Olympic superlatives: our staff picks the best of the Paris Games
After almost three weeks and more than 1,000 medalsThe Olympic Games in Paris have awarded their last gold medal.
From the ambitious opening ceremony to the handover to host Los Angeles in 2028, the Paris Games produced countless memorable moments, with acclaimed stars cementing their legacies and new faces becoming Olympic fixtures.
But a number of amazing performances and viral memes stood out. To highlight and celebrate the best of the 2024 Games, a group of 20 members of staff from The Athletics voted and compiled this list of our “Olympic Superlatives” winners. (It should be noted that this is not a definitive list, but a fun exercise.)
These are the winners who, in our eyes, have remained on top.
Most Dominant Performance
(Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
Winner: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (five voices)
This category was intended for the athlete (or team) who had put together the best and most undeniable Olympic campaign.
McLaughlin-Levrone, the American hurdler and sprinter, won gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, with a world record of 50.37 seconds. On Saturday, she closed out her Games with another gold medal in the women’s 4×400-meter relay, withdraw from the field in her leg, which was only one-tenth of a second slower than the world record.
Second place: Simone Biles and Armand “Mondo” Duplantis (three voices each)
Biles, the American gymnast, won three gold medals in gymnastics — team, all-around and vault — and one silver medal (floor exercise) in her return to the Olympics. Duplantis, a Swedish pole vaulter, won gold in the men’s event and set a new world record of 6.25 meters, breaking her previous record.
Also received votes:
- The Chinese diving team (two votes) — won all eight Olympic gold medals in diving
- Léon Marchand (two votes) — the French swimmer won four golds and one bronze (more about him below)
- USA Basketball (two votes) — extended its gold medal streak to five (men) and eight (women)
- Katie Ledecky (one vote) – American swimmer won two golds, one silver and one bronze in women’s swimming and set an Olympic record in the 1,500-meter freestyle
- Mijain Lopez (one vote) – The Cuban wrestler won gold in men’s wrestling, a record fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the same individual event
- South Korea Archery Team (one vote) — Won all five gold medals in archery (men’s and women’s)
Breaking out star
(Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Winner: Léon Marchand (eight voices)
This category was intended for the athlete who was the most in the spotlight, the one we couldn’t stop talking about and whose fame increased dramatically during the Olympic Games.
Marchand, the 22-year-old French swimmer, conquered the Games in Paris. He won four gold medals in different events: the 200-meter breaststroke, the 200-meter butterfly, the 200-meter individual medley and the 400-meter individual medley. Oh yeah, and he set an Olympic record in each event. Marchand also won bronze in the men’s 4×100-meter individual medley. He proved during his campaign in Paris why he is compared to swimming legend Michael Phelps.
Second place: Stephen Nedoroscik (five voices)
Nedoroscik is an American gymnast. More specifically, he is an expert on pommel horse who became a household name after winning a bronze medal for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team, their first team medal since 2008. Nedoroscik seemed to delight Americans with his nerdiness, and he also won a bronze in the — you guessed it — pommel horse event.
Also received votes:
- Summer McIntosh (four votes) — The Canadian swimmer won three golds (200 butterfly, 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley) and one silver (400 freestyle), setting Olympic records in the 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley.
- Ilona Maher (two voices) — The American women’s rugby sevens star helped the US to its first Olympic medal, a bronze medal, in the event
- The Woodhalls (one vote) — Tara Davis-Woodhall won gold in the long jump for the US and was cheered on by her Paralympic husband, Hunter
Best photo
(Photo: Jerome Brouillet/AFP via Getty Images)
Winner: Image of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina (10 votes)
In this category, the image that most appealed to our voters and that best captured the atmosphere of the Olympic Games in Paris was selected.
Photographer Jerome Brouillet captured a viral photo of Medina celebrating after the surfer achieved the highest single wave score in Olympic history in a heat of the men’s competition. Medina and his board appear to float above the water as Medina holds his right arm in the air while making a No. 1 sign with his hand.
Second place: The Biles/Chiles arc (eight voices)
Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade celebrated her gold medal on the floor exercise with the help of props from American gymnasts Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, who bowed to Andrade with their medals as they stood on the podium.
(Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
Also received votes:
- American sprinter Noah Lyles wins men’s 100 meters final in photo finish (one vote)
- Tara Davis-Woodhall celebrates her victory in the women’s long jump final (one vote)
Best viral moment
(Photo: Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty)
Winner: Yusuf Dikeç shooting (six voices)
This category was for the star of the Internet Olympics, with a plethora of shareable clips and meme-worthy moments eligible.
