The golden moments of Paris Olympics

SPORTS play a unique role in the lives of athletes, providing far more than just physical activity. Sports provide players with great personal satisfaction and fulfillment, which enhances their happiness. 

Worldwide tournaments, like the Olympics, provide an excellent avenue for athletes to make these moments a reality. The Summer Games allows the best of the best to make unforgettable memories against each other.

Photo Courtesy: AFP

However, the Olympics provide a rollercoaster of emotions. It features winning athletes on the podium, hard-fought losses, and other social media and meme-worthy moments. 

There have been many memorable moments for both athletes and viewers at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Olympics dominated social media for over three weeks of nonstop action, resulting in numerous viral moments.

Action film ‘aura’

As fans continue to gather around major sports, Korea’s Kim Ye-ji and Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec emerged as overnight breakout stars at this year’s Summer Games, with their ‘auras’ skyrocketing. 

Photo Courtesy: @hey_madni | X

These competitors took part in the pistol shooting event in Paris. Ye-ji was touted for her steampunk-style glasses and ferocious temperament, as if she was playing a ruthless gunner in a Korean drama series. 

Dikec, on the other hand, went viral because of how natural he was during the event. One hand was holding the gun, the other was in his pocket, and he barely wore any equipment. Indeed, it looks like a cold serial killer.

Pure sportsmanship

Despite missing out on adding to her gold medal total, the legendary Simone Biles, along with Jordan Chiles from Team USA’s artistic gymnastics, bowed down to Rebeca Andrade as she made her way to the podium. 

Photo Courtesy: Olympics | X

This is the first time Biles has failed to win a gold medal in the women’s gymnastics floor exercise, but as polite as she is, sportsmanship will always be more important to her. 

For her, giving Andrade her flowers is just a simple gesture, and she appreciates how women continue to empower one another regardless of the competition.

Nuit nuit, Paris!

With the gold medal on the line, Team USA’s Stephen Curry crafted a masterpiece performance at the Bercy Arena, hitting unimaginable three-pointers with over three minutes remaining in the finals game against France. 

Photo Courtesy: FIBA | X

Curry not only rocked the arena, but also the internet, prompting fellow NBA players to share their thoughts on his performance. Furthermore, a historical performance would be incomplete without his “Night Night” celebration. 

Almost all of his teammates, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Edwards, were celebrating after leading them past the formidable French squad for their fifth consecutive Olympic gold.

The Golden Boy

Of course, the “Golden Boy” Carlos Yulo would not be left out of this list, as he is the epitome of a ‘golden moment’ in Philippine sporting history, having won two historic gold medals in this year’s Summer Games. 

Photo Courtesy: International Gymnastics Federation | Facebook

The 24-year-old gymnast became the most successful gymnast in Philippine history with a stunning performance in the men’s artistic gymnastics floor exercise and vault event, his pet apparatus.

The gold medal meant a lot to the entire country, demonstrating that sports would not disappoint if the right amount of hard work is instilled from the start, transforming dreams into golden moments.

Being on the world’s biggest sporting stage allowed these competitors to identify their own golden moments. A memory they will treasure for the rest of their lives when they are unable to represent their own nations. 

These moments demonstrate that sports is more than about competing against one another and potentially winning notoriety. It is the delight, building healthy traits, and having a purpose that makes it sweeter.