The recent Paris 2024 Olympics are now history, but before the curtain closes completely on what was, without a doubt, an exciting two weeks of competition, highs and lows, fashion, medals, surprises, and excitement, I’d like to share the highlights that I will remember. I’ll try to be brief, but I’m sure you’ll agree that there were so many highlights!
First, in case you missed my #OlympicsLeadershipSeries that ran here on my blog from July 25 through yesterday, during which I featured 17 inspiring thought leaders and their perspectives as to how leadership aligned with the Olympics, I invite you to read or re-read each of the posts. I guarantee that they will inspire you to think about leadership in new and different ways – and you will also be transported back through history because each participant shared their most memorable Olympic events and/or heroes.
Second, please tune into my blog tomorrow for my final Olympic-related post of 2024 entitled, “Five Business Lessons from the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
And now, without further ado, here we go…
THEME
The theme of “One World” was evidenced again and again by the inspiring athletes. The camaraderie was felt through this viewer’s television screen at the conclusion of each event when an athlete came in first, they would hug or be hugged by their competitors.
For example, when Lucia Moris of South Sudan fell to the ground in agony during a preliminary heat of the women’s 100-meter race, before medics arrived, her competitor Silina Pha Aphay of Laos rushed to her side. After Aphay finished the race, she ran back and called for help. Even after medics arrived, she remained by the injured athlete’s side.
ATHLETES
Did you know that only five countries have participated in every Summer Olympic Games? Those five are Australia, France, Great Britain, Greece, and Switzerland. For the Paris 2024 Olympics, 206 countries participated. Of those countries, 11,000 athletes participated. The United States, France, and Australia had the largest country representations – each between 450-600. And the least represented countries were Belize, Liechtenstein, Nauru, and Somalia – each sent only one athlete to compete. Russian and Belarusian athletes competed as “Individual Neutral Athletes” – because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to suspend both countries from competition due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. And finally, for the first time, the IOC announced that an equal number of men and women athletes competed at the Olympics.
SHARE THIS: A fun fact: There were the most marriage proposals during any Olympics at the #Paris2024Olympics. ~Tony Estanguet, President of #Paris2024 #DebbieLaskeysBlog
Which athletes stood out to you? To me, American gymnast Simone Biles with her four medals, American swimmer Katie Ledecky with her four medals, and Swedish and American-born pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis with his gold medal and world record. Duplantis summed up his experience eloquently, “If I don’t beat this moment in my career, I’m pretty ok with that. I don’t think you can really get much better than what happened.”
This Paris Games hosted Olympians of a wide range of ages. The youngest competitor was skateboarder Zheng Haohao of China at 11-years-old; and the oldest was 65-year-old Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo, an equestrian from Spain. Zeng Zhiying (age 58) competed at table top tennis and made her Olympic debut almost four decades after she missed out on being selected to represent China in Los Angeles in 1984. Zeng represented Chile and is affectionately called "The Table Tennis Grandma."
Did you hear about the muffin man? Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen became obsessed with the chocolate muffins at the Olympic village, and thanks to social media, he made the muffins stars in their own right.
And did you know that the Olympic Village has offered free healthcare to athletes since the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Games? Fun fact, the concept of an Olympic Village began at the 1932 Games.
SHARE THIS: The Olympic Games have the power to unite us because we can all find something inspirational or something we can relate to in each athlete's story, whether it is a story of success or of disappointment. ~Tatjana Schoenmaker #DebbieLaskeysBlog
MEDALS
The number of medal events was 329. The United States won total 126 medals (40 Gold, 44 Silver, and 42 Bronze), China won 91 total medals (40 Gold, 27 Silver, and 24 Bronze), and host country France came in fifth with 64 total medals. According to NBC, “Medalists at the Paris Olympics will get to own a piece of the one of the world’s most iconic structures. An original piece of the Eiffel Tower is included at the heart of each Olympic and Paralympic medal this year as host nation France puts its own stamp on the 2024 medals…Approximately 5,084 medals were created: 2,600 for the Olympics and 2,400 for the Paralympics.”