Dikeç — the Turkish shooter who won silver in a relaxed manner — emerged as the winner. His relaxed stance, with his pistol aimed in one hand and the other in his pocket, was emulated by several athletes at the Games. “I am a natural, a natural shooter,” he told the Turkish newspaper Habertürk.
The party that keeps on giving 👀#Paris2024 photo.twitter.com/KBX8WJBMKS
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 7, 2024
Second place: Pommel king (four voices)
Or Stephen Nedoroscik taking off his glasses and winning bronze:
Obsessed with this guy on the US gymnastics team whose only job is to ride horses, he just sits there until he’s activated like a dormant agent, takes off his glasses like Clark Kent and does a horse exercise that earns the team its first medal in 16 years. photo.twitter.com/0D1ZqJjFa1
— Megan 📚 (@MegWritesBooks) July 29, 2024
Also received votes:
- Accident Appendix — when French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati’s cross got in the way (three votes)
- Raygun’s Breaking Routine — the Australian breakdancer who confused us all (three votes)
- Kim Yeji — the South Korean shooter who took the internet by storm with her sci-fi bravado (three voices)
- Emily Lane and Erin King from Ireland incredible catch in a rugby match against Great Britain (one vote)
Biggest setback
(Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Winner: Cole Hocker surprises favorites in men’s 1,500 meters and wins gold (eight votes)
There is nothing better than an underdog win or a shock victory. This category was for the athlete or team that best surprised the field and took home gold despite the low odds.
The men’s 1,500 meters were expected to be a battle between Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, but Hocker was faster than Ingebrigtsen and Kerr to take home the gold.
Second place: It was a tie between the three candidates, with each receiving three votes:
Also received votes:
- Kristen Faulkner wins gold in women’s cycling race, ending 40-year US drought (2 votes)
- British climber Toby Roberts wins the men’s bouldering to lead the final after favourite, Japan’s Sorato Anraku, lost (one vote)
Biggest victory in the broadcast
Winner: “GoldZone” (seven voices)
This category focused on the topics that most improved our viewing experience at home.
The NBC/Peacock Olympic whip-around show, modeled after “NFL RedZone,” let viewers follow the gold medal finishes of multiple events simultaneously.
Second place: Comment by Snoop Dogg
The rapper played a major role in NBC’s coverage of the Games. Good news for fans: it looks like this won’t be his last performance.
Also received votes:
- Laurie Hernandez talks about gymnastics (four voices)
- Discovery Plus (one vote)
- English broadcaster Clare Balding pays emotional tribute to Andy Murray after his final match at the Olympic Games (one voice)
Best location
(Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
Winner: Beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower (14 votes)
Iconic landmarks and picturesque views defined the 2024 Games, with our voters liking the beach volleyball setting the most.
Second place: Surfing in Tahiti (three voices)
Also received votes:
- Screens in the Grand Palais (one vote)
- Cycling routes around Paris (one vote)
Best last goodbye
(Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Winner: Simone Biles (10 votes)
It was the last or potentially last Games for many Olympic legends. While some have yet to confirm whether they will attempt to return to Los Angeles, we voted on who among them had the best send-off if they don’t return.
Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in history, and at 27, she’s the oldest all-around Olympic champion in more than 70 years. Even if she doesn’t return to LA, which would be her fourth Olympics, Biles is already considered the GOAT of the sport.
Second place: LeBron James (five votes)
James was making his fourth Olympic appearance and was named tournament MVP as the U.S. men’s team won its fifth consecutive Olympic gold. James, 39, is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a four-time NBA champion. Now he’s also a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
Also received votes:
- Andy Murray – British tennis player in his fifth Olympic Games (four votes)
- Rafael Nadal – Spanish tennis player in his fourth Olympic Games (one vote)
Best feel-good story
(Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Winner: Cindy Ngamba becomes first-ever Olympic Refugee Team medalist (eight votes)
There was no shortage of controversy at the Paris Games, including concerns over the water quality of the Seine and a media storm in women’s boxing, but there were plenty of positive moments too. We voted on what made us melt the most.
Ngamba, born in Cameroon and living in the United Kingdom, reached the semi-finals of the women’s 75kg competition, which earned her a bronze medal.
Second place: Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin biting her medal on the podium after seeing the Italian gymnasts do this (five votes)
Also received votes:
(Photos of Léon Marchand, Simone Biles and Cindy Ngamba by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images; Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages; Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
