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Top 5 controversies from the 2024 Paris Olympics ft. the opening ceremony and Imane Khelif's gender row
The Paris Olympics are done and dusted with, and there were some stellar performances across several sports. Many of the world's finest athletes impressed at the French capital, with the likes of Simone Biles, Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, Sha'Carri Richardson and Mondo Duplantis, all being among the gold medalists
The United States topped the medal tally with 126 medals, 40 of which were gold. They were followed by China in second place while Japan finished third.
However, the Paris Olympics didn't go quite as smoothly as some might have hoped. Amidst all the record-breaking performances, there were a few incidents that left fans disgruntled, leading to ample criticism for organizers and athletes alike at the Games.
On that note, let us take a look at the five biggest controversies from the Paris Olympics:
#5. Seine River Pollution
The Seine River had been the center of attention since well before the Paris Olympics, with officials announcing that it would house the open water swimming events of the Games. Given that locals haven't been allowed to swim in the river since 1923 given the sewage and wastewater that runs in it, many were shocked that athletes would be expected to compete in such situations.
The matter only worsened when tests performed on July 27 indicated that the river wasn't safe for swimming. Post this, training sessions for the triathlon athletes that were scheduled for July 28 and 29 were canceled, and the men's triathlon on July 30 was pushed to a later date.
Post this, multiple reports of triathletes falling sick emerged, with Belgium pulling out of the mixed relay after Claire Michel, who competed in the women's triathlon, fell sick. Swiss athlete Adrien Briffod also fell victim to the River Seine, catching a gastrointestinal infection after his swim.
#4. Raygun’s breakdancing at the Paris Olympics
While most Olympic performances tend to leave audiences amazed, b-girl Raygun's routine at the Paris Olympics had the exact opposite effect. Competing in breakdancing, Rachel Gunn, who goes by Raygun on the floor, showed up to the competition dressed in the official Australian team kit, while her competitors sported outfits more typically associated with breakdancing.
Fans were left confused with her outfit choice, and she drew further criticism for her dance moves, which included bouncing around on the stage like a kangaroo, and skidding across the floor. The 36-year-old is a university lecturer at home, and she explained her performance as artistic.
“I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get in a lifetime to do that on an international stage? I was always the underdog and wanted to make my mark in a different way,” she was quoted as saying by BBC Sports.
Raygun lost her opening round-robin contests in an underwhelming manner, aggregating a score of 0-54 over the course of three performances.
#3. Jordan Chiles’ gymnastics bronze
Gymnastics is one of the show-stealers of any Games, and the Paris Olympics were no different. However, in the midst of many astounding performances, one particular podium, the women's floor exercise event, drew more than its fair share of controversy.
As it happened, after all nine finalists had completed their routine at the Bercy Arena, the gold medal belonged to Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, with Simone Biles in second place and Romania's Ana Barbosu in third. However, a last minute review into the score of American gymnast Jordan Chiles’ score saw her get bumped up into third place, leaving Barbosu, who has already started celebrating, in tears.
Fans were outraged at the decision, with many accusing the judges of partiality towards Chiles. Post the, the Romanian Olympic Committee moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, with the ruling stripping the American gymnast of her bronze.
This also left fans disgruntled, with many arguing the bronze should have been shared instead of reallocated. This instance marked the first time in Olympic history that a gymnast had been stripped of their medal for reasons other than doping or age falsification.
#2. Paris Olympics' Opening Ceremony
The Paris Olympics were off to a shaky start from the very beginning, starting with the opening ceremony itself. The ceremony promised to be unique when it was announced that instead of being held in the stadium, athletes from different nations would float down the Seine River in boats, marking a first for the Games.
However, it was one particular performance that drew ire from fans. The performance includes a woman in a halo-like headdress standing at the center of a table, surrounded by drag queens on either side. Later, a cloche is lifted at the table to reveal a man, nearly naked and painted blue, on a dinner plate surrounded by fruit. Many audiences across the globe found the performance to be a mockery of Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of a biblical scene in ‘The Last Supper’.
The performance was condemned by many, with people calling it a mockery of Christianity. However, the opening ceremony’s artistic director later clarified that the scene was supposed to depict the Greek god Dionysus, telling French media outlet BFMTV,
“It is Dionysus who arrives at the table. The idea was instead to have a grand pagan festival connected to the gods of Olympus, Olympism.”
#1. Imane Khelif's gender row
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, alongside Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting found themselves the targets of massive criticism at the Paris Olympics. The criticism stemmed from the fact that the two boxers had previously been disqualified from the IBA World Championships due to failed 'gender tests', but were allowed to compete at the Games by the IOC, who does not recognise the International Boxing Association.
The scrutiny over Khelif's participation only increased after her first opponent, Italy’s Angela Carini pulled out of their bout after just 46 seconds, saying she had never been punched so hard. Carini later apologized for her comments. Despite the controversy, both Khelif and Lin went on to win gold in their respective weight categories.
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