Unfortunately, a disappointing asterisk will forever tarnish the Paris Olympics. American gymnast Jordan Chiles won the bronze medal for floor exercise, however, there was an appeal of the score. The American team appealed four seconds late, and now the Romanian team has appealed, so now the Bronze medal will go to a Romanian gymnast. While Chiles has been ordered to return her medal, the US Olympic Committee has planned to appeal. According to the Associated Press, “The dispute may be a months-long or even years-long battle over the gymnastics scores.” Time will tell as to how this drama unfolds.
Another reason why this is sad is that the photo from that floor exercise medal/victory ceremony will forever be etched into all viewers’ minds as one of the highlights from the Paris Olympics. America’s two gymnasts (Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles) bowed down to Brazil’s gold medal winner.
And, regarding medals, did you know that medals can equate to a financial reward other than advertising endorsements? According to Business Insider, “US athletes receive $37,500 for a gold medal, $22,500 for a silver medal, and $15,000 for a bronze medal. Hong Kong offers the highest reward with gold medalists earning up to $768,000.”
LOGO, MASCOT & MOTTO
According to the Olympics, "The logo for Paris 2024 combines three separate symbols – the gold medal, the flame, and Marianne, the personification of the French Republic. Each of these symbols reflects a part of the French identity and values. It is also the first time in history that the same emblem has been used for both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games."
According to the Olympics, "The name of the Paris 2024 mascot is Olympic Phryge (pronounced FREE-juh), based on the traditional small Phrygian hats that the mascots are shaped after. The name and design were chosen as symbols of freedom and to represent allegorical figures of the French republic. The Olympic Phryge is decked out in blue, white and red - the colors of France’s famed tricolor flag – with the golden Paris 2024 logo emblazoned across its chest."
According to the Olympics, "The motto of the Olympic Phryge and Paralympic Phryge is: “Alone we go faster, but together we go further,” representing the ways in which the mascots, and the people of the world, can make each other better by working side-by-side."
THIRD OLYMPICS FOR PARIS
Paris served as host for the Olympics for the third time in 2024. The first time was in 1900, and the second time was in 1924. In 2024, five new sports were featured: breaking (aka, breakdancing), skateboarding, sport climbing (aka, rock wall climbing), surfing, and 3x3 basketball. The surfing competition took place 9,770 miles away from Paris in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia; and the sailing competition took place in Marseille, about 500 miles south of Paris on the Mediterranean Sea.
SNOOP DOGG
Did you follow Snoop Dog around Paris? Using the hashtag #FollowTheDogg, he shared his Olympic experiences all over social media. My favorite story and related photos were when he and friend Martha Stewart dressed in equestrian clothing and attended the dressage competition. According to reports, his involvement was meant to attract a new audience to the Olympics, but I would argue that he solidified the existing fan base.
OPENING CEREMONY
Was that a boat parade, or was that a boat parade? Despite months, if not years, of naysayers saying it couldn’t be done, the parade of athletes took place along the Seine River in an incredible manner. Some countries had so many athletes that they arrived via a large boat, and some countries arrived in smaller boats. But without a doubt, no host country will ever match the originality, creativity, and artistry of that opening arrival of athletes.
There may have been rain toward the end of the Opening Ceremony, and the country of South Korea may have been introduced as North Korea, but international singing sensation Céline Dion’s appearance on the Eiffel Tower to sing a ceremony finale in French surprised and delighted the audience in person and the many who watched on television or their devices. In fact, as far as viewership numbers go, according to Statista.com, “The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris drew 28.6 million U.S. TV viewers, making the broadcast the most watched opening ceremony for a Summer Olympics since 2012.”
And lastly, the Olympic cauldron shone brightly in a large balloon and hung high in the sky (via a tether) each night so that Parisians could see and enjoy it.
