Brazil's Gabriel Medina celebrating after surfing a record-making wave during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games:
The Paris Olympics is about to end. Despite a rainy start, I've enjoyed watching the Olympics - the crowds have been great and the Parisien landmarks have been spectacular. It's helped my enjoyment of the Olympics that Paris is only one hour ahead from where I live. I suspect I won't watch as much of the Olympics when they're next held in Los Angeles in 2028.
Below are six observations about the Paris Olympics:
Commentators here keep saying that a race is stacked meaning that there's top sportspersons competing. Shouldn't all Olympic races, especially finals, be stacked?! It's lazy commentary.
I don't know whether it's just me but I was struck by how many Olympians were wearing watches when competing. Given that the Olympics have their own timekeepers and timekeeping devices, I can't see the purpose of sportspersons wearing watches as they do weigh a few ounces and aren't aerodynamically designed.
Here, if British Olympians don't medal, commentators claim medalling Olympians from other countries as their own. Sportspersons from Northern Ireland have a choice whether they compete for Britain or Ireland. If they choose to represent Ireland, like Rory McIlroy the golfer, they are still 'British' for the purposes of commentators here. Even Australian swimmers and cyclists that were born in Britain but moved to Australia as kids are half-counted as Brits!
The Olympics continues to be at the forefront in debates about gender. The Algerian boxer Imrane Khelif won a gold medal in the woman's welterweight final. She attracted considerable attention especially online attention - she has just filed a legal complaint to the Paris Prosecutor's Office for online harassment. Last year she was banned by the International Boxing Association's world championships because of her high testosterone levels but the International Olympic Committee overturned her ban.
Only one Olympic sporting discipline allows men and women to compete against each other if the mixed medley races in athletics and swimming, plus triathlon, are excluded. Only the equestrian sports - dressage, eventing and show jumping - are open to both female and male horse riders to compete in the same event.
Yet again, Britain sits proudly on top of the medal table for the sitting-down sports. Brits always do well at the sitting-down sports, whether canoeing/kayaking, cycling, horse riding, rowing or sailing. Britain did less well in sailing compared to previous Olympics probably because sailing seem to increasingly involve a lot more hanging off than sitting in boats. As a result of Britain's dominance in the sitting-down sports, King Charles has lobbied the International Olympic Committee to include arm wrestling, deckchair gardening, musical chairs, pass the parcel and shuffle-bottom sprinting as sports in future Olympic games!
Did you watch much of the Olympics?
If so, what were your favourite sports to watch?
And what were the most exciting Olympic events that you watched?
I watched the Olympics almost solidly every day. I particularly enjoyed canoeing/kayaking, cycling, rowing, swimming and track athletics. I didn't enjoy artistic swimming, basketball, breakdancing, skateboarding and wrestling.
The most exciting events for me were the mountain bike race won by Tom Pidcock, the men's triathlon won by Alex Yee and the women's 800m race won by Keely Hodgkinson. It's a mere coincidence that Tom Pidcock, Alex Yee and Keely Hodgkinson are Brits!
Above and below are two photos taken by Jerome Brouillet, a French photographer specialising in surfing photography. He's one lucky guy capturing these two moments at the Paris Olympics - the surfing competition took place thousands of miles away off the French Polynesian island of Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean.
A humpback whale celebrating Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb and Costa Rica's Brisa Hennessy in the women's surfing semi-finals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games:
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19 comments
My favourite sport to watch tennis football handball bow and arrow all going great in Olympics except the beginning ceremony
Unfortunately it rained hard during the opening ceremony. But overall, Paris put on a very good Olympics.
@spunkycumfun. I am a Loyal, Avid Summer Olympics Addict....There, I Said It! I watched nearly Everything that I Could! I watched in A.m. and P.m.
There is So Much I Love. Faves are: Swimming Races, Gymnastics...Almost all of the events, Track Races from Sprinters to Long Distance running 1500 metres...Both Men and Women's. Beach Volleyball, Cycling on the Track, Basketball, Soccer. I cheered so Loud I made myself Hoarse one day.
At Times....I was Olympics Channel surfing between 3 channels AND also viewed It live streaming via my Cell Phone.
I particularly Loved watching Our Canadian Swimmer who is only 17 yrs old and She came Home with several Golf Medals! Her first name is Summer. Such a Brilliant Future Ahead of Her which will be More Summer Olympics Yippee👏👏👏😁
I enjoy the Winter Olympics, but Nothing Like how I am with summer sports.
It made me Happy to Hear that you're a Fan of the Olympics Also! 😄
You're an Olympic addict!
