At the 2024 Paris Olympics (or, rather, all of them A single click away)
The US women’s gymnastics team reclaimed team all-around gold after finishing second in Tokyo, while the men’s team won its first medal in the team event since 2008. Some of China’s swimming achievements are: Checking, given the recent doping scandal. The triathlon finish line was incredibly impressive – and a reminder How intensely these athletes push themselves.
But games aren’t just loved for games’ sake We fall in love with the stories of athletes, and the stories we tell ourselves about them. With that in mind, here are some of the biggest winners (and one loser) of our hearts.
Winner: Son of America’s Favorite Pommel Horse
Not all heroes wear capes; Some wear glasses and are very good at pommel horses.
American gymnast and Part-time Rubik’s Cube solver Stephen Nedorosik was waiting his turn. Sitting on the bench, the electrical engineer looked relatable; More like Clark Kent’s nerdier cousin than Superman.
But Nedoroscik, like McKayla Maroney on the arch At the 2012 Games, an apparatus specialist – a “one and done” gymnast – is called upon to perform an event because they are so exceptional at it.
Pommel horse requires massive upper body and core strength because gymnasts use only their arms to swing the horse’s body up and down. At the same time, they flare their legs like breakdancers, whipping in circles and intricate patterns. The pommel horse has, for some years, been a weak spot for American men.
It was also the last event for the USA men’s gymnastics team in the team finals on Monday.
As a final blow, Nedoroszczyk needed a pommel horse score to ensure the team would go home with Team USA Olympic hardware. With pressure on him and all eyes, fantastic athleticism delivered. Achieved his champion performance USA’s highest score on horses and brought the U.S. team a bronze medal—the first for American male gymnasts in 16 years.—Alex Abad-Santos, Senior Correspondent, Culture
Winner: Simone Biles’ Social Media
We all knew the gymnastics GOAT was going to claim glory, but some people out there (cough cough) were a little less sure about her teammates — who are now officially the all-around gold medal winners on the gymnastics team. And Simone Biles has something to say about it.
The original shade came from former Olympic vaulter and 2020 silver medalist Michaela Skinner, in a now-deleted video on her own YouTube channel earlier this summer. Other than his former teammate Biles, Skinner claimed That the “talent and depth” of the US women’s Olympic team “is like no other.” She added, “Of course many girls don’t work that hard. Girls just don’t have the work ethic.”
These comments appear to be what Biles was referring to when she was referring post On his celebratory Instagram after the team’s win on Tuesday, he posted a photo of himself and teammates Sunny Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hazley Rivera with the caption: “Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champion ❤️🥇🇺🇸.”
The gag was a former Olympic gymnast and couldn’t escape dear meme, McKayla Maroney, who unfortunately shares a version of Skinner’s maiden name. He commented, “It doesn’t get more iconic than this. He almost found out. Looks like I have to apologize for just messing up my first name.”
Skinner, who may be the mother behind the virality “Baby Harmer” Ling Prakash, previously denied the video in an Instagram story on July 3, saying that “it wasn’t always about the current team, because I love and support all the girls who made it and I’m proud of them.”
Biles, who hinted that she has been ever since Blocked by SkinnerLast post some pictures Getting a well-earned restbefore Won his second all-around gold on Thursday.– Meredith Haggerty, Senior Editor, Culture
Winner: The sharpshooter who never looked cooler
Apologies to my boyfriend, but I’m in love with two sharpshooters: South Korean Kim Yeezy and Turkey Yusuf Dekek.
The picture of the two has gone viral for completely opposite reasons. After she won silver in the 10-meter pistol event, an earlier photo of Kim went viral on the internet. Dressed in a black athletic outfit, sporting customized futuristic glasses, a backwards hat, and boasting an ice-cold stance, Kim looked like someone had teleported her. Blade Runner.
DKek, on the other hand, wasn’t into any special gear. The 51-year-old, who has been competing in the Olympics since 2008, wore a T-shirt, jeans and no shooting glasses. He quietly pointed his gun and took the stage with a silver medal.
Can’t speak to the style or skill the US brings to sharpshooting – deep irony that despite our gun culture we have zero medals – but I digress. It rules to see people standing in business. —Izzy Ramirez, Deputy Editor of Future Perfect
Lost: Paris’s eco-friendly approach
There are many studies that indicate that “nudging” people toward certain behavioral choices works. If oat milk is the automatic choice for an iced latte, More people will default to oat milk. It’s good for health and the environment – and I’m mostly inclined to agree.
But probably the one place I don’t want to do that is the Olympics, where routine is everything. Athletes—elite and amateur alike—are notorious for sticking to what they know during a competition: nothing new. The night before a big race is not the time to eat lentils – or Impossible Meat or even plain chicken! – If you’ve never had one before. Naturally, there have been athletes Complain that they are hungry And they can’t sleep because of Paris Chose without AC And Cardboard bed as part of His commitment to a more sustainable game.
In a vacuum, plant-based foods, less electricity and less waste are good things. We should value it. But when athletes need peak performance for this one moment, and while some countries may ignore it altogether (Team USA brought window-unit AC!), it creates a divide in performance, opening the door to anti-green backlash that could otherwise be avoided. And leave a bad taste. – and
