PARIS OLYMPICS 2024: The best moments of the games from Mollie O’Callaghan to Noah Lyles and Steph Curry

What are the memories that will long stick in the mind from Paris? Our team of reporters go through their favourite moments - ranked in gold, silver and bronze style - after an Olympics to savour.

Jackson Barrett

GOLD: Cam McEvoy’s 50m freestyle win

Who would believe you could become a better swimmer by doing less swimming? Australia’s mad scientist Cam McEvoy had a crack — and won Olympic gold. A holiday in Paris inspired the semi-retired Aussie swimmer to look towards these Games, but he did it by building strength — and only strength — through callisthenics, rock climbing, gymnastics and swimming no more than a lap. He contested just this event at national trials and then pipped Great Britain’s Benjamin Proud in the splash-and-dash on the night. It’s all over in the blink of an eye and the Queenslander just touched first to become our oldest gold medallist in the pool.

SILVER: Noemi Fox’s kayak cross gold medal

This was probably Australia’s most unlikely gold medal of the Games, but Noemie Fox stepping out of her sister Jessica’s shadow just felt right. The family has a stranglehold over their sport.

BRONZE: Men’s 100m track final

Noah Lyles has made himself the face of his sport and had to make it real here. The US star did, but only by a barely decipherable margin to Kishane Thomas in an epic. Still the best event at any Olympics.

Chris Robinson

GOLD: Mondo Duplantis takes the mickey in pole vault final

This wasn’t an Aussie moment, nor a thrilling finish with a small margin of victory. But those who watched Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis simply playing conductor of the orchestra amid a talented field and a raucous Stade de France crowd in the men’s pole vault final won’t soon forget it. Duplantis entered as a $1.01 favourite and somehow even that didn’t do his justice dominance, as he soared to a remarkable margin of 30cm higher than anyone else on the planet. With a new Olympic record in his keeping, Duplantis had three cracks at breaking his own world record - laughing and joking with fellow competitors and revelling in the support from delighted fans. The third time was the charm, and Duplantis showed pure elation as he ran to every corner of the stadium to celebrate.

SILVER: Mollie O’Callaghan’s 200m freestyle final victory

Ariarne Titmus loomed large, and appeared relaxed compared to her anxious younger rival, but this was Mollie O’Callaghan’s moment to shine. The 20-year-old romped home to earn her first individual Olympic gold and stake her claim as one of our greatest.

BRONZE: Patty Mills’ quarter-final farewell

One final look at ‘FIBA Patty’ will long burn in the memory, despite the tough result that saw the Aussies toss away a 24-point lead against Serbia. Mills added to his string of signature moments with a tough fadeaway jumper over three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic to force overtime as he bows out of his fifth Games with his legacy as a Boomers big-game performer intact.

Jake Santa Maria

GOLD: Ebden and Peers’ doubles delight

WA’s Matt Ebden went viral for his performance in the men’s singles after wildly celebrating taking a game off Novak Djokovic in a 6-0 6-1 smashing in what was a comical mismatch of skill. But on the doubles court, Ebden stood top of the world after he combined with John Peers to end Australia’s 28-year gold medal drought in tennis. Down a set and a break, it looked like their hopes were over, but it was Ebden who inspired a second wind, winning a thrilling rally at the net to help Australia get back on serve. They proceeded to romp through the subsequent tiebreak and while they gave up three match points in the deciding super tiebreak they made no mistake on the fourth to claim Australia’s first gold since ‘The Woodies’ in 1996 in one of the great comebacks.

SILVER: Trew breaks new ground

It’s hard to fathom more pressure than an Olympic final let alone dealing with it as a 14-year-old. But Arisa Trew took out a superb skate park final and made history to become Australia’s youngest-ever gold medallist. Here’s hoping her parents follow through on the promise of a pet duck.

BRONZE: Dupont gets Stade De France bouncing

From terror fears to protests to water quality in the Seine the build-up to Paris 2024 had been apprehensive at best. But any fears over a dour Games were put to bed as Anotine Dupoint led France to a thrilling rugby 7s gold. His two tries in the second half against Fiji got the 60,000-strong crowd on their feet and the roar at the final siren shook the city such was the electricity in the atmosphere.

Ben Smith

GOLD: La Nina (Kennedy) takes Paris by storm

Three years ago, Kennedy endured a wretched build-up, both mentally and physically, to the Tokyo Olympics and did not even make the final of the women’s pole vault. The Busselton export’s ensuing transformation into world number one and now Olympic gold medalist is nothing short of inspiring. With each passing year she has built and built in spite of injuries which have sidelined her. When she failed to clear 4.70m at first attempt — giving her rivals the inside track on her in terms of the countback — it could have been curtains for her medal hopes; instead, she cleared 4.80, 4.85 and 4.90 at first attempt as her rivals failed to keep up. She came, she saw, she took the gold, dropped a ‘Chompers’ on Tony Jones post-win; we are not worthy, Nina.

Silver: Queen McKeown

Ariarne Titmus’ feats in the pool deserve recognition and the way she won her 400m freestyle final was breathtaking — but Kaylee McKeown going back-to-back in not one, but two backstroke events was incredible. She has as many medals as Ian Thorpe, and her personal haul of five medals in Paris was staggering. It will be tough to win the 100m and 200m backstroke again in LA to make it three in a row, but you also would not feel comfortable betting against her in the aftermath of Paris.

