20 memorable U.S. moments from the 2024 Paris Olympics

The Individuals received the medal ball rolling within the pool. After all, relating to U.S. swimming, the dialog begins and ends with 27-year-old Katie Ledecky. The American legend took house 4 extra medals from Paris, together with two gold. One as the primary four-time winner of the 800 meters and once more within the 1,500. These two pushed Ledecky’s gold medal whole to 9, essentially the most of any feminine U.S. swimmer on the Olympics. Her 14 whole Olympic medals make her the most decorated American female athlete in the history of the Games. 

Whereas Ledecky drew her simply consideration, American teammate Torri Huske might need been the true star amongst U.S. swimmers — males or ladies — on the Paris Olympics. The 21-year-old Huske, a standout swimmer at Stanford who received silver on the 2020 Tokyo Video games because the member of the 4×100 meter medley, totaled five medals in Paris . Together with three golds, highlighted by a surprising swim to win the 100 butterfly forward of teammate Gretchen Walsh. 

After failing to medal in 2016 and 2020, the U.S. ladies’s rugby sevens group lastly earned some {hardware} in Paris. In a sport that obtained some due consideration to American audiences within the early days of those Video games, the American squad turned fairly widespread. Led by the stalwarts Alex Sedrick and Ilona Maher, the U.S. rallied for a comeback 14-12 victory over Australia in the bronze-medal contest for the nation’s first medal within the sport.

Arguably, the most important particular person success story of those Olympics from a U.S. standpoint is that of celebrated gymnast Simone Biles. Out of the shadows of  her issues from the Tokyo Games three years in the past, Biles was masterful whereas profitable gold within the all-around competitors, vault, and together with her American friends within the group remaining competitors. Biles raised her medal whole to 14 and is essentially the most adorned Olympic gymnast in U.S historical past. All whereas exhibiting the aggressive spirit and drive that makes her one of the most popular athletes on the planet.

It definitely turned out to be a bittersweet Olympics for U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles, who received gold as a part of the ladies’s group and was awarded a bronze within the ground train after an attraction. Nevertheless, Romanian officers challenged that latter determination, and it turned out the U.S. attraction got here after the allotted time to take action. In the long run, the Chiles is being forced to return her bronze medal, which will be awarded to Romania’s Ana Barbosu. That course of has been emotionally devastating for Chiles, who has turned off social media to deal with her psychological well being within the wake of this controversy. 

Maybe essentially the most pleasantly stunning second of the Paris Video games for the U.S. was the efficiency of the American males’s gymnastics group. Paced by bespectacled Stephen Nedoroscik’s bronze-medal performance on the pommel horse, the Individuals received bronze for the nation’s first males’s group gymnastic medal since 2008. It was a welcomed second for the U.S. males and a possible signal that even higher days forward for this system.

Two-time Olympic medalist from the 2016 Rio Video games Laurie Hernandez made a reputation for herself once more together with her extremely educated perception and witty, extremely entertaining commentary as an NBC analyst of the Paris gymnastics protection for the community.The 24-year-old, Gen Z Hernandez, who colorfully took viewers contained in the minds of not solely the U.S. gymnasts in Paris, however broke down methods and performances in a means that simple for informal followers of the game to grasp. All that garnered her raves on social media as a breakout TV star of these Games.

The U.S. males’s water polo squad ended its Olympic medal drought after rallying for an 11-8 victory over rival Hungary in the bronze-medal match. It was the American males’s first water polo medal since 2008, when it misplaced to Hungary within the gold-medal match. It proved to be a satisfying end for the Individuals, who misplaced two of their first three matches in Paris however received again on observe to make this wanted medal run. 

The American ladies’s and males’s indoor volleyball groups every fell wanting profitable gold in Paris however didn’t go house empty-handed. A dominant efficiency by Italy stored the U.S. ladies from repeating as Olympic gold-medal winners; nonetheless, their silver marked the fifth consecutive Summer season Video games that the Individuals have medaled. In the meantime, the U.S. males bounced again after ending tenth at Tokyo three years in the past to win the bronze medal. This marked the primary time since 2016 that each the U.S. women and men medaled on the identical Olympics.

The U.S. observe and area group loved one in all its greatest Olympic showings in current reminiscence, profitable 34 medals and 14 gold. These are essentially the most golds received by an American observe and area group in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1968. On the forefront was Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who broke her own world record to repeat as 400-meter hurdles Olympic champion. She additionally received a second straight gold as the important thing cog within the 4×400 meter relay squad’s victory.

It was fairly an fascinating Olympics for American star sprinter Noah Lyles. He earned the title of world’s quickest man by profitable the 100 meters, in dramatic trend forward of Jamaica’s  Kishane Thompson, at Paris, however the larger story got here within the 200. After ending third within the race to win bronze for the occasion at his second straight Olympics, it broke that Lyles had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days earlier than the race. Whereas one can query Lyles’ determination to run, or the truth that COVID issues and ramifications have been primarily non-existent in Paris, the trouble was definitely noteworthy.

One of many largest upsets on the observe in Paris got here through 23-year-old American Cole Hocker, who unexpectedly won the 1,500 meters. Not a lot of menace to medal coming into the race, Hocker was working fifth coming into the bell lap, then made his kick and surged previous the likes of reigning Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigsten and present world champion Josh Kerr to stun the remainder of the sector and take house gold for america. Much more spectacular, Hocker’s profitable time of three:27.65 is an Olympic document.

Maybe misplaced within the shuffle of what the Individuals completed on the observe, was one other profitable efficiency within the area portion of this system from celebrated shot-putter Ryan Crouser. For a 3rd consecutive Olympics, the 31-year-old Crouser, who has overcome injuries in recent years, won gold in the event — the primary American to take action. To not be completely outdone by Crouser, was U.S. teammate Joe Kovacs, who took house silver within the shot put for a 3rd straight Summer season Video games.

No Megan Rapinoe or Alex Morgan and with new coach Emma Hayes in cost, the U.S. ladies’s nationwide soccer group definitely had one thing to show in Paris, and exorcise its current Olympic demons. And, with loads of strain in addition, the U.S. regained its spot on the high of the Olympic heap. With new stars Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman shining shiny, the Americans won Olympic gold for the first time since 2012. They definitely needed to work in Paris, and it was one other beginner star in Mallory Swanson, who scored the lone purpose within the U.S.’s gold-medal match victory over Brazil.

A 61st straight Olympic victory for the U.S. ladies’s basketball proved to be one for the ages, and almost an enormous upset was recorded by host France. The French gave Group USA’s star-studded lineup all it may deal with within the gold-medal recreation, a back-and-forth affair that left American followers anxious after the squad was down 10 within the second half. Nevertheless, 10 fourth-quarter factors from Kahleah Copper, Breanna Stewart’s sturdy protection within the remaining moments and 21 factors with 13 boards from A’ja Wilson was sufficient for the U.S. to win 67-66. Not earlier than France’s Gabby Williams, a former UConn star, sank a last-second basket together with her foot on the 3-point line. The American ladies have received eight straight Olympic basketball gold medals.

Typically instances Olympic protection in america is scrutinized, particularly when the Video games are held overseas. Nevertheless, NBC drew constant reward for its protection of the Paris Olympics. Notably, on its Peacock streaming service, and particularly by the “Gold Zone.” Just like the idea of the NFL RedZone, which brings viewers on NFL Sunday’s dwell look-ins when groups threaten to attain, “Gold Zone” supplied 10 hours of day by day, whip-around protection of virtually each sport. And, gave viewers a front-row seat when medals have been on the road. It simply might need been the most important winner of those Video games.