MINIONS
The cute yellow characters from the DESPICABLE ME movie franchise appeared in a mini movie during the Opening Ceremony and created much laughter by their always-entertaining antics! The Minions even appeared on some of Team USA’s attire.
GREEN PARIS AND RIVER SEINE
Paris expected 15 million people during the Olympics, so the city reduced its dependence on cars. The city closed more than 100 streets to motor vehicles, tripled parking fees for SUV’s, removed 50,000 parking spots, and built more than 800 miles of bike lanes since 2014. According to city officials, the changes contributed to a 40 percent decline in air pollution.
In addition, some competition did take place in the Seine River, after years of tests and conflicting stories about too much pollution.
And did you notice the purple track at the Stade de France? It has a secret ingredient: shells. This was part of Paris’ plan to put sustainability at the forefront of the event. According to IFLScience.com, “Every year, it’s estimated that over 10 million tons of mollusk shells from oysters, clams, and mussels are produced and end up in landfills. Sports flooring manufacturer Mondo and fishing cooperative Nieddittas found a way to create a more sustainable solution to both issues: the latter produced and cleaned up the shells, which were then crushed up ready for Mondo to incorporate into the track.”
CO-BRANDING
What products stood out due to their co-branding with the Olympics? Some of mine included the Minions (see above) from their recent movie, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts with their “Go USA” collection “to fuel your dreams and sweeten your victories,” Chipotle (meals aligned with various athletes), designer Ralph Lauren who designed all of Team USA’s uniforms, GK Elite (Team USA’s Women Gymnasts’ apparel), Visa, and Samsung. Let’s not forget that each day during the competition, there was a unique Google Doodle!
Did you know that the Coca-Cola Company is the longest-standing partner of the Olympic Movement? It’s supported every edition of the Olympic Games since 1928. Its renewed partnership until at least 2032 extends the brand’s association with the Olympic Movement to a historic 104-year relationship.
CYBERSECURITY & SAFETY
With over 13 million tickets sold and more than 15 million visitors to Paris, the Games were an attractive target for cyberattacks. And even though here was an arson attack on Paris' high-speed rail service just hours before the Opening Ceremony, it did not affect the event.
LA 2028 SUMMER OLYMPICS
With the Paris 2024 Olympics now history, it’s time to turn the page to the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles (my hometown) in 2028. LA Mayor Karen Bass was part of the Opening Ceremony delegation with first lady Dr. Jill Biden as well as the Closing Ceremony delegation with second gentleman Doug Emhoff. She met with French officials, dignitaries, and business leaders to study how Paris prepared for the 2024 Olympics. At the Closing Ceremony, it was nice to see the Mayor of Paris (a woman) handing off the Olympic flag to the Mayor of Los Angeles (also a woman, the first time that has been done in Olympic history, aka HERstory).
According to Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, “The most difficult part of any love affair is saying goodbye. And at the Closing Ceremony, we are all in love with the Games. The feelings of hope, inspiration, and love will remain. And when the time comes, we will be reunited in Los Angeles in 2028.”
According to Mayor Bass, “If you go to one of the Olympic venues in LA in 2028, you’re going to take public transportation. For our city where we’re born with cars, it’s going to be difficult…We need 3,000 buses, [but we’re going to have] a car-free Olympics.”
SHARE THIS: Only five countries have participated in every Summer Olympic Games: Australia, France, Great Britain, Greece, and Switzerland. #Olympics #OlympicGames #Paris2024 #FunFact #DebbieLaskeysBlog
Image Credits: The Olympic Games (Céline Dion and ARTistic Gymnastics), Elisa Barg (Louvre Pyramid and Olympic Flame), Carlos Barria/Reuters (whale and surfer), Jerome Brouillet (surfer and surfboard), Gabriel Buoys/AFP/Getty Images (podium ceremony for the artistic gymnastics women’s floor exercise event), and Henrik Montgomery/TT/TT News Agency/AFP/Getty Images (Martha Stewart and Snoop Dog).
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment!