The Olympics is one of the most hotly-anticipated events in the sporting calendar and this year’s edition is no different. Paris 2024 looks set to be an exciting competition that will blend some of sport’s biggest, already established names – such as LeBron James, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz – with stars who specialise in Olympics events, like Team GB’s Dina Asher-Smith and Tom Daley, or American sprinter Noah Lyles.
One aspect that makes the Olympics so special is its ability to drive a mainstream audience towards more niche sports. How often do you watch dressage, syncronised swimming, archery or even weightlifting outside of the tournament’s four-year cycle? It’s a great opportunity for viewers to experience more unique events or even discover a new passion. But with so many events taking place in a relatively short time period, it would be practically impossible to keep up with everything that happens in the French capital.
7th August
George Mills Confronts Opponent After Fall in 5000m
He was one of four competitors to fall
George Mills was absolutely fuming after he suffered a heavy fall in the 5000m. The Team GB athlete, son of former Premier League star and England international Danny Mills, was one of four competitors to take a tumble when sprinting down the final straight.
The 25-year-old, who also competed in the 1500m, eventually got to his feet and, after crossing the finish line, angrily confronted France’s Hugo Hay. Speaking to the media after the race, Mills said, per Sky: “I got stepped out on. I was about to kick into the strait and boom: The French lad took me down.”
Fortunately for Mills, the officials reviewed the incident and chose to advance him through to Saturday’s final.
Team GB Diver Consoled by Father After Heartbreaking Interview
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix missed out on a second Olympic medal
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix missed out on a medal in the 10-metre platform on Tuesday as she finished 6th in the final. The teenager was extremely emotional afterwards as she opened up about her mental health battles. She said:
“So I woke up this morning, and like, the first thought that I had was: ‘I’m happy that I woke up,’ and that’s just how it’s been for a long time. I’m just grateful to be alive and to have this experience and to be here with my family. Three years ago I didn’t even want to be alive, so today I’m just happy that I am alive, I’m breathing and I’ve got my family to support me.”
Her celebrity father, Fred Sirieix, was then captured consoling her and his words were beautiful. Fred told his daughter that she had done brilliantly and then showed her texts showing just how much she had inspired those watching at home.
6th August 2024
Regular People Try to Match Keely Hodgkinson’s 800m Pace
Video highlights just how fast Olympians can run
We all know someone who watches events at the Olympics and shouts at the TV: ‘easy, I could do that with a little bit of training – no problem!’. You may even be that person yourself…
However, footage of regular folk trying to match Keely Hodgkinson’s 800m pace on a treadmill highlights just how fast Olympic runners really are. Needless to say, nobody can keep up with the remarkable speed registered by the 22-year-old, who won a gold medal for Great Britain on Monday night, crossing the finish line in one minute 56.72 seconds. Next time someone thinks they’re as fast as an Olympic athlete, show them this clip and watch them fall silent.
Armand Duplantis Smashes Pole Vault World Record Again
The Swede produced a brilliant celebration afterwards
Sweden’s Armad Duplantis produced more pole vault madness on Monday evening as he broke the world record en route to the gold medal. The 24-year-old was the hot favourite to reclaim his Olympic title and clearing 6 metres was enough to do so. But he wasn’t done yet and he decided to try and break the pole vault world record for the eighth time as the bar was set to 6.25 metres.
He was unsuccessful with his first two attempts, but he got it right on the third. Duplantis went wild after landing on the mat as he celebrated making history in Paris. Earlier on in the night, after he broke the Olympic record, he celebrated by imitating Yusuf Dikec, the Turkish shooter who went viral earlier on in the Games.
5th August 2024
Truls Moregardh Pulls off Amazing Trick Shot in Paris
The Scandinavian failed to win gold in the final despite his heroics
Fans were left stunned as they praised Swedish table tennis star Truls Moregardh after the youngster produced a sensational trick shot in his Olympic gold medal match against China’s Fan Zhendong.
Despite his heroics, the 22-year-old had to settle for a silver as Zhendong dominated the showdown and went on to win 4-1. However, it was one of Moregardh’s shots that has gone viral across social media. The match proved to be a tough one for the Swede, but he was still eager to put on a show by pulling off an incredible shot.
