By Paige Albright

Boston University News Service

As the 2024 Paris Olympics draw to a close, the media is awash with events that drew NFL-like viewership in the U.S. The opening ceremony alone drew 41.5 million viewers; a surge in U.S. audiences due to new events, age-old rivalries, and even Snoop Dogg.

In addition to dominating crowd numbers, the USA continues its winning streak in the medal count with a total of 103 medals and 30 gold medals on Day 13 of the Games. The USA’s closest rival is China, which is only one gold medal behind but more than 30 medals behind in the overall count with two days to go in the competition.

One of the biggest factors in the United States’ dominance at these Games was the triumphs of the women on the U.S. team. A week into the competition, women had won all of the individual medals for the United States. These Olympics are the first Games with equal participation between men and women, and this is evident in the many record-breaking performances.

The US women – including gymnast Simone Biles, swimmer Katie Ledecky and hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – took gold in dominant fashion, with all three setting medal and world records in their respective sports.

Countries such as Dominica, Guatemala and St. Lucia won the first gold medals for their female competitors. Algerian gymnast Kaylia Nemour won Africa’s first-ever medal as a continent in gymnastics on the uneven bars.

Rapper and celebrity Flavor-Flav pledged to sponsor the women’s water polo team after learning that many of the athletes work multiple jobs to support themselves in addition to training for Team USA. Michele Kang also pledged $4 million to the women’s rugby team, which won bronze at the Games; this was Team USA’s best ever performance in the sport of rugby.

However, the Olympic Committee’s failings were also evident in Paris. The most obvious was the organization of the Games, that is, the accommodation of the athletes and the security of the venue. Since the first night of the Olympics, the comfort of the participants in the Olympic Village was questioned. The eco-friendly approach of the Paris organizers left much to be desired, from the relentless cardboard beds to the lack of air conditioning in the accommodation and, most frustratingly, the quality of the food provided to the athletes.

Problems with meat quality have forced some countries to source food for their athletes privately. Both the UK and Australia have moved to supplying their athletes with food from outside the village. Because athletes are required to perform at peak levels, not being able to get enough rest and refuel can be a problem for coaches and Olympians alike.

The Seine has been a point of contention at the Games since before the opening ceremony. The river hosted several different events during the Games, but concerns about water safety remained.

The river once served centuries-old Paris as a means of transportation, water supply, and more. Most Parisians would never think of swimming in the river themselves, let alone forcing hundreds of elite athletes to compete to fund their careers. France has spent nearly two billion dollars cleaning up the river, and world leaders have promised to swim the Seine to prove its cleanliness.

However, the citizens of Paris disagreed and protested the Games by defecating in the river on the morning of the set debut date. The Mayor’s Swim was postponed twice due to elevated E. Coli levels, leading to a two-day postponement of the men’s triathlon. However, many athletes vomited after the swimming portion of the race.

Athletes also reported that there was a lot of garbage and waste in the river. Two athletes were hospitalized due to infections in the river. Since there was no alternative venue for the other competitions, races such as the open water race had to go ahead even when participants in previous competitions became ill.

Other controversies of the Games revolve around the age-old drama of performance-enhancing drugs. After outstanding performances by Chinese swimmers and a world record by Pan Zhanle in the 100-meter freestyle, many have raised questions about doping. This came just as the American figure skating team was awarded the gold medal in Paris at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing after Russian figure skaters were disqualified for failing their doping tests.

New sports such as breakdancing made their debut at the Olympics; as did the debut of four mixed relays: triathlon relay, track and field, swimming and marathon. Team USA set a world record in the 4×400-meter medley relay in the semifinals. Unfortunately, they were unable to beat the Dutch team in the final and took first place with a silver medal.

Kayak cross was also introduced to the Games this year. Four athletes would ride down a ramp in a kayak to start the race and then ride down the whitewater in a bumper car in each bout. The first Olympic whitewater medal for Team USA went to Evy Leibfarth in canoe salmon, who finished with a bronze medal.

The U.S. team sports performances exceeded all expectations. The basketball and women’s soccer teams reached the gold medal finals. Both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams are still in the semifinals, beating old opponents and top teams. U.S. synchronized swimming won its first medal in program history and went viral with its “moonwalk” ability.

Another viral moment for Team USA at the Games was pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik, whose exacting performance and perfect execution helped the team end its decade-long medal drought. Nedoroscik has poor vision and went viral for competing on the apparatus while virtually blind. Nedoroscik was spotted meditating and napping during his teammates’ rotations while waiting an arduous three hours to complete his only routine in the gymnasts’ team final.

Looking ahead to the next Games and the future, many are excited to see more countries emerge as real competitors, including France’s Leon Marchand, who won gold in all his swimming events at the Games. Young talent has also stolen the show in events such as skateboarding and diving. With so much room for development, world records are sure to be broken.