends gender identity

On a raucous night at Roland Garros, the storied home of the French Open, Algerian gender-row boxer Imane Khelif claimed gold and used her platform to hit back at "attacks" and "bullying" before defiantly declaring "I am a woman like any other."

Together with Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, who also fought in Paris, Khelif was disqualified from last year's world championships after they failed gender eligibility tests.

However they were cleared to compete in Paris, setting the stage for one of the biggest controversies of the Games.

"I am fully qualified to take part, I am a woman like any other. I was born a woman, lived a woman and competed as a woman," said the 25-year-old.

Lopez record fifth gold

Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez made Olympic history when he became the first athlete to win five consecutive individual golds in the same event, bettering the records of Games icons such as Carl Lewis and Michael Phelps.

The soon-to-be 42-year-old then placed his shoes in the centre of the mat to signify his intention to retire.

"Wrestling has been the love of my life, for all of my life," he said.

Turkish shooter’s casual style

Turkish Olympic shooting silver medallist Yusuf Dikec became an overnight sensation for his casual style during competition.

His eye-catching posture saw the marksman wearing standard glasses, a team T-shirt and with his left hand casually tucked in his pocket.

Other than his pistol, he notably had none of the specialised equipment used by athletes in the hyper-precise event, like headphones, special lenses or a hat.

"The name's Dikec. Yusuf Dikec," said a social media post in reference to cinema icon James Bond.