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The excitement of the Olympic Games is always through the roof!
These games are the modern revival of the ancient games held once every four years in a selected country.
In Athens, Greece from April 6 to April 15, 1896, the modern revival became obvious as athletes from 13 nations participated in the games.
We call it “revival” because 1,500 years ago, Roman emperor Theodosius I prohibited the Olympic Games. The reason behind the prohibition revolved around religious sentiments as he was a devoted Christian who disapproved of paganism.
Given that the games were held in honor of the Greek god Zeus, Theodosius deemed it one of the many major elements of pagan practices. Found it to your liking? Let’s give you a summary of the 3 interesting facts related to the Olympics.
Did you know that games such as javelin, wrestling, boxing, long jump, and discus were part of the Olympics back in 776 BC? We still watch the games and have favorite players of our own.
Ekecheiria – Olympic Tradition (Source: Olympics.com)
The ancient Olympics had a concept called the Ekecheiria which ensured the safe travels of athletes and spectators to and from the games. The purpose of the truce was to guarantee peaceful interactions between the Greek city-states.
As mentioned before, the games were resurrected in 1896. The credit goes to the renowned French historian and educator Pierre de Coubertin. He co-founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and assumed the role of its second president.
The delightful history of the Olympics is a stepping stone to understanding the present year’s highlights.
This year’s games have been an epiphany for a lot of spectators. Performances have been a big surprise for judges too. Unlike the 2014 Olympics packed with concern and controversies, the 2024 Olympics had a pleasant atmosphere.
In the capital city of France, Paris, the games that happened were full of vim and vigor. There is no shred of doubt about how valiantly the participants played.
Here are the top 10 performances that knocked the socks off the audience:
The triumphant comeback of the American gymnast Simone Biles took everyone by surprise. She withdrew from several events at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 to focus on her mental health. Four years later, she made a memorable and successful return, adding 3 gold medals and 1 silver to her impressive tally.
Noah Lyles is an Olympic athlete noted for his ferocious dashes. At the 2024 Olympics, he won the 100m gold and 200m bronze. In addition to his World Championship accolades, he holds the title of world’s fastest man.
Katie Ledecky enjoys the praises of being a competitive swimmer with a stack of gold medals. What amazed the observers was her ability to break her previous Olympic record. With the time-lapse of 15:30:02, she won yet another gold medal in the 1500m freestyle.
Tom Daley, now a former British springboard diver owing to his fresh retirement, won a silver medal in the men’s synchronized 10m platform. It was Tom’s fifth Olympic medal. He has a complete collection of bronze, silver, and gold.
Arshad Nadeem is a Pakistani sportsman coming from a relatively underprivileged background. Despite the limited resources, he emerged victorious by throwing the javelin as far as 92.97 meters, reaching the Olympic zenith in the javelin throw.
French bicycler and racer Pauline Ferrand-Prévot asserted dominance over the women’s cross-country mountain bike race. She had a commanding lead and succeeded in winning the gold.
The Japanese skateboarder, Yuto Horigome, defended his title and mustered the willpower to win gold in the men’s street skateboarding event. His final trick enabled him to score an incredible 97.08 and prevail.
Stephen Curry was responsible for directing Team USA and achieved a fruitful result. Through Steph Curry’s help, the team gave a stellar performance and won gold. It scored 36 points in the semifinal against Serbia.
Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina demonstrated his sensational water sport valor. He obtained the highest single wave score in Olympic surfing history with a 9.90.
The wrestling events of the 2024 Olympics were largely overwhelmed by Japan. Out of the 18 events contested, the country won 8 gold medals.
Voila, the 2024 Olympics highlights! The unforgettable moments we have brought to your attention are just a chunk of the diverse range of thrilling games.
Comment below and share moments that captivated you and compelled you to watch them over and over again.
Kelvin Stiles is a tech enthusiast and works as a marketing consultant at SurveyCrest – FREE online survey software and publishing tools for academic and business use. He is also an avid blogger and a comic book fanatic.
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