Moregardh was two points away from defeat when he attempted to scoop a shot from near the ground. The Swede put an incredible amount of spin on his shot that saw the ball bounce on Zhendong’s side of the table before coming back over the net and off the surface to give the 22-year-old a point.
Zhendong was unable to get anywhere near the ball and appeared just as surprised as Moregardh – who was left smiling following the moment of brilliance, which also had fans applauding.
Slow Motion Footage Shows how Tight the Men’s 100m Final was
USA’s Noah Lyles showed why technique is key
Stunning slow-motion footage shows off the finishing line of the men’s 100m final at Paris 2024. Noah Lyles of the USA took home the gold medal in an epic photo finish. The American pipped Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second to claim victory.
All eight racers finished within just 0.12 seconds of the top step on the podium (the closest ever 100m final from 1st-8th at the Olympics or World Athletics Championships). The epic clip uploaded to X – formerly known as Twitter – shows Thompson’s foot crossing the line first.
However, it’s not about whose foot crosses the line first, it is about which torso is first to the line. Lyles’ technique to finish the race is the reason why he became the Olympic champion.
The official rule according to the sports governing body, World Athletics, reads: “The athletes shall be placed in the order in which any part of their bodies (i.e. torso, as distinguished from the head, neck, arms, legs, hands or feet) reaches the vertical plane of the nearer edge of the finish line.”
Team GB Have Medal Downgraded in Triathlon Mixed Relay
Great Britain Initially Thought They had Finished Second
Team GB had their silver medal downgraded to bronze in the Triathlon mixed relay on Monday morning. It came down to the wire with Beth Potter and American Taylor Knibb sprinting for second. It went to a photo finish and Team GB were initially given the silver medal but, after review, Knibb was adjudged to have crossed the line before Potter and Team GB were downgraded to bronze. Explaining the decision, British triathlon performance director Mike Cavendish told the BBC, per the Mirror:
“I think what’s happened is that, when they’ve come across the line, we’ll look at a video still which isn’t the most accurate picture. Then it’s gone to the official photo finish and it’s shown the Americans have got it just by an absolute whisker ahead of us.
“When it’s as close as that, you’re always going to have to go to a photo finish, and it’s relatively rare in triathlon that it goes to a photo finish. That’s probably why it takes a little bit longer.”4th August 2024
Savage Noah Lyles post resurfaces after he wins Olympic Gold in men’s 100m
He publicly threw down a bold challenge to one of his competitors in June and backed it up
Back in June, Jamaican sprinter Oblique Seville caught fire for being pictured looking at Noah Lyles as he crossed the finishing line as the victor in the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Lyles, 26, took to social media to throw an open challenge once the two met in Paris, and he has since walked the talk to fulfill a vendetta.
He won the Olympic gold medal in the 100m sprint on Sunday night at Stade de France, becoming the first male sprinter from the United States to earn a 100-m Olympic title in two decades, reigniting past kindlings in the process as his tweet resurfaced. Lyles ran the race in 9.784 seconds; Kishane Thompson of Jamaica won silver with a time of 9.789 seconds, while the U.S.’s Fred Kerley won bronze, in 9.81 seconds in a dramatic photo finish.
Related
Why Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Didn’t Compete in 100m Race
The legendary Jamaican sprinter’s absence from the semi-finals and final of the women’s 100m at Paris 2024 confused many.
Fans want VAR at Olympics after drama robs Team GB of Gold
Amber Rutter hit the clay on the right-hand-side… but it wasn’t counted!
Fans have called for VAR in one Olympic sport after claims that Team GB were robbed of a gold medal in the women’s Skeet event in Chateauroux. Both athletes, Team GB’s Amber Rutter and Chile’s Francisca Crovetto Chadid, finished level on 55 – 55, meaning that a shoot-off was needed to decide the winner of the Olympic gold medal.
During her final attempt, Rutter was adamant that she hit both targets, but the judges thought differently as she was awarded one hit and one miss. That paved the way for Chadid to seal the gold medal as she managed to hit both targets to win.
Replays appeared to show Rutter hitting both targets and reacting on social media, fans expressed their displeasure and demanded VAR to be brought back.
