August 9, 2024

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SUMMER OLYMPICS WEEK TWO

Paris 2024 Olympics

July 26th 2024 — August 11th, 2024

Paris 2024 Paralympics

August 28th, 2024 -– September 8th, 2024

Overview for this week.

1. I'm continuing with coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics this week. The lead off post celebrates the achievement of full gender parity in the Olympic Games.

2. Next, I have an article from Time that examines traumatic and chronic sport related injuries common to specific Olympic sports. 

3. There are several older athletes in this addition of the Olympics, as well as some very young athletes, with a span of 54 years between the oldest athlete, 65-year-old Spanish equestrian Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo and 11-year-old Chinese skateboarder Haohao Zang. Just within Great Britain's skateboard team there is a 35-year age gap between teammates 51-year-old Andy Macdonald and 16-year-old Sky Brown.

4. Next I have highlights from week two of Paris 2024 including; the women’s park skateboarding competition, a Brazilian table tennis athlete that is competing in both the Olympics and the Paralympics, a fantastic showing from the U.S. women cyclists, and two Olympic medals for U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles who managed to win a bronze in the 200 meters while suffering from Covid three days after winning a gold in the 100m.

5. After winning a gold in men's single tennis, Novak Djokovic decided to donate his Olympic prize money to be used for humanitarian purposes. What a class act!

6. Next we'll peak in on Snoop Dogg and some of his Olympic activities and outfits via an article from Sky News.

7. Finaly, all good things must come to an end, and the Paris 2024 Olympics will come to an end on Sunday, August 11th with the closing ceremony. It promises to be equally grand as the opening ceremony. I will miss the Paris Olympics, but also look forward to the Paris Paralympics that will start in two-and-a-half weeks on August 28th.

Now, to this week's Flock.

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The percentage of female athletes competing in the Olympics has been growing steadily, particularly over the last quarter century. Paris 2024 has reached a parity between male and female athletes, mirroring trends in general society.

From:NBC Olympics, By: Ashlee Buhler, July 1, 2024

The 2024 Paris Olympics will make history by achieving numerical gender parity on the field of play, ensuring equal representation of male and female athletes.

In 1900, Paris made history by welcoming women to compete at the Olympic Games for the very first time. Now, 124 years later, the City of Light is poised to set another historic milestone. 

The 2024 Paris Olympics will make history by achieving numerical gender parity on the field of play, ensuring equal representation of male and female athletes. It's a monumental moment that symbolizes progress, equality and a steadfast commitment to inclusion at the largest sporting event in the world. 

Increasing women’s participation at the Olympics has been a journey that spans over a century, with the numbers steadily rising at each Games since Berlin 1936, when women comprised just 8.4% of the competitors. Come Tokyo 2020, women’s participation was up to 47.8% – the closest the Games had ever been to gender-balanced.

Elite level competitive athletes can face an increased risk of injury, whether from physical contact or from repetitive motions that can strain muscles and joints. Time has put together a breakdown of injuries Olympic athletes in different sports face.

From: Time, By: Alice Park, July 20, 2024

Athletes are competitive by nature, so when they get together for a massive sporting event like the Olympics, there’s likely a bit of good-natured one-upmanship when it comes to whose event is the hardest.

Yes, it’s a bit of a parlor game, and everyone has an opinion. But while difficulty is somewhat subjective, there are ways to stratify sports that could start to isolate which sports take the biggest toll on the body–by the highest number of injuries racked up by athletes, by what types of injuries they develop, and by which injuries tend to have bigger impacts on their long-term health.

Sports physiologists divide sports into two broad categories: those that involve direct physical contact (—the combat or collision sports), which include those involving dangerous pieces of equipment such as bikes or horses—and can cause traumatic injuries, and those that test the body’s endurance skills, which and are more likely to cause chronic, overuse problems. Injury information collected by the IOC during the Olympic Games is biased toward traumatic, or acute, injuries because “overuse injuries tend to happen in the buildup to the Games or after the Games,” says Dr. Jonathan Finnoff, chief medical officer of the USOPC.

The Paris 2024 Games have featured athletes at the boundaries of the age range for competitive sports. From Haohao Zang, an 11-year-old skateboarder on the Chinese women's team, to 65-year-old Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo competing for Spain in equestrian events. Great Britain's skateboard team exemplifies this generational span with a 35-year age gap between teammates 51-year-old Andy Macdonald and 16-year-old Sky Brown.

From: Yahoo! News, By: Jimmy Nsubuga, August 8, 2024

After Team GB skateboarder Andy Macdonald proved age is just a number with his crowd-pleasing exploits, here are the other most senior competitors at Paris 2024.

Paris 2024 has brought together Olympic athletes of all ages, from the young to the young at heart.

All eyes were on 51-year-old British athlete Andy Macdonald on Wednesday, who made history as the oldest competitor in Olympic skateboarding. In a remarkable contrast of ages, Macdonald stands 35 years older than his 16-year-old teammate and double Olympic medallist, Sky Brown.

Sadly for the Team GB veteran, Macdonald finished 18th of 22 in the men’s park preliminaries on the Place de la Concorde in Paris and never remotely threatened the top eight needed to make the final. Macdonald, who began his professional skateboarding career 14 years before Team GB colleagues Sky Brown and Lola Tambling were born, had his every move cheered by the crowd - and there were boos for the judges when his modest scores – 72.07, 76.61, 77.66 – were announced, having pulled off a crowd-pleasing back-flip to finish.

Macdonald’s final act before his three runs was to shake hands with Keefer Wilson, the 17-year-old Australian who is a year younger than his son and three times younger than him.

From: NBC Olympics, By: Samantha Wong, August 6, 2024

Another women's skateboarding event produced another teenage podium as the women's park contest went off at Paris' Place de la Concorde.

With defending Olympic gold medalist and world No. 3 Sakura Yosozumi eliminated in the preliminary round, the final promised to be an action-packed event as multiple contenders vied to take her title. And indeed, there was stiff competition amongst the three young podium finishers.

Arisa Trew claimed the Olympic champion title with a jaw-dropping final-run score of 93.18. The 14-year-old's run included an impressive 360, McTwist, body varial 540, kickflip indy, switch melon grab, and noseblunt. With the win, Trew — making her Olympic debut — gave Australia its first women's skateboard park medal.

Japan's Cocona Hiraki wasn't trailing too far behind. As the top qualifier, 15-year-old Hiraki dropped in last and had the audience sitting on the edge of their seats to see if she could better Trew's score. Although she fell short with her score of 92.63, her upgraded run — which included a gap to feeble grind, backside air, and kickflip indy — boosted her into second place. Her compatriot Hinano Kusaki attempted difficult tricks but couldn't land a clean run and finished in eighth place.

Sky Brown of Great Britain was also a force to be reckoned with. After recovering from a dislocated shoulder and knee surgery in the leadup to these Games, Brown's third run — which consisted of an alley-oop, tuck knee, backside lipslide, kickflip indy, and stalefish — earned a 92.31, a score which held up for a bronze medal.

Hiraki and Brown both repeated their results from the Tokyo Games three years ago, where they also won respective silver and bronze medals.

Teenage podium sweep in skateboard park final! Arisa Trew 1st, Cocona Hiraki 2nd, Sky Brown bronze.

From: Reuters, By: Krysta Hu, August 6, 2024

Brazil's Bruna Alexandre smashes and chops just like the other table tennis players at the Paris Olympics but when serving she uses the paddle in her left hand to throw the ball high.

That move, which now seems easy and natural, was what a seven-year-old Alexandre once struggled with the most as a one-armed girl who wanted to play the sport.

On Monday, she made history as the first Brazilian to compete at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Alexandre's first Olympic journey was cut short by an unfortunate draw, with Brazil on Monday facing the world's top South Korean team in the first round, but she managed to put up two good performances in losing her doubles and singles matches.

"It wasn't the result I was hoping for, but we're very satisfied with what we achieved," said 29-year-old Alexandre after Brazil lost 3-1.

"We didn't give up until the end. Korea is one of the best teams. I managed to score some points, which made me very happy personally, and I'm very proud of my team for fighting until the end."

The U.S. women cyclists had one of their best Olympic performances ever in Paris, taking home a bronze medal in the time trial, a gold medal in the road race, and another gold medal in the team pursuit.

From: USA Cycling, By: Angelina Palermo

Dygert was the last rider to go. She needed to finish in 41:19.90 or better to podium. After crashing and working hard to battle back and make up time, Dygert finished in a time of 41:10.70. Which earned her third overall and the bronze medal.

When asked about her performance she said, “Everybody here shows up to win. Everyone who’s not on that top step probably says the same thing. We don’t want to lose. We’ll be appreciative and supportive of all the riders, but that’s how it goes. I just have to get better so the next time I show up I can be on that top step.”

