What You Missed in Paris 2024

Note: This will be a running post for the next few weeks of the Olympic Games, with each day highlighting competitions that may not have made it to the top of the feed.

July 30-August 1

Fencing:

Haven’t seen fencing yet? Lee Kiefer won a third gold medal, a record for U.S. women’s fencing, taking both gold individually and for Team USA in foil fencing. In fencing, the Italians and French reign supreme–when the Russians aren’t around–so for the U.S. to take a medal is an achievement.

July 26, 2024July 27, 2024

The Paradoxical International Parade of Nations

Greece comes first, even if the nation of Greece bears little resemblance to the vision of ancient Olympia. Photo from Newscaststudio.com.

This is ultimately a story about flag dipping–or the lack thereof–and how the American media lied about it, until it turned into yet another “Land of the Free” myth based on false information. But in order to get there, we have to dig into another subject first, the underlying paradox of the Games.

June 23, 2024July 27, 2024

Getting in the Game

(Clockwise, left): Sha’Carri Richardson, Ryan Crouse, Colin Duffy, and Jess Davis going to Paris. Photos from AP, olympics.com, msn.com, and USAPenathlon.

NBC is marketing their end-of-June Road to Paris coverage of the swimming, sprinting, and gymnastics USA Olympics Trials by calling it “the toughest team” to make. It’s probably true. But not in the way that they mean. Some slots on Team USA are extremely hard to make. Some are under the glare of some very bright spotlights. If you, budding Olympic athlete, participate in one of the marquee sports for U.S. on prime time, then you have to do your sport while everyone’s watching, and with cameras shoved in your face.