Cover Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles of team US bow to gold medallist Rebeca Andrade of team Brazil at the podium at the artistic gymnastics women’s floor exercise medal ceremony at the Olympics—a moment that will go down as one of the most iconic moments of female solidarity in elite sports (Photo: Getty Images)
Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles of team US bow to gold medallist Rebeca Andrade of team Brazil at the podium at the artistic gymnastics women’s floor exercise medal ceremony at the Olympics—a moment that will go down as one of the most iconic moments of female solidarity in elite sports (Photo: Getty Images)
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At Paris Olympics, female empowerment was dealt a blow a few times—the controversy surrounding Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif and Bob Ballard’s sexist comments—but there were some high points too, and at Tatler, we are celebrating the moments when female solidarity and power shone through against all odds
Sportsmanship, style, social media-igniting displays of triumph—we’ve seen it all at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But amid all this athletic history that is unfolding in Paris, there’s one thing we would like to spotlight: moments of female empowerment and solidarity which shone at this year’s Olympics.
Yes, there were controversies too: Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif’s win was spoilt by a gender scandal, and sports commentator Bob Ballard was reprimanded for his casually sexist comments towards the Australian women’s swim team. But we don’t want to let these incidents take away from the fact that there were genuine displays of female strength, confidence and friendship at this year’s Games—so here at Tatler we celebrate five empowering moments for women at Olympics 2024.
1. Karen Bass will be the first Black woman to receive the Olympic flag
Above Mayor Karen Bass, City of Los Angeles, California, attends the team USA brunch in Paris, ahead of the Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)
Mayor Karen Bass, City of Los Angeles, California, attends the team USA brunch in Paris, ahead of the Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)
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At the closing ceremony of Paris Olympics, Anne Hidalgo, the first woman mayor of Paris, will be passing on the Olympic flag to Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, as it’s Los Angeles’ turn to host the 2028 Olympics. Bass will make history as the first Black woman to receive the Olympic flag—and we can’t wait for it to happen.
2. Black women claimed all three top spots in an Olympic for the first time
Above Gold medallist Rebeca Andrade of team Brazil, silver medallist Simone Biles of team US and bronze medallist Jordan Chiles of team US celebrate on the podium at the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Exercise Medal Ceremony on day ten of the Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)
Gold medallist Rebeca Andrade of team Brazil, silver medallist Simone Biles of team US and bronze medallist Jordan Chiles of team US celebrate on the podium at the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Exercise Medal Ceremony on day ten of the Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)
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History was made by Black women on the Olympic podium on August 6, when Rebeca Andrade, Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles clinched the top three spots in women’s floor exercise in gymnastics—making it the first time that the top three spots in an Olympic were all claimed by Black athletes. Biles, who won silver and her fellow member of the US team Chiles (bronze winner), bowed to Andrade as she walked up to the podium to claim gold for Brazil. This endearing moment of female solidarity quickly went viral on social media.
3. Motherhood at its coolest, courtesy of pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji
Above Kim Yeji of team Korea shoots during the women's 10m air pistol final at the Olympics, her daughter’s soft toy hanging by her pocket (Photo: Getty Images)
Kim Yeji of team Korea shoots during the women's 10m air pistol final at the Olympics, her daughter’s soft toy hanging by her pocket (Photo: Getty Images)
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South Korean pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji has already grabbed eyeballs for her nonchalant style, her futuristic glasses and the swagger she brought to the arena. While many on X (ex-Twitter) are hailing her as the James Bond of the Paris Olympics, what we loved was how she confidently wore her motherly side on her sleeve—literally—in the form of a pink elephant soft toy that belongs to her daughter. It’s a nod to motherhood at its coolest and most confident.
4. Nada Hafez competed while being 7 months pregnant
Meanwhile, mother-to-be Nada Hafez also made headlines for competing in the Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant. The Egyptian fencer, who reached the top 16 level at the women’s individual sabre event at this Olympic Games, revealed this news on Instagram with a post that said, “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor and my yet-to-come to our world, little baby! My baby and I had our fair share of challenges, both physical and emotional. The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own but having to fight to keep the balance of life and sports was nothing short of strenuous, however [it was] worth it.” Hafez might have lost to South Korea’s Jeon Hayoung, but she’s a winner in our eyes.
5. Clarisse Agbégnénou champions motherhood at Olympic podium
Clarisse Agbégnénou of France, who won bronze at this Olympic, is not only a judo champion but also a champion for breaking taboos over motherhood in elite sports. She is known for bringing her five-year-old daughter to her judo trainings, she had requested the Olympic committee to let her child stay with her at the Olympic village—her request was denied—and after she won bronze, she lifted her daughter up on the podium in a display of sheer joy. What an icon!
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Suchetana Mukhopadhyay is the Digital Content Manager for Tatler Hong Kong. In this role, she leads all digital editorial and branded content on Tatler Hong Kong’s website, from brainstorming story ideas with the writers to editing and publishing the articles, and from managing the overall content flow to driving search engine optimisation. She also leads the beauty content at Tatler Hong Kong and across the region, and is always looking to champion diversity through her articles. She was previously with Cedar Hong Kong and Gafencu, and freelanced for the South China Morning Post, Campaign Asia-Pacific, CNN and more. Contact her here.