She further explained how the race played out. “The crowds were so loud; I actually had a lot of trouble hearing the radio. I heard at the first-time check that I was five seconds down on Grace [Brown]. I knew in the first three minutes my legs weren’t fabulous. I was a little worried three minutes in. And hearing five seconds back, that really got me. But again, I knew on the way back that it was a little bit more downhill, and I thought I could use that to my advantage. I had the little crash, and I don’t know how much that affected me. That’s just how it goes sometimes. Of course I’m bummed, but I’m very blessed to be here. I’m ready to go for the next race,” said Dygert.

From: USA TODAY, By: Dave Birkett, August 4, 2024

When Chloe Dygert crossed the finish line in the women’s road race Sunday, she saw her teammate Kristen Faulkner’s name atop the leaderboard and Faulkner standing in the Trocadéro holding an American flag loosely by her waist.

“She doesn’t know how to hold the flag, so she’s going to have to get used to that now,” Dygert said. “She’s probably going to be holding it a lot in the near future.”

Faulkner’s naivety is understandable.

On Sunday, she competed in her first Olympics, in a sport she began doing competitively only seven years ago, and she carved her name into American cycling history by winning a gold medal in breakaway fashion.

Faulkner pulled away from a pack of three racers with about 3 kilometers to go and beat the Netherlands’ Marianne Vos and Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky by 59 seconds. She is the first American woman to medal in the race since 1984, when Connie Carpenter and Rebecca Twigg finished 1-2 at the L.A. Olympics.

Harvard grad Kristen Faulkner wins gold medal in cycling

United States' Jennifer Valente, Lily Williams, Chloe Dygert and Kristen Faulkner compete on their way to clinch the gold medal in the women's team pursuit.

From: The Associated Press, By Dave Skretta, August 7, 2024

The American women’s pursuit team had twice before raced for the Olympic gold medal, and it had been on the podium all three times the event had been on the program for the Summer Games.

Successful, to be sure, but also disappointing, because it had never been the top step.

On a steamy Wednesday night at the Olympic velodrome, road race champion Kristen Faulkner, time trial bronze medalist Chloe Dygert, Jennifer Valente and Lilly Williams finally took that last step up. They soared to a big early lead on New Zealand in their head-to-head showdown, then held on through a ragged finish to finally win the gold medal at the Paris Games.

“We knew we had a strong team coming in,” Faulkner said with a smile, “and I feel like the lucky one, because they have won medals before on the track and I haven’t. I just wanted to live up to their expectations.

Noah Lyles was in top form for Paris 2024, winning the 100m over Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by a whisker and returning to take bronze in the 200m three days later, in spite of contracting Covid.

From: Paris 2024, By Sean McAlister, August 4, 2024

It’s official. Noah Lyles is the fastest man in the world.

However, nobody could have predicted what it would take him to claim that title.

On a night of spectacle and drama in the Stade de France, the American produced the race of his life to win the Paris 2024 men’s 100m title in the closest of photo finishes.

The reigning world champion dipped at the line in 9.784 to pip Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson (9.789) to the gold medal by just five-thousandths of a second, as the USA’s Fred Kerley claimed bronze in 9.81.

"I went up to Kishane and I was like, 'I'm gonna be honest, I think you had that one'," a beaming Lyles told Eurosport after the race. "I was fully prepared to see his name pop up. And to see my name pop, I'm like, 'goodness gracious, I'm incredible'."

Lyles came into the race as the reigning world champion in both the 100m and 200m but he wasn’t the fastest man this year.

That title belonged to Thompson, whose time of 9.77 seconds at the Jamaican trials was 0.04 faster than Lyles had ever run.

Noah Lyles pulls off UNBELIEVABLE 100m win by tightest of margins

From: BBC, By: Harry Poole, August 8, 2024

Noah Lyles said he was "proud" to win 200m bronze after being hit by Covid-19 wrecked his bid to become the first man since Usain Bolt to complete an individual Olympic sprint double.

The American, 27, claimed the 100m title by five-thousandths of a second in a historic final on Sunday.

But just four days later he was helped off the track in a wheelchair as Botswana's Letsile Tebogo took the 200m crown, with Lyles having tested positive for the virus early on Tuesday morning.

He kept the positive test result a secret from his rivals and emerged for the final with his trademark exuberance, bouncing onto the track.

But after the race he conceded Covid "definitely affected my performance".

"I've had to take a lot of breaks," he added.

"I was coughing through the night. I'm more proud of myself than anything, coming out here to get a bronze with Covid.

