Memorable moments from the Paris Olympics: Simone Biles was the star, but the spotlight reached a lot of people
PARIS: Simone Biles stole the show at the Paris Olympics with a stunning comeback that had everyone watching everything she did in and out of the gym.
All eyes were on Biles as she won four medals, but the spotlight was bright enough to highlight new names, new faces and unexpected stars. The Paris Olympics will be remembered for their stunning locations, unprecedented access and Snoop Dogg starring in NBC's record-breaking coverage.
Paris introduced “The Pommel Horse Guy” and “The Real John Wick” to the world, including a meme-inducing performance by an Australian professor in the Olympics’ debut in Breaking Bad
French swimmer Leon Marchand enjoyed a breakout year at the Olympics in his home country, winning five medals, four of them gold. Ilona Maher sought a spot on reality TV show “Love Island” after leading Team USA to a late victory that gave the US its first bronze medal in rugby sevens.
Noah Lyles was crowned the world's fastest sprinter by winning the 100m, but after finishing third in the 200m – his first loss in his favourite event since the Tokyo Olympics three years ago – he revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19. Sha'Carrie Richardson chased down two rivals in the rain to wrap up her first Olympics by winning gold in the relay after taking silver in the 100m.
The United States won 121 medals on Sunday, 37 of which were gold, while the United States again won in men's basketball and women's soccer.
Here are some of the key moments from the Paris Olympics:
Bills soar to gold
Biles returned to the Olympics three years ago after withdrawing from several events at the Tokyo Olympics due to mental health concerns, and won four medals, three of them gold.
She was the most popular tourist attraction in Paris and competed in front of a packed crowd of celebrities. Those who couldn't sit in the stands with Tom Cruise, Spike Lee, Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga watched from afar, with NBC reporting that 34.7 million viewers across all platforms watched Biles lead Team USA to the gold medal.
Next up for the greatest gymnast in Olympic history is the 30-stop “Gold Over America Tour” for the GOAT.
Struggling Swimming
The nine-day competition ended with the Americans nearly overtaking the gold medal leader in swimming, needing to win the final Olympic event to do so.
The United States won just eight gold medals, their fewest since the 1988 Seoul Games, and is one ahead of their biggest rivals, Australia.
“It was one of the worst performances in the history of the U.S. team,” said Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever.
The rest of the world has more wins (20) than the United States and Australia combined, the first time that has happened since the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Track issues
The Americans' 34 medals and 14 golds are their best performances in track and field in a non-sanctioned sport since the early 20th century, when there were more competitions and fewer countries participating.
While Richardson was disappointed to miss out on gold in the 100m, Lyles lost the 200m after testing positive for COVID-19 and the men's 4x100m relay, where he was disqualified.
The relay team's performance was so poor that nine-time gold medalist Carl Lewis called for a complete change within the U.S. track and field program.
But the U.S. finished strong: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set another world record by winning the 400m hurdles again, and then was part of the 4x400m relay team she and Gabby Thomas led to a landslide victory on the final night at the Stade de France.
The American cyclist won the gold medal in the same race in a much tighter contest about 15 minutes earlier.
The United States' 14 gold medals are the most in a boycott-free Olympics since 1968.
USA Hoops take another gold
Stephen Curry made history once again by finally winning an Olympic gold medal.
Curry scored 24 points and led Team USA to a 98-87 victory over France in the men's basketball final, marking the fifth consecutive gold medal for the USA and the 17th in the 20 history of US participation in the tournament.
Kevin Durant, the first man to win four Olympic gold medals in basketball, scored 15 points for Team USA, while Devin Booker and LeBron James, who wore metallic gold sneakers, both scored 14 points for Team USA, earning him his fourth Olympic medal and third gold medal.
Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points for France in his first Olympic final and he was in tears after the match.
The United States women's soccer team is back on top
The U.S. women's soccer team won their fifth Olympic gold medal, defeating Brazil 1-0 in the final. The U.S. hasn't won a gold medal since the 2012 London Olympics.
The gold medal capped an unbeaten run as the team won its first international title under new coach Emma Hayes.
When the final whistle blew, the U.S. players celebrated as Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA played in the stadium.
Boxing Conflict
Women's boxing is dragged into a culture war over gender misunderstandings involving two competitors
Algeria's Iman Khlif and Taiwan's Li Yuting have come under fire after the Russia-led International Amateur Boxing Association (IBA) decided to disqualify them from last year's world championships, citing that they failed to pass the women's qualification test, with IBA officials refusing to answer basic questions on the matter.
Cleve endured intense scrutiny in the ring and online criticism from around the world about her misconceptions about femininity, but she still won the women's welterweight gold medal.
The following night, Lin won gold in the women's featherweight division, ending a four-fight unbeaten streak in Paris, and was Taiwan's first Olympic boxing gold medal.
“I am a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I live as a woman, and I have the qualities,” Cleve said after winning.
The International Olympic Committee took the unprecedented step of permanently banning the IBA from the Olympics last year after years of concerns about its governance, competition fairness and financial transparency. The IOC said the gender tests the sports committee gave both boxers were permanently flawed.
