Follow the latest news on the 2024 Paris Olympics
Well before the Paris 2024 Olympics had started, athletes were predicting these Games would be different.
Repeat Olympians were excited about competing in front of fans once again, after performing in front of empty stands at the pandemic-affected Tokyo 2020.
For Arabs, Paris 2024 was different, but not just because of the atmosphere.
Under the shadow of the horrific war in Gaza, these Games gave Palestinians a voice and a platform. Eight athletes represented Palestine in swimming, taekwondo, boxing, athletics, judo, and shooting.
In taekwondo, Omar Ismail won his qualification bout in the -58kg category before falling to the division’s second seed in the round of 16. On the track, Layla Almasri set a new national record in the 800m heats. In the pool, Yazan Al Bawwab dove into the water with the Palestinian flag not just on his swim cap but also tattooed on his chest.
“I'm one of eight people [competing for Palestine at the Olympics]. We have 15 million Palestinians scattered around the world. I'm just one that's able to be here to represent a voice of the people that are not heard,” Al Bawwab told France 24 after his event.
“Sports is one of those tools that I'm trying to use to get the humanity out of the world, because we're not treated as human beings right now.”
Elsewhere, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif found herself embroiled in a fight that extended well beyond the ring. The 25-year-old clinched welterweight gold in unimaginable circumstances. Misgendered, disrespected, and unfairly scrutinised, Khelif was the subject of an enormous amount of abuse but rose above it all to make history as the first Algerian, African, and Arab woman to win boxing gold at an Olympic Games.
“I sent them a message with this gold medal, and I say my dignity has been restored and my honour is above anything else,” she said after her victory.
Khelif handled the firestorm with such grace, and walked away a champion in and out of the ring. Her experience raises important questions about misinformation and cyber bullying, and her decision to take legal action against her online attackers can hopefully lead to much-needed change in the social media space.
Khelif was one of seven gold medallists from the Arab world in Paris – which is the highest tally for athletes representing Arab countries at any Olympic Games.
France-born Algerian Kaylia Nemour made history at just 17 years of age, becoming Africa’s first-ever Olympic medallist in gymnastics with a gold-medal effort in uneven bars.
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Actor Tom Cruise holds the flag during the Paris Olympics closing ceremony. Reuters -
A fireworks display during the closing ceremony at Stade de France. Getty images -
Cruise was part of the star-studded event. AFP -
The actor left the stadium with the Olympic flag on a motorbike. AFP -
Dancers perform during the event at Stade de France. Getty Images -
American singer Her sang the USA's national anthem. Getty Images -
French singer-songwriter Yseult was one of the performers of the night. AFP -
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, left, and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe presented the medals for the women's marathon. AFP -
Athletes arrive for the closing ceremony. PA -
French President Emmanuel Macron was also in attendance. EPA -
French athletes pass one of their host down the line at the ceremony. Reuters -
Women's marathon gold medallist, Sifan Hassan from Netherlands. AFP -
Flagbearers parade at the ceremony. AP -
Angolan canoeist Benilson Sanda at the ceremony. AFP -
French athletes bid farewell to the rest of the world. Reuters -
Nigerian athletes at the closing ceremony. AFP -
Saudi athletes join in the festivities. EPA -
India's flagbearers, shooter Manu Bhaker, right, and field hockey player Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran, at the closing ceremony. Reuters -
China's contingent of athletes enters the arena. Reuters -
Canada's athletes celebrate. AFP -
A huge Stade de France crowd watches as the athletes parade. Reuters -
French singer Zaho de Sagazan performs Under the Paris Sky at the ceremony. Getty Images -
The athletes gather in the stadium for the closing ceremony. Reuters -
The Japanese contingent waves to the crowds. AP -
Team Algeria joins the celebrations. Getty Images -
French swimmer Leon Marchand carries the Olympic flame. Getty Images -
Athletes enter the stadium en masse, instead of being separated by countries for the closing ceremony. AFP -
A performance by an orchestra at the event. Reuters -
Sharon Van Rouwendaal from the Netherlands won a gold medal for the swimming marathon. AFP -
Saudi athletes at the event. AFP -
President Macron and his wife Brigitte were among the spectators of the ceremony. PA
Tunisia’s Firas Katoussi cemented the Arab world’s status as a rising force in taekwondo, his gold in -80kg being one of three medals scooped by Mena athletes in the sport. Jordan’s Zaid Kareem clinched silver in -68kg, while Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi made the podium once again in -58kg, this time taking bronze.
