The 2024 Paris Olympics may go down in history as the most amusing example of this ancient sporting event. There was controversy from the opening ceremony and the entertainment didn’t stop there. The female boxing events stumbled along surrounded by misinformation and condemnation that I doubt is yet to be settled. There was also the young French man, Anthony Ammirati, whose crotch disappointed him during the pole vault event but has probably set him up for a lifetime of admiration and popularity in other areas.
And the Aussies didn’t disappoint with their contribution to the shenanigans. There was the downright illegal attempt of purchasing cocaine by hockey player Tom Craig. Although he apologised it was an embarrassment for what should be considered a wholesome and drug free sport. But the pièce de résistance of Olympic amusements was Raygun’s breakdance.
If you don’t know who Raygun is and haven’t seen her dance, you must have been absent from the planet for a few days. She’s the Aussie professor who has broken the internet (and I mean this literally) with her astonishing dance moves.
I don’t know anything about breakdancing. But I assume the addition of kangaroo hops, ear crunching floor slides and sprinkler impersonations was original. Very original. I hope she’s got a lot of support, because the ridicule across every social media platform has been relentless.
But for the everyday Australian, whose taxes fund our Olympians to the tune of $500 million a year, our sporting heroes rewarded us with our greatest medal count yet. Gold was won across a number of sporting events: swimming 7, cycling 3, canoeing 3, and the rest coming from skateboarding, athletics, tennis and sailing.
Australia Olympic medal winners at Paris 2024
Nina Kennedy – gold medal in women’s pole vault (athletics)
Jessica Fox – gold medal in women’s kayak single (canoe slalom)
Jessica Fox – gold medal in women’s canoe single (canoe slalom)
Noemie Fox – gold medal in women’s kayak cross (canoe slalom)
Saya Sakakibara – gold medal in women’s event (cycling BMX racing)
Grace Brown – gold medal in women’s time trial (cycling road)
Team Australia – gold medal in men’s team pursuit (cycling track)
Matt Wearn – gold medal in men’s dinghy (sailing)
Arisa Trew – gold medal in women’s park (skateboarding)
Keegan Palmer – gold medal in men’s park (skateboarding)
Ariarne Titmus – gold medal in women’s 400m freestyle (swimming)
Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon, Meg Harris – gold medal in women’s 4x100m freestyle relay (swimming)
Mollie O’Callaghan – gold medal in women’s 200m freestyle (swimming)
Kaylee McKeown – gold medal in women’s 100m backstroke (swimming)
Mollie O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell, Ariarne Titmus – gold medal in women’s 4x200m freestyle relay (swimming)
Kaylee McKeown – gold medal in women’s 200m backstroke (swimming)
Cameron McEvoy – gold medal in men’s 50m freestyle (swimming)
Matthew Ebden/John Peers – gold medal in men’s doubles (tennis)
Nicola Olyslagers – silver medal in women’s high jump (athletics)
Jessica Hull – silver medal in women’s 1500m (athletics)
Riley Fitzsimmons, Pierre van der Westhuyzen, Jackson Collins, Noah Havard – silver medal in men’s kayak four 500m (canoe sprint)
Matthew Richardson – silver medal in men’s sprint (cycling track)
Matthew Richardson – silver medal in men’s keirin (cycling track)
Maddison Keeney – silver medal in women’s 3m springboard (diving)
Christopher Burton – silver medal in eventing individual jumping (equestrian)
Moesha Johnson – silver medal in women’s 10km (marathon swimming)
Grae Morris – silver medal in men’s windsurfing (sailing)
Jack Robinson – silver medal in men’s event (surfing)
Elijah Winnington – silver medal in men’s 400m freestyle (swimming)
Jack Cartwright, Flynn Southam, Kai Taylor, Kyle Chalmers – silver medal in men’s 4x100m freestyle relay (swimming)
Ariarne Titmus – silver medal in women’s 200m freestyle (swimming)
Zac Stubblety-Coo k- silver medal in men’s 200m breaststroke (swimming)
Kyle Chalmers – silver medal in men’s 100m freestyle (swimming)
Ariarne Titmus – silver medal in women’s 800m Freestyle (swimming)
Meg Harris – silver medal in women’s 50m freestyle (swimming)
Kaylee McKeown, Jenna Strauch, Emma McKeon, Mollie O’Callaghan – silver medal in women’s 4x100m medley relay (swimming)
Stingers – silver medal in women’s event (water polo)
Jemima Montag – bronze medal in women’s 20km race walk (athletics)
Eleanor Patterson – bronze medal in women’s high jump (athletics)
Rhydian Cowley/Jemima Montag – bronze medal in mixed marathon race walk relay (athletics)
Matthew Denny – bronze medal in men’s discus throw (athletics)
Opals – bronze medal in women’s event (basketball)
Charlie Senior – bronze medal in men’s 57kg (boxing)
Caitlin Parker – bronze medal in women’s 75kg (boxing)
Jean van der Westhuyzen/Tom Green – bronze medal in men’s kayak double 500m (canoe sprint)
Natalya Diehm – bronze medal in women’s event (cycling BMX freestyle)
Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson, Matthew Glaetzer – bronze medal in men’s team sprint (cycling track)
Matthew Glaetzer – bronze medal in men’s keirin (cycling track)
Annabelle McIntyre/Jessica Morrison – bronze medal in women’s pair (rowing)
Penny Smith – bronze medal in women’s trap (shooting)
Maximillian Giuliani, Flynn Southam, Elijah Winnington, Thomas Neill, – bronze medal in men’s 4x200m freestyle relay (swimming)
Kaylee McKeown – bronze medal in women’s 200m individual medley (swimming)
Kaylee McKeown, Joshua Yong, Matthew Temple, Mollie O’Callaghan – bronze medal in mixed 4x100m medley relay (swimming)
For a nation with a small population, we have done incredibly well, ranking 4th behind USA, China and Japan. Our medal glory per capita ranks us 9th out of 89 competing nations. Well done, Australia!
With the Brisbane Olympics shaping up to be bigger and better than ever, and with the government allocating even more money to sport, let’s support out upcoming athletes – get out and cheer them on, and ensure those prized opportunities are offered to the very best athletes Australia has to offer.