"I was quite light-headed after that race. Shortness of breath, chest pain, but after a while I could catch my breath and get my wits about me. I'm a lot better now."

Lyles had been expected to run in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay races but in a later post on social media, he wrote: "I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics.

Noah Lyles wins bronze in the 200 meters, then reveals he has Covid

Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players of our time, and his recent decision to donate his prize money for winning a gold medal in Paris demonstrates that he is as exemplary a person as he is a tennis player.

Novak Djokovic Donates Huge Olympic Gold Prize Money in Incredibly Kind Gesture

From: Express, By: Tom Parsons, August 7, 2024

Novak Djokovic dispatched Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympics gold medal match.

Novak Djokovic will reportedly donate his Olympics prize money to be used for humanitarian purposes after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the gold medal match in Paris. The Serbian completed the Golden Slam after getting the better of his Spanish opponent in straight sets.

Djokovic has won an incredible 24 Grand Slam trophies throughout his illustrious career and stormed to the Olympics final without dropping a single set.

The 37-year-old was second favourite to win the showpiece event after being thrashed by Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final last month. But he produced a scintillating display on the Roland Garros court to win the match 7-6, 7-6.

According to Serbian outlet Kurir, Djokovic has won £172,000 after his country’s government ring-fenced the amount for all their gold medal athletes. But instead of pocketing the cash, he will give it to ‘those who need it the most’.

Novak Djokovic donates huge Olympic gold prize money

Snoop Dogg has brought his particular sense of style to the role of super fan at the Paris 2024 Olympics and been a hit with fans and athletes alike.

From: Sky News, August 7, 2024

Snoop's cameos have gone viral on social media, including looking dapper at the equestrian, getting swimming lessons from Michael Phelps, and giving his unique commentary on the badminton.

From equestrian chic to shiny gold suits, Snoop Dogg has been a hit at the Olympics after sporting an array of snazzy outfits - and throwing himself into the wide range of sports on display.

The rapper was one of the final torch bearers of the Olympic flame and is covering the games for US network NBC - reportedly getting millions in an effort to boost viewing figures.

Snoop's cameos have gone viral on social media, including looking dapper at the equestrian, getting swimming lessons from Michael Phelps, and giving his unique commentary on the badminton.

This edition of the Summer Olympics has been very entertaining to follow. Paris, with all its iconic venues, has been a tremendous host city for the events. The Games will come to an end this Sunday, August 11th. The closing ceremony promises to be as grand a production as the opening ceremony was. The ceremony will be presented live on NBC and streaming on Peacock at 3 p.m. E.T. Sunday. the ceremony will also be presented during primetime between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday night.

From: Paris 2024, By: Jo Gunston, August 9, 2024

The artistic director who brought us Celine Dion singing Edith Piaf's classic, L'Hymne à l'Amour halfway up the Eiffel Tower at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, is also heading the Closing Ceremony.

So, what can we expect from the mind of Thomas Jolly to celebrate 17 days of epic competition across France's capital, and beyond? How will he combine the ecstatic atmosphere plus the solemnity of the official transfer of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to the next host, LA 2028?

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Closing Ceremony



The name given by Jolly to the closing ceremony is a cryptic. 'Records'.

With Olympic ceremonies a closely-guarded secret, this is necessarily vague. What we do know is that the venue hosting the ceremony will be the iconic 80,000-seater Stade de France, and that it will be transformed into a gigantic concert hall.

More than 100 performers, acrobats, dancers, and circus artists will join world-renowned singers in various musical performances.

Part of the show will take place in the air, accompanied by spectacular lighting effects and the flair of the French in the costumes, with the overall effect taking spectators – both those at home and in person – "on a journey into the past, to the origins of the Games, but also into the future, and ultimately to a timeless universe". Crikey.

"On 11 August 2024, the Olympic Games will be over, and the Olympic flame will be extinguished," said Jolly. "That moment will remind us just how precious these Olympic Games are - a unique monument to a shared experience - and therefore fragile.

The above chart is the medal count at the time of publication. Tap below for the current official medal count from Olympics.com.

Imagine going back in time and experience Games from the last Millenium as you have never done before. Thanks to Alibaba Technologies you can now see the Paris 1924 Olympic Games... in colour.

These Flock regulars are always here for you:

In coming weeks: we'll be sharing more investigative articles from our roving reporter William George, original writing from Flock favorite Dino DeConcini, and an update on the Marolt brothers' coming expedition to Argentina.

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