The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have come and gone, but not without many great moments that will last a lifetime for these athletes and all those back home watching.
Several moments stood out above the rest, whether viral videos, athletes making history or simply team victories that led to emotional medal ceremonies.
After reviewing everything that happened in the City of Light, let's review the 10 most important moments, in no particular order, that occurred at the Summer Games in Paris.
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Simone Biles of the United States lifts her medals after the artistic gymnastics women's individual apparatus final at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
SIMONE IS A BASTARD
All eyes were on Simone Biles as she returned to the Olympics after experiencing the “twists” during the Tokyo Games, which ultimately led to her withdrawal. Biles had surprised everyone at the World Championships, so Biles was expected to be her usual dominant self again.
She did not disappoint.
Biles not only helped Team USA win gold in the women's team final, but she also stood out from the crowd to claim the women's individual all-around gold medal. She also won gold on vault and took silver in the floor exercise final.
Biles is the most decorated gymnast of all time, as she now has 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals. She accomplished that feat by doing what she has always done: dazzling crowds in the stadium and at home with her tremendous skill.
SIMONE BILES' BIOLYMPIC MOTHER HOPES TO 'MEND HER SENTENCE' WITH THE OLYMPIC LEGEND
SHOOT YOUR SHOTS
Turkey's Yusef Dikeç participated in his fourth Olympic Games in Paris this year, but he won't forget it after going viral for his carefree shooting technique.
While his opponents wore specialised equipment and protective glasses to ensure accurate shooting, Dikeç remained calm with his right hand on the pistol and his left in his pocket. The 51-year-old athlete eventually won silver in the mixed 10m air pistol team final.
However, Dikeç was not the only viral shooter at these Olympics. Korean Kim Ye-ji wore special glasses, but her look, which included a toy elephant for her daughter strapped to her hip, made many think she was the coolest shooter in Paris.
Like Dikeç, it wasn't all show. Ye-ji won a silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol shooting.
Kim Yeji of Team Republic of Korea prepares to shoot during the Women's 10m Air Pistol Final on day two of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 28, 2024 in Chateauroux, France. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
HERO OF HOME COUNTRY
France had some great moments throughout the Games, but at Paris La Defense Arena, star swimmer Léon Marchand was putting on a show for the raucous crowd who cheered him on with every stroke.
In his first Olympics, Marchand, 22, took home four golds and a bronze in the men's 4×100-meter medley relay. Marchand won gold in the 200-meter breaststroke and butterfly, as well as the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medleys.
Marchand is expected to continue causing havoc in the pool for years to come, but doing so in front of his home country was quite the moment for his first Olympics.
“RAYGUN” WENT VIRAL FOR THE WRONG REASONS
Obviously, there were some elite performances throughout these Olympics, but there is one failure that continues to make headlines even after the Olympic closing ceremony.
Australian b-girl Rachel “Raygun” Gunn went viral after her performance during the Olympics' new breaking competition yielded a final score of zero, and it was pretty obvious why after watching the rest of the competition when it was her time to break.
Australian Olympic officials and B-girl in a stand against 'embarrassing' theories about Paris performance
Gunn's routine, which includes a “kangaroo dance” for which she is now famous, became the subject of late-night talk shows, social media and other outlets as scrutiny was sparked from all sides. It is still ongoing, with many wondering how the Australian Olympic Committee chose Gunn to represent the country in this year's competition.
The Olympics are generally supposed to be a time to remember, but Gunn is dealing with the repercussions of her performance in her home country of Australia.
Team Australia's Raygun competes in the women's round – group B on day 14 of the Paris Olympic Games. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
NEWMAN'S INTERESTING CELEBRATION
Canadian pole vaulter Alysha Newman was another viral moment from these Olympics, and this one came out of a celebration after her event.
Newman was seen running onto the track after what eventually became a bronze-worthy pole vault for the women, and began celebrating by twerking.
While many laughed at her acting like she had a hamstring injury before her provocative dance, Newman's actions were scrutinized because many believe she was simply trying to promote her OnlyFans account, where she sells explicit photos of herself.
The 30-year-old later told the New York Post that her celebration was not because she won bronze, but because she broke a Canadian record.
“If you've known me for many years, I've always celebrated after a Canadian record,” he said. “So I had just jumped with the 4.85 [meter] I jumped, I jumped a Canadian record and in the past, in every competition I jumped in, I did backflips, I danced, I did all kinds of things that came naturally to me.”
THE BEST IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1984
Team USA was battling with China for the most gold medals throughout these Olympics, and the final day of competition yielded a tie at 40 each to tie for the lead.
However, the United States won the most medals overall, collecting a total of 126 medals among the 31 teams and 595 athletes who participated for the country.
This was the best total the United States has seen since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Could it bode well for the 2028 Olympics in the City of Angels?
From left, U.S. gold medalists Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant pose after the men's gold medal basketball game between France and the U.S. during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 10, 2024. (DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)
The Joker is golden
He has won every Grand Slam imaginable, but Serbian Novak Djokovic went to Paris in search of the “Golden Slam,” which is when a tennis player wins the gold medal along with the four Grand Slam victories at Wimbledon, the US Open, the Australian Open and the French Open.
Djokovic got his chance in the men's singles final against Spanish phenom Carlos Alcaraz, and the match instantly became a classic as “The Joker” won in straight sets, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2).
The emotion was there after Djokovic converted match point, and tears filled his eyes. He became only the fifth player to achieve such a feat in tennis history.
USA RUGBY'S BRONZE MEDAL MIRACLE
The U.S. women's rugby sevens team became an instant sensation in their home country, as the sport generated a lot of excitement from the start. The U.S. team dominated and eventually made it to the bronze medal match against Australia, where the women were seeking the U.S.'s first medal in the sport in Olympic history.
Team USA finished on the podium, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen in real time as Australia held a 12-7 lead late in the second half.
Team USA's No. 2 Ilona Maher celebrates after victory during the women's rugby sevens bronze medal match between Team USA and Team Australia on day four of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France on July 30, 2024 in Paris. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
That was until Alex Sedrick ran over a pair of Australian players and found daylight on the field. She sped off, trying not to turn around to see who was chasing her as she raced to score the try and tie the match.
Things were looking bleak for this U.S. team, but when Sedrick kicked the rugby ball through the posts, celebration immediately ensued as Team USA won a medal in dramatic fashion.
CUBAN WRESTLING LEGEND WINS 5 GOLD WINS IN A ROW
Perhaps more underrated than other events is Greco-Roman wrestling, and in the men's 130kg competition there is simply no one better than Cuba's Mijaín López Núñez.
In fact, Nunez, who has just announced his retirement from the sport after these Games, became the first Olympian in any discipline to win five consecutive gold medals. For the past 20 years, Nunez has been untouchable in his weight class and is forever a legend on the Olympic stage.
ALFRED WINS THE FIRST MEDAL IN THE HISTORY OF SANTA LUCIA
The Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, with just 175,000 inhabitants, had never won an Olympic gold medal before taking part in the Paris Games. However, its greatest hope came in the form of female sprinter Julien Alfred.
Alfred was up against American Sha'Carri Richardson in the 100m, an event the American won at the World Championships earlier this year. However, it was Alfred who maintained her strong start and defeated Richardson, who took silver, to win gold for St Lucia.
Sha'carri Richardson of Team USA, center, and Julien Alfred of Team Saint Lucia, right, after the semifinals of the women's 100m at the Stade de France during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. (Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
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It was one of the most moving stories to emerge from Paris during the Games, when videos began pouring in of St. Lucians crying and cheering Alfred on as he brought home the country's first medal.
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