The Paris Olympics have closed and Team USA once again asserted its dominance on the world stage.
I told you all a few weeks ago that both women’s and men’s basketball were going to be amazing, and they definitely lived up to my expectations. The men’s comeback against Serbia in the semifinals was incredible! I thought Steph Curry’s performances in the Olympics were more impressive than any of his NBA titles. He put the team on his back and willed them to the comeback win against Serbia, and then to the gold medal over host France. Curry had 60 points in the semis and finals, combined – two unreal performances.
The women’s team blew through the qualifiers, and then faced some tests during the bracket competition. They barely survived in the gold medal game against host France by a single point. The women’s team has won 61 consecutive Olympic games, which is a phenomenal achievement. A’ja Wilson was fantastic in the gold medal game, and Diana Taurasi became the first team sport athlete to win a sixth gold medal. What a dynasty!
I know, this is the part where we’re supposed to talk about how ‘the world is catching up to the US’ and ‘It’s not going to be that easy in 2028’ … but I’m going to let the teams enjoy their wins.
How about those track and field performances! First off, I love the drama and buildup of these events. I also appreciate how these athletes train for years to run for ten, or twenty, or forty seconds. It is absolutely incredible. The US walked away from Paris with 34 medals in track, including 14 gold medals. Noah Lyles and Sha’carri Richardson were amazing! The 4×400 relays were my favorite – two golds and a silver for those sensational teams!
And how can we not include the greatest American female swimmer of all-time, Katie Ledecky! Another four medals added to her career total – she leaves Paris with 14 swimming medals and she’s the most decorated Olympic swimmer ever. Her performances in the pool were “must see TV” for me.
In gymnastics, Simone Biles had a tremendous comeback after the devastating withdrawal in Tokyo – how about another four Olympic medals for America’s best gymnast? If this is her last Games, she is definitely going out as a great champion. Don’t forget the pommel horse guy – he’s an absolute legend!
One of the coolest traditions that occurs at the Olympics is after the Marathon. At midnight on Saturday night, between the Men’s and Women’s races, 20,000 runners took to the Olympic Marathon course – it was so cool to see all the social media posts, but even cooler to see all the fans out there supporting the runners. Personally, I’m looking forward to participating in that event in 2028.
I know a lot of people on social media were “outraged” over the antics of Snoop Dogg and Flavor Flav. Look, I’ve got all the time in the world for whomever wants to support our athletes. I bet you watched more water polo this year than in past years BECAUSE of Flavor Flav. If so, then Flav did his job. And if you’re sick of seeing Snoop at the Games, then you better bury your head in the sand for the next four years, because he’s going to be front and center when the Olympics come to LA in 2028.
In the meantime, we should continue to appreciate, applaud, and support our fantastic Olympic athletes. Congratulations to all of our dedicated athletes on their performances in Paris – you definitely represented the United States well!