Summer McIntosh had a brilliant Olympics and she should do even better, all being well, in Los Angeles.
@spunkycumfun McIntosh....that's right! I have such a brain freeze when it comes to remembering names!
I have not watched much of the Olympics at all this time. Just tidbits from the news. I am recording and hope to watch my fav equestrian events. I competed against various men. Usually won over them, hehehe.
Pass the parcel might be fun, LOL.
Pass the parcel would be fun, especially if it was naughty pass the parcel!
Amazing pics. Have not watched much, but you keep me up-to-date.
Thanks 🙂
I'm now suffering from Olympic withdrawal symptoms!
@spunkycumfun
Lol, I get that way every time I binge watch an entire show on Netflix.
@4playlist_Sugswt At least there are always more shows on Netflix. I'm going to have wait four years before my next Olympics fix!
@spunkycumfun
To be hosted in in Los Angeles, California I’ve heard.
I pretty sure I could do without the breakdancing competition again. Some of it was off the wall.
😂
@4playlist_Sugswt Roll on Los Angeles.
I think breakdancing was just a test event at the Paris Olympics. It was dreadful to watch.
I didn't watch the Olympics as it's not something I have ever been interested in. I am glad you enjoyed them. I just can't believe some of the ridiculous events they have added as it just leaves me shaking my head as to what they consider REAL Sports!!
I hope you enjoy the closing ceremony..
Most new events have been introduced to attract a younger audience.
I watched some each day. Primarily, it was track, swimming and field hockey, with a bunch of others sprinkled in in little bits (archery, team handball was very foreign to me since I do not know the rules, some water polo). I wanted to watch the men's cycling, but missed it. I caught the end of the women's road race when the US rider surprised everyone by leaving some top riders in the dust. The most exciting events were the race I just mentioned and the women's field hockey gold medal game between the Netherlands and China. The game went to a penalty shootout, which was fun.
There were lots of great races at the Olympics.
I started out watching the hockey games but stopped once the British men's and women's teams got knocked out!
@spunkycumfun Team GB looked unbeatable against the US women
@njfitguy1 But both the GB men's and women's teams should perhaps have medalled.
I didn't watch much of the last two Olympics because my broadcast TV reception isn't great and I didn't want to pay for NBC's streaming service Peacock.
But I was more into it this year for some reason. Mostly I watched the stuff that they tend to cover during primetime, so that was gymnastics, swimming, and track. There were some truly exciting track races. And speaking of a watch being extra weight when the finish might come down to hundredths of a second - I was surprised by the number female sprinters who had giant manes of hair. It didn't seem to slow them down!
There were a lot of good track races. Two sneaky Americans edged out two Brits, Josh Kerr and Matthew Hudson-Smith, who were favourites to win gold before the 1,500m and 400m finals!
I will watch the Paras too ! Daughter is already making plans to go to LA for 2028....they use the campus of UCLA for some housing. Am watching the closing ceremony as i type~
I'll watch some of the paralympics too.
Los Angeles will be an interesting Olympics, especially the opening and closing ceremonies.
@spunkycumfun In the 1984 Olympics, the equestrian evens were at the racetrack about 2 blocks from my house. I didn't get to attend any of the sporting events, but I DID participate in quite a few of the associated arts events and celebrations across the county. Those were spectacular!
@CuriousHer I hope you get to take in some Olympic events in Los Angeles. I hope Rocketman makes an appearance!
Ive watched it all along....can't really focus on much else. I kinda wish they did all the qualifying before actual televising it. My fave is the track n field....that dude of the pole vault that broke the world record, then broke his own record was amazing, as was the guy who was thwarted becuz his package n balls hit the pole on the way down. Hes prolly gonna get some offers from the porn industry. I liked the entertainment,,,the back stories....and the scenery. I often thought of your Tour de France while watching. I felt for that boxer girl, who dropped out after 46 seconds, saying " ive never been hit so hard in my life" after being hit by the Algerian. Something IS amiss with that. in 22 and 23 there was controversy becuz she had high..too much testosterone. All in all....very enjoyable.~ Ohhhhhh and watches arent just for time keeping nowadays. They keep breathing n heart rate n phone calls on em.
The French certainly know how to showcase their country when they stage an event.
That French pole vaulter should easily become a porn star now!
Thanks for explaining why sportspersons wear watches.
I previously would have a been a avid viewer..but quit TV 6 months ago...only watched the mens and womens 100 m, 200 m and the swimming 200 m female breast stroke where we got gold.. let me know if King Charles is putting together a petition i will sign
The men's 100m sprint final was interesting though I wish Noah Lyles hadn't won.
I'll tell King Charles to add your name to the petition!