aAs Rebecca Andrade, Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles stood behind the podium during the women’s gymnastics floor exercise medal ceremony at the Paris Olympics, the significance of the moment was clear to all. Their collective success marked the first time in history that three black gymnasts won bronze, silver and gold at the Olympics. And after years of pushing the greatest gymnast of all time to his limits, Brazil’s Andrade finally outperformed Biles.
In a heated moment between competition and ceremony, Chiles and Biles agreed that the special circumstances warranted a statement. The two Americans bowed to the Brazilian as Andrade walked up with his arms held high to accept the gold medal. Andrade responded by reaching out to each gymnast individually. “Not only did she send flowers to Simone, but she also sent flowers to many of us in the United States,” Chiles said after the event. This means that flowers are a metaphor for recognition. “So by giving it back, it becomes so beautiful. I felt like that was needed.”
This was an extraordinary demonstration of sportsmanship at the Olympics, with athletes competing with integrity and respect throughout. Even as they tackle the challenges they have trained for their entire lives, they still put humanity first.
During the table tennis mixed doubles medal ceremony, led by South Korea’s Lim Jeong-hoon, medalists from South Korea, North Korea and China did not hesitate to take selfies in defiance of the closed borders. Moments after Great Britain’s Alex Yee leapfrogged him to take gold in the final stages of the men’s triathlon, New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde wrapped his arms around his opponent and congratulated him. When Angola’s Albertina Cassoma seriously injured her knee during a handball match, it was her Brazilian rival Tamirez Araujo Frossard who carried her off the court.
As the Olympics unfolded, acts of sportsmanship in the arena seemed to reflect the host city. Paris has never felt so quiet and wholesome, and any doubts about this event a few days before the opening ceremony quickly dissipated as the city rallied around the spectacle and emotion. Sporting events often bring out the worst in opponents’ fans, but for three weeks supporters from all over the world warmly welcomed each other.
Still, the Olympic bubble felt artificial, and while it was a welcome escape from real life, it was also a distraction at a time when the world seemed to be falling apart. While the Olympics continued in Paris, far-right thugs ran riots in Britain and Northern Ireland, attacking ethnic minorities and targeting their businesses. Their riots reflected the rise of the far right in other regions.
Israel’s air strikes and ground invasion of Gaza continued while the few Palestinian athletes in attendance used their platforms to shine a spotlight on the suffering of others. The International Olympic Committee affirmed the neutrality of the Games, making it appear as though they existed in a geopolitical vacuum.
Instead of using the Olympics to improve conditions, authorities removed thousands of homeless people from view.
The organizers of the Paris 2024 Games were not without fault either. Instead of using the Olympics as an opportunity to create better conditions for the most vulnerable, authorities removed thousands of homeless people from view and cut them off from support networks.
Even the gymnastics sportsmanship between Andrade, Biles and Chiles was tainted. After a dramatic climax in the floor final, Chile won bronze and its first individual Olympic medal. Before her coach filed for an investigation, her score was fifth behind two Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbos and Sabrina Voinea. As a result of our review, Chili’s difficulty score increased by 0.1, placing it in 3rd place.
Days later, after the Romanian Gymnastics Federation (FRG) contested the results, the Court of Arbitration for Sport concluded that the Chilean interrogation had been recorded four seconds over the one-minute time limit. USA Gymnastics says the investigation was filed in a timely manner. Debate still rages over a number of decisions made in the final. FRG and USA Gymnastics happily shared the bronze medal, but the IOC stripped Chile of its medal and awarded it to Barbos.
This decision (USA Gymnastics has appealed to the Swiss Supreme Court) and the chaos that followed the floor exercise medal ceremony seem to be a perfect description of the 2024 Olympics. While so many athletes performed under stifling pressure and inspired with thoughtful sporting attitudes, the organizers and organization of the Games are committed to living up to the values the Games promote. I couldn’t.