Bronze: Mondo rocks the house

An honourable mention to Noah “World Champions of what?” Lyles coming from the clouds to win the 100m sprint final here, but what Armand ‘Mondo’ Dulpantis did in the men’s pole vault final still boggles the mind. He watched on calmly as the rest of the field struggled at sub-6m heights, cleared 6m at first attempt to claim gold, cleared 6.10m at first try to set a new Olympic record, and then, after two failed attempts to extend his own world record to 6.25m, nailed it on third try and sprinted into the crowd. He is only 24 too.

Glen Quartermain

GOLD: Nina Kennedy raises the bar to gold in Paris

GOLD: Nina Kennedy’s gold medal in the pole vault came off the back of a rich vein of form in the Diamond League. It was redemption for a Tokyo Games compromised by injury, a COVID lockdown in the Olympic village and a torrential downpour during the final. Clearing the bar at 4.90, Australia was left wondering whether she had a 4.95m or a rare 5m jump in her. WA teammate Kurtis Marschall’s effort to reach the men’s final was just as impressive given he dislocated his ankle in January and was jumping in pain. Social media posts showed Kennedy and her team partying long into the night and included a rendition of Take Me Home, Country Roads by the new gold medallist.

SILVER: Saya’s emotional BMX victory

Saya Sakakibara pedalled to Olympic glory on her BMX, three years after Australia watched in horror as she was taken away on a stretcher following a crash at the Tokyo Games and four since her brother Kai, a promising BMX racer, suffered a severe brain injury while racing.

BRONZE: Kaylee enters new backstroke stratosphere

Swimmer Kaylee McKeown became the first female swimmer in Olympic history to complete the ‘double-double’ after she won the 100m-200m backstroke titles in Paris to follow up from her Tokyo heroics. Her four individual gold medals rank her above Olympic greats such as Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser, Shane Gould, Betty Cuthbert and Murray Rose.

Samantha Rogers

GOLD: Sensational Saya claims gold

Becoming the Olympic champion never looked in doubt for Saya Sakakibara, who was dominant from her first ride to her last as she made history as Australia’s first gold medallist in BMX Racing.

Three years after a horror tumble in Tokyo, which happened shortly after her brother Kai had a life-changing crash of his own, Saya stormed home to claim an emotional gold medal in Paris, despite a late bout of COVID threatening to derail her dream.

It captured the hearts of a nation as she celebrated with her brother and bronze-medal-winning boyfriend, and raised the Australian flag above her head in triumph.

SILVER: A Trew blue victory

At just 14 years and 86 days, Arisa Trew became Australia’s youngest-ever Olympic medallist when she won gold in the women’s skateboarding park final.

Overcoming a slow start, the teenager kept her cool and delivered, but it was her unbridled joy that had the whole of Australia captivated by our newest national treasure.

BRONZE: Sister act

As the flag bearer, there was plenty of pressure on Jess Fox to deliver in Paris - and she did, winning the single kayak gold medal that had evaded her in Tokyo and defended her canoe Olympic title.

But she saved her best celebration for when sister Noemie claimed gold of her own in the canoe slalom.

Josh Kempton

GOLD: Titmus tames Ledecky in ‘Race of the Century’

It was billed as the ‘Race of the Century’ — but Ariarne Titmus ruined it by being too dominant. Up against middle distance swimming’s past in legendary American Katie Ledecky and its future in rising Canadian Summer McIntosh, the Australian proved the present is all that counts by romping home for her second straight gold medal in the women’s 400m freestyle. The win was made even sweeter by a bizarre American reaction which tried to deprive her of credit by insisting it was Ledecky’s weakest event. Titmus being a four-time gold medallist is impressive enough in its own right but factoring in the level of competition she has conquered surely vaults the Tasmanian into serious consideration as our greatest swimmer ever.

SILVER: Chef Curry cooks the competition

At his first Games, basketball’s greatest-ever shooter, Steph Curry, struggled through the pool stages. But the legendary American saved his irrepressible best for when it mattered most, exploding for 36 points in their comeback semifinal victory over Serbia and capping off a 24-point gold medal match performance against France by drilling the game-sealing three-pointer with two defenders draped all over him. A true one-of-a-kind.

BRONZE: ‘I’m a natural shooter’

Türkiye’s Yusuf Dikec, who won silver in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, lit up social media early in the Games with his prescription glasses and hand-in-pocket stance in a sport dominated by optical gadgets. He then added to his legend with an interview where he said “I did not need special equipment. I’m a natural, a natural shooter”. Our own Nina Kennedy was one of several athletes to mimic his pose in the remainder of the Games.

Aaron Kirby

Gold: Bronze bombers create history

An Aussie woman had never won a boxing medal at the Olympics, but as captain of the largest-ever Aussie boxing contingent, Subiaco-product Caitlin Parker was never going to settle for anything less. And if that wasn’t enough, fellow West Aussie Charlie Senior became only the seventh Aussie male to medal. Harry Garside broke the drought in Tokyo, and after his heartbreaking defeat, the West Aussie pair took up the mantle in Paris. The pair faced world-class opponents from their opening bouts but showed brazen courage and tactical nous to overcome every obstacle. Ultimately, they both went down in tight semis to the favourites, finishing with bronze medals.

Silver: Sting in the tale

In an Olympics that saw Australia’s teams struggle, the water polo units stood up and put their sport in the nation’s gaze. The Sharks were brave in their progress to the Quarterfinals, while the Stingers became giant slayers. No one will forget them relegating perennial medallists USA to the bronze medal match in their third heart-pounding shootout before coming within two goals of European giants Spain to just miss gold.

Bronze: Opals break medal drought

After losing their opening game to Nigeria in a stinker, the Opals could have pitched off a cliff. However, they rallied, and only the USA could stop their gold medal bid before Ezi Magbegor went off in the bronze medal match with 30 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. It’s their first medal in 12 years!