Paris, France (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The 2024 Summer Olympics came to a close over the weekend in Paris, and there were, once again, many great moments to come from the 16 days of games in France.
The United States showed their dominance, once again, at these Olympic Games, earning the most total medals for any country taking part with 126. Meanwhile, the Americans also finished in a tie for the most gold medals (40) with China.
Let's take a look back at some of the best moments from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris:
Fans back in the stands
The past two Olympics Games (2020 Tokyo and 2022 Beijing) were both still marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, and did not allow a full presence of spectators at the Games.
This time around, the fanfare was in full effect.
Everyone from around the world came to Paris to cheer on their favorite athletes, while representing their country with pride. Sports would not be what they are without the fans, and having family and friends being able to cheer them on was one of the best parts of the Olympics.
USA men’s basketball’s semifinal round comeback over Serbia
You might wonder, why did I chose this game? I felt this game had the most drama out of any in the tournament.
You also had, arguably, the best player in the world, Nikola Jokić, taking on the best team in the world of basketball.
The U.S. trailed by as many as 17 points, at one time, as Serbia led for more than 33 minutes of the game. However, Steph Curry scored 36 points, LeBron James added a triple-double, and the United States was able to battle back in a game for the ages.
They then carried that momentum into the Gold Medal Game against France, leading to another gold for the U.S.
Biles returns to dominance
What else can you say about Simone Biles, at this point? She is the most accomplished Olympic gymnast, ever.
Biles returned to the games this year with three gold and a silver medal. She also helped the U.S. win gold in the team event after placing silver in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Her medal tally has now increased to 11 over the last three Olympic Games.
Biles was also a part of the closing ceremony this past Sunday, as she helped welcome the Olympics back to the United States with the 2028 Games set to take place in Los Angeles.
Djokovic claims gold
Novak Djokovic is one of the most decorated tennis players of all time. All that was left to check off his career resume was an Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games.
Djokovic was able to make it happen, running the table and upending Spain's Carlos Alcaraz on the in famous clay courts of Roland-Garos.
U.S. women’s rugby sevens wins bronze medal
As someone who does not watch much of any rugby, when the United States won the bronze medal in the final seconds against Australia, trucking a girl to reach the end zone, it was incredible.
As a football fan, it deserves to be one of the best moments from the games
Ledecky continues her dominance
As a former high school swimmer who gravitated to Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky has completely taken the swimming world by storm just like Phelps did.
Her dominance, especially in the 1500m freestyle by beating the competition by almost a full length of the pool, was extremely impressive.
Ledecky's two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze ranks her fifth for most medals all-time, and has earned her the title as the best female Olympic swimmer.
The 27-year-old was also the U.S.'s flag bearer at the closing ceremonies along with rower Nick Mead.
Western New York medals
There were a couple of representatives from Western New York that took home some hardware from the Paris Games.
West Seneca's Matt Anderson helped the United States' men’s indoor volleyball team claim another bronze medal with a win over Italy. Meanwhile Tonawanda native Anita Alvarez helped the Artistic Swimming team win a silver medal.
U.S. men’s gymnastics places third in the all-around team event
The U.S. men’s gymnastics team was able to win a bronze medal in the all-around event for the first time since the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
The best moment was Stephen Nedoroscik performing on the Pommel Horse that officially secured the bronze for the U.S. Nedoroscik also got the bronze medal for his individual Pommel Horse routine.
The attention on social media comparing Nedoroscik to Clark Kent was absolutely perfect, and was one of the best moments from the Paris Games.
There were many other amazing moments from the 2024 Paris Olympics like the U.S. women’s soccer team reclaiming gold for the first time since 2012, Noah Lyles becoming the 100m champion by a hair, and so much more.
The Olympics are always a time for the world's best athletes to shine on the biggest competitive stage, creating some of the greatest moments in sports history.
Now the countdown begins for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the first time the Summer Games have been hosted by the U.S. since the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Before the next Summer Games, though, we get the chance to enjoy the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
