Winners and losers of the 2024 Olympics: Big upsets, failures and joyful moments
PARIS — After two somewhat depressing Olympics conducted under strict COVID protocols in Tokyo and Beijing, the Games returned to form here in a big way. Crowds were immense. Television ratings skyrocketed. Safety and security were preserved. And Team USA dominated the medal table, tying China for an Olympic-high 40 golds, while adding the most silver (44) and bronze (42).
As we say goodbye to Paris 2024, here are the winners and losers of these Games:
Paris shines from beginning to end
They pulled it off. Though there were a couple minor hiccups along the way, as there are at any Olympics, it was mostly smooth sailing for Paris 2024 organizers. The city’s infrastructure held up. Security threats were handled both by invisible, multi-national intelligence cooperatives and a highly visible police presence on the streets. The stands were packed everywhere. Even the famously pessimistic French citizens flipped from having a negative opinion of the Games taking over their country to buying all the way in on national pride, according to public opinion polls. And they have a lot to be proud of: Paris absolutely shined from beginning to end, showing once again why it’s one of the most visited cities in the world.
