Why the 2024 Paris Olympics was a triumph for representation and diversity

Similar circumstances occurred with Algerian French gymnast Kaylia Nemour, who won the African continent’s first gold medal in gymnastics. She aced the uneven bars event, besting the Chinese Qiu Qiyuan and American Sunisa Lee.

British Cameroonian Cindy Ngamba, representing the Refugee Olympic Team, was not only the first-ever refugee boxer to qualify for the Olympic games but also became the first-ever medallist for the team when she won a bronze medal in the women’s 75kg boxing event.

Teams such as the USA, China and Great Britain have long histories of setting world records at the Olympics, so it feels like a David and Goliath moment when “underdog” countries come out on top.

Indonesian weightlifter Rizki Juniansyah won gold in the men’s 73 kg event in the Paris Olympics, setting a new Olympic record with a 199kg clean and jerk lift. As well as beating China—who have dominated this category for five consecutive Olympics—it marks the country’s first gold medal in weightlifting in their 72 years of participation in the games. In addition to this being Juniansyah’s Olympic debut, it made him Indonesia’s youngest Olympic gold medalist at age 21.

This success followed fellow athlete Veddriq Leonardo’s winning gold in the sport climbing speed event, which was the first time Indonesia won a gold medal outside of badminton and made this the Asian country’s best performance at the Olympics since 1992 in Barcelona.

The Philippines also recorded its best performance at the Olympic Games so far, taking home two gold medals courtesy of gymnast Carlos Yulo. He is now the most successful Filipino gymnast in history, and the first to win multiple Olympic gold medals for the country in men’s floor exercise and vault finals.

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem made history for the country by becoming the first Pakistani to win an individual Olympic gold medal—with an Olympic record throw of 92.97m, the 6th longest throw in the event’s history. This marks Pakistan’s first gold medal since 1984 in Los Angeles. India’s Neeraj Chopra came second, and taking home a silver medal deemed him among India’s most successful Olympians, having won gold previously at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Athletes push their bodies to the limits to even secure a place in the games, let alone reach the podium, and that comes in addition to personal challenges in their life, be it overcoming injury, financial hardship or simply the passage of time.

Despite tearing her ACL three times in her right knee, gymnast Rebeca Andrade is the most decorated Olympian in Brazil. In the Paris Olympics, she won gold in the women’s floor routine with a flawless performance, beating top US gymnast Simone Biles. Andrade also took silver for the vault and individual all-around final, and finally, the bronze with her fellow gymnasts in the team all-around final, showing that a combination of reconstructive surgery, psychological training and passion for artistry can result in major success.

For Chinese diver Quan Hongchan, her motivation to compete on an Olympic level was driven by her desire to help pay her mother’s hospital bills, as shared by the official Olympics media. Coming from the rural village of Maihe, her talent was spotted at age 7, and by 14—following rigorous training, developing confidence in diving and personally seeking perfection—she won her first Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games and established a reputation as barely making a splash post-dive. She won gold this year, at age 17, in the women’s 10-metre platform with a perfect opening dive, securing her medal.

Age isn’t just a number in the Olympics—it’s a crucial element of peak physical and mental performance. Table tennis players Ni Xialian and Zeng Zhiying, aged 61 and 58 respectively, beat the odds to represent Luxembourg and Chile at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While neither progressed to the podium stages—Ni won the first round but lost to current world no. 1 Sun Yingsha in the second, while Zeng lost in the preliminary round and did not advance further—it proves that even if you missed the boat the first time round, dedication to training and a love of the sport can make Olympic dreams come true for anyone.

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