And just like that it’s a wrap on the Summer Paris Olympics! After a slew of historical, viral, and one-of-a-kind moments, this year’s Olympics are one to remember.
The Summer Olympics were a hot topic from the moment the opening ceremony began. Spectators saw how France gets down with an entertaining – and quickly viral – introduction featuring a headless Marie Antoinette, French heavy metal rockers Gojira, and a queer retelling of Jan van Bijlert’s “The Feast of the Gods.” Beyond the spectacle, the world gathered to see over 10,500 athletes compete for medals in their respective sports day-by-day from July 26 to August 11.
Now that the closing ceremony has bid athletes and viewers alike farewell, it’s time to look back at how Latine athletes did in 2024. Because it wasn’t just about the historic first wins for countries like the Dominican Republic and Colombia. It was also about how these athletes had each other’s back and the fun moments shared along the way. From artistic gymnastics’ to incredible sportsmanship moments and the first-ever breaking competition, here are 10 iconic moments at the Paris Olympics!
1
Simone Biles & Jordan Chiles Show Incredible Sportsmanship to Rebeca Andrade
It’s not every day that the top artistic gymnastics compete and give each other their flowers. From the start of the gymnastics competition, the world saw Team USA’s Simone Biles and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade fiercely – yet gracefully – compete against each other. During and after each competition, cameras caught the duo praising each other. However, one of the most iconic moments includes Biles’ teammate Jordan Chiles. After Andrade won gold in the floor exercise, the two Team USA athletes bowed down to the Brazilian athlete, showing incredible sportsmanship.
2
Andrés Cantor Teaches Snoop Dogg Goal Call
This year, many social media users crowned Snoop Dogg as the 2024 Olympics unofficial “mascot.” The emblematic rapper was captured in different competitions, rooting for the USA and having fun while at it. One of the rapper’s iconic moments was when he teamed up with famous Argentinian-American sports commentator Andrés Cantor to learn his signature goal call. The rapper also wrapped up the Olympics’ closing ceremony, giving us one more spectacle to talk about.
3
Cuban Wrestler Mijaín López Makes History & Retires
Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler Mijaín López made history after winning his fifth Olympic gold medal in the 130kg category. With this historical win, the wrestler tied with Germany’s Wilfried Dietrich for the most medals ever won in the category. At the same time, he also became the oldest medalist in Olympic wrestling history. With this epic win, the wrestler retired at age 41.
4
Marileidy Paulino Is the First Woman From the Dominican Republic To Win a Gold Medal
Another historic moment was when Marileidy Paulino won a gold medal for the Dominican Republic. She ran an Olympic record time of 48.17 seconds in the 400m final – and made history while at it. She is now going down in history as the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win a gold medal. The last Dominican to win gold was Félix Sánchez in London 2012.
5
Team Brazil Shows Sportsmanship By Carrying Off Rival Team Member
Sportsmanship really was at the heart of the Paris Olympics with this next moment. And this one happened during the handball preliminary round to reach the quarter-finals. After a knee injury, Team Brazil’s Tamires Morena de Araújo Frossard carried off rival Team Angola’s Albertina Kassoma. How’s that for showing there’s time for kindness even in a heated competition?
6
Victor Montalvo Competes & Excels in Olympics’ First-Ever Breaking Competition
Not only was B-boy Victor Montalvo part of the Olympics’ first breaking competition, but he also ended up winning the bronze medal for the sport. On Saturday (August 10), Montalvo – also known as B-boy Victor – won against Japan’s B-boy Shigekix and took home bronze.
7
Ángel Barajas Makes History by Earning Colombia’s First-Ever Olympics Medal in Gymnastics
Team Colombia’s Ángel Barajas made history by becoming the first Colombian to achieve an Olympic medal in gymnastics. He won a silver medal in the high bar competition. This achievement also made him the youngest medalist in a men’s individual event since 1988 at age 17. How’s that for leaving your mark?
8
Team USA Artistic Swimming Team’s Viral Moonwalking
Team USA’s artistic swimming team’s viral “Smooth Criminal” routine was unforgettable at the Paris Olympics. The team – consisting of two Latinas Venezuelan-American Daniella Ramirez and Mexican-American Anita Alvarez – incorporated Michael Jackson’s hit song and moonwalked upside down underwater. This routine earned the team their first medal (silver) since 2004.
9
Panamanian Gymnast Hillary Heron Lands Iconic Simone Biles Move
Panamanian gymnast Heron made history by landing the iconic double layout known as the “Biles I.” By doing this, she became the first person to land the challenging move other than Simone Biles. Although she didn’t qualify for the All-Around finals, this moment undoubtedly marks an incredible start for her career.
10
Guatemala’s Adriana Ruano Oliva Wins First Gold Medal in Country’s History
Guatemalan trap shooter Oliva made history by winning her country’s first gold medal in history. Consequently, she became the first Guatemalan woman to achieve a medal and she also set a new Olympic record by hitting 45 clay pigeons while at it. If that’s not enough history, this also marks the first time the country’s national anthem was played at the Olympics.