PRIYA COOPER / SPORTS EDITOR

The United States was incredibly successful at this year’s Summer Olympic Games hosted in Paris, France. The Games spanned from July 26 to August 11, and the U.S. took 126 medals home. Team USA medaled in 34 of the 48 sports disciplines and was highlighted by six world records. There were 40 gold medals, followed by 44 silver medals and 42 bronze medals. The U.S. had the most medals out of all the competing countries and tied with China for the amount of gold medals. 

In the world of track and field, there were many record achievements including 14 gold medals out of 34 medals total. This was the most out of any other category. Ryan Crouser secured his third consecutive Olympic title in the men’s shot put. Jasmine Moore made history as the first American woman to win Olympic medals in both the long jump and triple jump, earning bronze in both events.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke her world record for the sixth time in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, defending her 2020 Olympic title. Grant Fisher became the first American to medal in both the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races at a single Olympic Games. Noah Lyles claimed the title of U.S. Olympic champion in the 100-meter, the first to do so since 2004. Lyles also placed third in the 200-meter event and earned bronze. 

Swimming was the second most decorated sport in the Summer Games this year. Swimmer Katie Ledecky made history this year by adding four more medals to her collection, becoming the most decorated U.S. female Olympian ever and the fifth most decorated Olympian in history, with a total of 14 medals. Her victory in the 800-meter freestyle marked her as only the seventh Olympian — and just the second swimmer after Michael Phelps — to win four consecutive gold medals in the same   event. 

Next to swimming and track and field, gymnastics won the most medals this summer,  nine in total, three of them gold. The talk of gymnastics for Team USA was Simon Biles, now age 27, who walked away with four medals in Paris overall, three gold and one silver. 

Biles now has the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast (10 total), and she is the most decorated gymnast in World Championships history. As the 2024 Olympics ended, Biles, being one of Team USA’s favorite competitors, has already started talking about whether she plans to retire or continue competing in the sport. 

 “Not many people in the world can do it to this level,” Biles said in an interview with NPR. “Once we’re out here, the floor is our stage, so it just feels so freeing for us, because we’re in our element, we’re having fun, we’re doing what we love to do, but at a certain point, as we get older, it does get a little bit more scary. We’re more aware of what we’re doing, what can happen,” she said. 

The U.S. was also successful in multiple team events, with many placing and three getting gold. The national teams for women’s soccer and basketball, as well as men’s basketball, all dominated and took home gold medals. Women’s soccer faced Brazil in the final match and came up 1-0, while the men’s basketball team played the host team, France, and ended with a 98-87 final, declaring them U.S. World Champions. 

The U.S. Women’s Basketball Team won its eighth consecutive and 10th overall Olympic gold medal, setting a record for one of the longest Olympic gold medal streaks. It surpassed the U.S. Men’s National Team’s seven consecutive Olympic gold medals in basketball. 

Team USA took the bronze medal in women’s rugby sevens for the first  time since the Summer Olympic Games in 2016. The team fell short of the gold medal match and lost to New Zealand, so they went on to play Australia for third place. They ultimately won bronze, with the final score being 14-12. 

American Rugby player Ilona Maher, who had a large social media  presence during the Games, commented on  how  it  felt  being  an athlete at the Olympic Games and the emotions around being able to represent the United States. 

“The Olympic Games Paris 2024 has been a dream come true, and I’m incredibly proud of what Team USA has achieved here,” said Maher. “The energy, the support, and the spirit of the Olympic Games are unmatched, and it’s an honor to represent the United States on such a grand stage. I’m grateful for every moment and appreciative of all the effort and support from the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee.” 

The next Summer Olympic Games are set to take  place in 2028, hosted in Los Angeles, California. Construction for the 2028 Olympic Games has already begun in many of the areas, including on campuses  such  as UCLA, where international athletes will be housed and compete against each other once more to earn the title of World Champion. 

Photo courtesy of @jasineemoore/Instagram. Simone Biles holds the record for the most medals.         

Photo courtesy of  @jasineemoore/Instagram