A week has officially passed since the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, and viewers have had no shortage of thrilling moments.
Athletes from around the world have been competing fiercely in Paris and throughout France, all vying for the prestigious gold medal.
Team GB, in particular, has had its best start to an Olympic Games in over 100 years, amassing a total of 20 medals, including six golds.
Yet, not all of the most heartwarming stories from Paris have centered on triumphs, with several moments highlighting the spirit of the Games beyond just winning.
Here, Mail Sport highlights some of the most unforgettable Olympic moments so far.
We’re officially one week into the Olympic Games and there’s been plenty to discuss so far
Team GB have enjoyed a brilliant start to the Games – having won six gold medals already
Anderson wins gold for her father
Lola Anderson was part of the Team GB women’s quadruple sculls crew that secured gold in a nail-biting finish against the Netherlands this morning, alongside teammates Hannah Scott, Georgie Brayshaw, and Lauren Henry.
Anderson, 26, was moved to tears after finishing just 0.15 seconds ahead of the silver medalists, clinching victory in a photo finish.
She later shared how significant this win was for her, recalling how, at 14, she had promised herself that she would one day win Olympic gold after being inspired by the London 2012 Games.
However, she discarded her diary containing that vow, considering it embarrassing—only for her father to retrieve it from the trash and return it to her on his deathbed.
Through tears after her victory today, Lola remarked: ‘I had forgotten about it obviously, but a couple of years ago, my dad reminded me, and I know he would be so proud.’
‘I’m just thinking a lot about him right now, and it’s lovely.’
She told the BBC: ‘It’s been a long road to get here. We’re typically very focused on the process and what’s next, but reaching the end of a cycle like this, it doesn’t get any bigger than this. It’s truly overwhelming, and I’m incredibly grateful.’
Earlier this month, she had written as a teenager: ‘My biggest dream in life is to compete at the Olympics in rowing and to win a gold for Great Britain if possible.’
Lola Anderson (left) broke down in tears as she spoke about how her late father held onto her teenage diary, in which she vowed to become an Olympic champion
Team GB’s exhausted yet triumphant women’s quadruple sculls team captured gold in a breath-taking photo finish, narrowly surpassing their Dutch competitors
Saraiva’s incredible comeback
Brazilian gymnast Flavia Saraiva played a key role in securing a bronze medal for her country in the Olympic women’s team final on Tuesday, despite enduring a severe eye injury.
The 24-year-old suffered a painful fall during practice on the uneven bars, resulting in blood running from her eyebrow and swelling around her eye.
However, she rallied to help Brazil edge past Great Britain, earning a podium finish behind Italy and a dominant US team led by Simone Biles.
There were concerns when Saraiva hit the mat and required medical attention from coaches and paramedics.
The gymnast disclosed that she felt disoriented and had difficulty seeing from her right eye after what appeared to be a knock from her own knee.
‘It’s not the first time something like this has happened to me. We are warriors,’ the Brazilian athlete remarked after the final.
Brazilian gymnast Flavia Saraiva suffered a severe injury during the Olympic team final in Paris
The 24-year-old required medical assistance after a painful fall on the uneven bars
‘I couldn’t see; it was bleeding, but the team doctor assured me everything was okay. I believe my knee hit my eye when I fell.’
She added: ‘When I realized I was on the ground, lying down with my knee against my face.’
‘I simply rolled over so Rebeca (Andrade) could warm up. I was like, “Guys, where am I?” Then someone said: “It’s bleeding, it’s bleeding.”‘
‘I touched my face and saw my eye was bleeding; I was in shock. Then I was asked if I was warm, and I replied, “Now I’m awake”.’
An outstanding vault by Andrade helped secure bronze for Brazil, marking their first medal in the discipline.
Turkey’s viral shooter
Fans of the Olympic Games were delighted by a photo of Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec competing in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team event in Paris.
The 51-year-old and his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan earned the silver medal, but it was Dikec’s unique approach during the competition that made his image viral.
Dikec gained popularity after a photo circulated on social media, showing him competing casually without typical shooting gear, even with one hand in his pocket.
Typically, Olympic shooters wear ear protection and specialized glasses that can obscure vision in one eye to avoid closing it, sometimes using tinted lenses to reduce glare.
‘Turkey sent a 51-year-old guy without specialized lenses, eye cover, or ear protection, yet he won the silver medal,’ one fan commented on X, to which billionaire Elon Musk replied, ‘Nice.’