Jendoubi wasn’t the only Arab to become a multiple-time Olympic medallist – a sign that many of the athletes from the region are firmly establishing themselves on the global sports map and aren’t one-time wonders or fluke champions.
Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali successfully defended his gold medal in 3,000m steeplechase, coming from behind to make a late charge and secure first place in a difficult race at the Stade de France.
Egypt’s Ahmed Elgendy set a world record of 1,555 points to top the podium in modern pentathlon, three years after he won silver in Tokyo to become Africa’s first Olympic medallist in the sport.
Competing in his final Games, Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim became the most decorated high jumper in Olympic history, securing his legacy with a fourth Olympic medal – a bronze to go with the gold he won in Tokyo and the two silvers he scooped in Rio 2016 and London 2012.
No athlete has ever won four Olympic high jump medals. The 33-year-old did a lap of honour on Saturday, fittingly wearing a crown on his head.
“My feelings of pride today are beyond words,” Barshim wrote on Instagram.
“I had the honor of raising my country’s flag in four Olympic Games, earning four medals. With this Olympic Games, I conclude my Olympic journey, and I am truly happy to have stood on the podium in all my participations.”
Egyptian weightlifter Sara Ahmed won the silver medal in 81kg, eight years after she clinched bronze in Rio as an 18-year-old. She briefly held the Olympic record in clean and jerk on Saturday before Norway’s Solfrid Koanda rebroke it to secure the gold.
A telling moment came after the weightlifting competition was over as Ahmed broke into tears, not of joy, but in agony over missing out on the gold.
Her journey in the sport saw her go through a two-year ban along with all weightlifters from her country as well as the Egyptian Weightlifting Federation, which forced her to miss Tokyo 2020. When she returned to action, she won gold at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and arrived in Paris adamant on topping the podium.
Her reaction to settling for silver spoke volumes of her champion’s mentality, one that she shares with many of the Arab athletes who fell short at these Games.
You could see it on the face of Jordanian taekwondo practitioner Rama Abo Alrub, who came close to upsetting Turkish No 1 seed Nafia Kus and fell to the ground in despair when she lost their close bout in the quarter-finals.
The same goes for Dunya Abutaleb, who battled for bronze but lost to the No 7 seed in taekwondo’s -49kg division, missing out on a chance to become Saudi Arabia’s first female Olympic medallist.
“This is not the end of the road, this is just the beginning,” Abutaleb wrote on Instagram, committing to a new journey towards the LA 2028 Olympics. “I now close the chapter on the last four years and start today on the road for the next four years.”
But even in disappointment, one can sense a shift in the direction sport in the Arab world is heading. Athletes are no longer satisfied by just qualifying for the Olympics. They want medals and podiums. They believe they can contend with the very best and are devastated when they fall short.
The Arab contingent claimed a total of 17 medals in nine different sports in Paris. There’s enough reason to believe we can expect much more to come in four years’ time.
