The 2024 Paris Olympics, which have been running since mid-July, officially closed on Sunday (11/8) night or Monday morning WIB. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach expressed his great satisfaction with the event, praising it as a sensational and historic celebration of sport.
Bach emphasized how the event meets and even exceeds the IOC’s mission or agenda of an Olympic Games centered on athletes, inclusivity, sustainability and innovation.
“It was a great Olympics. I would even say it was a sensational Olympics,” Bach said, noting that the Paris Games were able to realize the IOC’s vision by offering a platform that was more inclusive, more sustainable, more urban, younger and with full gender equality.
Bach praised France’s integration of culture, innovation and creativity, which he said inspired people around the world. He highlighted how these elements bring the Olympic mission to life.
The Paris Olympics also marked the debut of several new sports, including breakdancing and kiteboarding, which Bach said have significantly increased the appeal of the event, especially among younger audiences.
“This new sport is not only attractive to the younger generation but to everyone,” said the man who said he would not run for another term.
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The success of Champions Park in Paris, where athletes and fans gathered to celebrate victories, was another highlight for Bach.
He recalled how, as an athlete, coming back to his hometown was like having Champions Park. Bach added that he hopes that future Olympic organizers, particularly Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032, will consider adopting the initiative.
The most important takeaway from the Paris Olympics was the unity demonstrated among athletes from more than 200 national and regional Olympic Committees, including the IOC Refugee Team.
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Bach noted that athletes from countries and regions in conflict showed great sportsmanship and camaraderie in the Olympic Village, sharing meals and celebrating together without incident.
“This is the Olympic spirit at its best,” Bach said, praising the athletes for rejecting external pressure to show aggression and instead choosing to live in peace and mutual respect.
The Olympics also saw historic victories, as Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo became the first African to win the men’s 200m race, and Julien Alfred earned Saint Lucia, a small Caribbean nation, its first Olympic medal by winning the women’s 100m.
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Bach stressed the importance of the achievement for the IOC, which is committed to global solidarity and supporting athletes from underprivileged countries through its Olympic Solidarity programme.
“This reaffirms that we are on the right track,” Bach said, adding that the intense competition and diverse medal winners showed the effectiveness of the program in achieving equality. (Xinhua/M-3)
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