Turkish silver medalist Yusuf Dikec (pictured), 51, became an online sensation for his remarkably relaxed demeanor during the Paris Games
Dikec and his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won the silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event
Dikec is competing in his fifth Olympic Games, and he and his partner narrowly missed claiming the gold medal with a final score of 16-14.
This viral image comes just after South Korean Kim Ye-ji was dubbed ‘the coolest person ever’ during her shooting event.
‘Pommel Horse Guy’
Stephen Nedoroscik has garnered several nicknames throughout his exciting journey to success at the Olympics in Paris.
The 25-year-old earned the first Olympic medal for the US men’s gymnastics team in 16 years with his pommel horse routine during Monday’s final.
Nedoroscik has surged to stardom, with fans calling him an ‘American icon’, ‘pommel horse guy’, and even comparing him to Clark Kent.
In his youth, he was known as ‘spider monkey’ due to his penchant for climbing walls and startling babysitters.
‘On my first day at school, I climbed a rope all the way to the top. After that, they invited me to join the gymnastics team. We accepted, and that was that,’ Nedoroscik recently revealed.
Stephen Nedoroscik of the United States on the pommel horse during Saturday’s team final
Nedoroscik was lifted up by his teammates after clinching bronze with his pommel horse routine
Two decades later, his composed performance on the pommel horse brought Nedoroscik a bronze medal, alongside teammates Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Paul Juda, and Asher Hong.
Nedoroscik is affected by strabismus, commonly known as crossed eyes, which can cause double vision; however, he chose not to wear glasses during his score of 14.866 on the pommel horse on Monday.
In an interview with the Today program, he stated he is ‘representing people that wear glasses well’, explaining that although his vision is ‘not always clear, in the case of the pommel horse, if I keep my glasses on, they’re just going to fly off somewhere.’
Egypt’s pregnant fencer
Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez disclosed that she was seven months pregnant when she achieved a surprising victory over Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the United States to move on to the last-16 at the Olympics.
The 26-year-old won her first match 15-13 in the women’s individual sabre event at the Grand Palais on Monday, before facing defeat from South Korea’s Jeon Hayoung.
The athlete was emotional after her significant win and wound up sharing the incredible news on social media.
‘What might look like just two players on the podium actually included three! It was me, my competitor, and my little one who is yet to join us!’ she posted on Instagram.
‘I’m writing this to express my pride in securing my place in the next round… this Olympic experience has been unique. I’m a three-time Olympian, but this time, I’m carrying a future Olympian!’
Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez revealed that she was seven months pregnant when she claimed a remarkable victory in the women’s individual sabre
The 26-year-old achieved victory over world No. 10 Elizabeth Tartakovsky from the United States on Monday
Medina ‘standing on air’
A stunning photograph of a surfer appearing to ‘stand on air’ while celebrating has been hailed as the ‘picture of the Olympics.’
Brazilian Gabriel Medina suspended briefly in the air with his board held high as he acknowledged supporters along the Tahiti coast after executing a breathtaking performance that earned him a score of 9.9 – the highest so far in the Paris Olympics.
The three-time world champion seemed to find a cloud mid-air in this iconic shot, captured by AFP’s Jérôme Brouillet from a boat approximately 16,000 km away from the action in the French capital.
Medina, 30, was up against Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi in the fifth heat of the men’s round three surfing event, recovering from a low opening score of 2.5 with an almost perfect 9.9 on his second wave.
The photographer had been waiting for Medina to ‘kick out’ and exit the wave face as the shot was taken right as the athlete gestured toward the sky, capturing a moment that quickly became a worldwide sensation.
Gabriel Medina raised his hand to the sky as he ‘kicked out’ to conclude his record-setting run
The surfer’s first attempt scored poorly, but he achieved a 9.9 on his second try
Heartwarming selfie
North Korea recently won an Olympic medal for the first time in eight years, but they captured headlines with a touching selfie shared alongside South Korea afterward.
Having earned no medals during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, their ongoing COVID-19 border policies led them to skip the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021.
However, they concluded their medal drought by winning silver in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform event and silver in the table tennis mixed doubles final.
After the table tennis medal ceremony—where China took gold and South Korea secured bronze—one athlete pulled out their phone to snap a picture with representatives from all three teams in a beautiful display of sporting camaraderie.