Paris 2024 - best pictures
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Fireworks go off during the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France. AFP -
Tom Cruise is lowered from the roof of Stade de France during the Closing Ceremony. Getty Images -
Manav Vikash Thakkar of Team India competes during the Men's Team Round of 16 match between Team People’s Republic of China and Team India. Getty Images -
Silver medalist Simone Biles, of the United States, left, and bronze medalist Jordan Chiles, of the United States, right, bow to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, during the medal ceremony for the women's artistic gymnastics individual floor finals. AP -
Kim Yeji of Team Republic of Korea prepares to shoot during the Women's 10m Air Pistol Final. Getty Images -
A composite image of Noah Lyles of Team United States winning the Men's 100m Final on day nine. Getty Images -
A composite image of the Wrestling Women's and Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman final Matches on day thirteen. Getty Images -
Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan competes in the Men Javelin Throw final event. EPA -
Algeria's Imane Khelif, right, defeated Italy's Angela Carini in their women's 66kg preliminary boxing match. AP -
Snoop Dogg (R) attends the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Qualification on day two. Getty Images -
Brazil's Gabriel Medina reacts after getting a large wave in the 5th heat of the men's surfing round 3. AFP -
Bahrain's Winfred Mutile Yavi celebrates winning the women's 3,000m steeplechase final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on August 6. AFP -
South Korea's Yi Jae-gyeong competes in the men's 3m springboard diving semi-final the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 7. AFP -
Cuba's Liadagmis Povea in the women's triple jump qualification at the Stade de France on August 2. AFP -
Taiwan's Wang Chi-lin and Lee Yang after winning the men's doubles badminton final match against China at Porte de la Chapelle Arena on August 4. AFP -
Petra Sicakova, of Czechia, prepares to hurl the javelin in women's qualification in Saint-Denis, France. AP -
Hungary's Andras Szatmari, left competes against South Korea's Gu Bon-gil in the men's sabre team gold medal bout at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 31. AFP -
French surfer Kauli Vaast reacts after riding a wave during the men's gold medal match in Tahiti. Reuters -
France's Marie-Julie Bonnin has a soft landing in the women's pole vault final on August 7. AFP -
Stiliana Nikolova of Bulgaria performs in the rhythmic gymnastics individuals all-round qualification round, at La Chapelle Arena, Paris. AP -
Alain Kortabitarte of Spain in action in the men's park preliminaries skateboarding at La Concorde 4, Paris, on August 7. Reuters -
Jiaqi Zhong of China, centre, guards the ball from Australia's Kaitlin Nobbs in the women's quarter-final field hockey match at the Stade Yves du Manoir in Colombes, France, on August 5. EPA -
Gold medallist Kellie Harrington of Ireland celebrates on the podium after her win in the women's 60kg boxing division at Roland-Garros Stadium, Paris, on August 6. Reuters -
Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade in action in the balance beam final at the Bercy Arena, Paris, on August 5. Reuters -
Britain's Lina Nielsen shows her disappointment after the women's 400m hurdles semi-final at the Stade de France on August 6. Getty Images -
Turkey's Merve Kavurat, right, and Italy's Ilenia Matonti compete in the taekwondo women's 49kg round of 16 bout at the Grand Palais on August 7. AFP -
Happy feet ... Mariajo Uribe of Colombia on the 18th green during the first round of the women's individual stroke play golf at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France, on August 7. EPA -
Brazil's Almir dos Santos competes in the men's triple jump qualification at the Stade de France on August 7. AFP -
Sweden's Christina Kallberg plays Hong Kong's Doo Hoi Kem during the women's teams round of 16 table tennis match in Paris. AP -
Quincy Hall of the US crosses the line to win gold in the final of the men's 400m at the Stade de France on August 7. Reuters -
Brazil's Gabriel Dos Santos reacts after running in the men's 4x100m relay heat at the Stade de France on August 8. AFP -
The men's 5,000m heat one at the Stade de France on August 7. Reuters -
Paris 2024 Olympics - Volleyball - Women's Quarterfinals- Brazil vs Dominican Republic - South Paris Arena 1, Paris, France - August 06, 2024. Gabriela Braga Guimaraes of Brazil and Niverka Dharlenis Marte Frica of the Dominican Republic in action. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY -
Katarina Johnson-Thompson, of Britain, reacts after an attempt in the heptathlon high jump at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) -
Iran's Mobina Nematzadeh celebrates beating Saudi Arabia's Dunya Ali M Abutaleb in the taekwondo women's -49kg bronze medal bout of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Grand Palais in Paris on August 7, 2024. (Photo by David GRAY / AFP) -
Alysha Newman, of Canada, celebrates a successful vault as she competes in the women's pole vault final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
