The incredible Marchand and others: The top 10 best athletes of the Olympic Games 2024
On August 11, the 2024 Summer Olympic Games concluded in Paris, France.
The event was a grand celebration of sports, filled with unforgettable moments. Young talents and seasoned athletes alike showcased their abilities, while legends continued to dominate.
Now, the Dailysports editorial team presents you with the top 10 best athletes of the recently concluded Olympics.
Top 10 Best Athletes of the 2024 Olympics
- 10. Olga Kharlan
The Ukrainian fencer brought tears of joy to her nation after winning a bronze medal in sabre fencing.
Kharlan secured the first medal for Ukraine at these Olympic Games, followed by 11 more, including three golds.
Olga played a pivotal role in Ukraine's first gold. Alongside Alina Komashchuk, Olena Kravatska, and Yulia Bakastova, Kharlan won the gold medal in the team sabre event. Olga emerged as the true heroine of Ukraine. In the final against South Korea, she competed three times, winning with an aggregate score of 22:10. The Ukrainian team was trailing 37:40 when Kharlan took the stage and turned the tide to 45:42.
Kharlan won her sixth Olympic gold, making her the most decorated athlete in Ukraine's history.
- 9. Stephen Curry + LeBron James
These living basketball legends carried Team USA to Olympic gold.
It's hard to single out one over the other, so it's only fair to include both as a stellar duo.
LeBron was named the MVP of the Olympics, but Curry played a crucial role in the semifinals and finals. Stephen scored 36 out of 95 points against Serbia, and in the gold medal game against France, he added 24 out of 98.
- 8. Mijaín López
At 41, Mijaín López from Cuba has cemented his status not only as a legend in Greco-Roman wrestling but also in sports history.
In the 130 kg weight category, López clinched the gold medal, making it his fifth consecutive Olympic gold. He previously won gold in Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. He is the first wrestler in history to win five Olympic gold medals.
López hung up his wrestling shoes after his victory in the gold final, signaling the end of his illustrious career. To win a fifth gold at 41 in a sport where age matters… Simply extraordinary!
- 7. Lisa Carrington
Ladies and gentlemen — three gold medals at one Olympics!
Lisa Carrington triumphed in the K-4, K-2, and K-1 kayak events in Paris, bringing her total number of Olympic victories to eight! Carrington became the seventh woman in history to win at least eight Olympic gold medals in her career.
She also matched the record of Birgit Fischer, the greatest canoe/kayak athlete in history, for the most Olympic golds. At 35, Lisa may yet be seen in Los Angeles, but will she break Fischer's record?
- 6. Teddy Riner
The legendary Frenchman claimed his fourth Olympic gold in the +100 kg category, becoming the most decorated judoka in history.
But Riner is included in this top ten not only for this. After winning gold in the individual event, he also secured gold for the French team.
In the mixed team judo event, men and women from both countries compete across various weight categories. The team with the most victories advances to the next round. With Riner leading, France easily reached the final, and Teddy himself seemed to be having fun, as no country had a strong heavyweight to challenge him.
The French faced their first real test in the gold medal match against Japan — the birthplace of judo. The Japanese led 3:1, but through the efforts of Agbégnénou and Gaba, France equalized at 3:3. As a tie was not possible, a draw determined the weight category for the decisive match. The category drawn was super heavyweight: Riner versus Saito Tatsuru.
After six and a half minutes of psychological warfare, Riner executed a technique to secure a victory, snatching the gold!
- 5. Katie Ledecky
The astounding Ledecky, only 27 years old! Swimming is truly one of the most exhilarating Olympic sports to watch.
In Paris, Katie took third place in the 400-meter freestyle. Four days later, she won gold in the 1500-meter freestyle with an Olympic record of 15:30.02! Anastasia Kirpichnikova, who took silver, was more than 10 seconds behind.
Ledecky then won gold in the 800-meter freestyle, finishing 1.25 seconds ahead of Ariarne Titmus. This marked Ledecky's ninth Olympic gold and 14th overall Olympic medal. She became the most successful female swimmer in history in terms of gold medals and total medals, tying Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina's record for the most Olympic golds by a woman. Ledecky also became the first woman to win eight Olympic gold medals in individual events (Czechoslovak gymnast Věra Čáslavská had seven individual victories).
- 4. Remco Evenepoel
A sensational representative of cycling!
At 24, Remco was just one Olympic gold away from completing his collection of accolades, and he came to Paris with that specific goal.
He accomplished this in spectacular fashion, winning gold not only in the individual time trial but also in the road race.
Evenepoel became the first cyclist in history to win both the road race and time trial at a single Olympics. Not even a flat tire about 3 km from the finish line could stop him. Remco crossed the finish line with the Eiffel Tower as his backdrop.
Interestingly, Evenepoel started his sports career as a footballer! He even played for Belgium's U15 and U19 teams, but after setbacks in 2017, he switched professions. A decision that certainly paid off, making him a living legend in cycling!
- 3. Armand Duplantis
As much as Zlatan Ibrahimović claims to be the God of football, the greatest Swedish athlete is Armand Duplantis.
On August 5, 2024, at the Paris Olympics, Duplantis cleared 6.25 meters on his third attempt in pole vaulting, setting a new Olympic and world record. At 24, Armand secured his second Olympic gold. Interestingly, he had plenty of room to spare, meaning he could have set an even higher record.
The key point here is that Duplantis is no stranger to breaking his own records, raising the bar by just 1 cm each time. This is partly because every new record earns him $100,000 from the Athletics Federation. Clever, smart, young, and brilliant!
- 2. Simone Biles
Probably the shortest Olympic champion — standing at just 142 cm! Yes, the American has been criticized for using medications to help her overcome concentration difficulties. These medications were banned in Japan, which affected her performance at the 2021 Games compared to her success in Rio 2016 and Paris 2024.
In the French capital, the incredible Simone won three gold medals — in the team event, all-around, and vault. She also claimed silver in floor exercises. Biles' total number of Olympic medals now stands at 11, including seven golds. She matched Věra Čáslavská's record for the most Olympic victories, with only Larisa Latynina having more golds (9) in gymnastics among women.
Biles could have contended for medals in the balance beam, but she unexpectedly fell during her routine. Still, four medals in one Olympics — that’s impressive!
- 1. Léon Marchand
What Marchand accomplished at these Olympics is simply extraordinary!
To put it in perspective, the 24-year-old Frenchman was chosen to carry the Olympic flame during the closing ceremony of the Games.
And all this because he won four gold medals at his first Olympics! He became the champion in the 400-meter individual medley, setting an Olympic record of 4:02.95. Then, in one day, he won two more golds — in the 200-meter butterfly with Olympic and national records (1:51.21) and in the 200-meter breaststroke with another Olympic record (2:05.85). Finally, he clinched another gold in the 200-meter individual medley, setting an Olympic record (1:54.06).
Marchand became the first French athlete in history to win more than three gold medals at a single Olympic Games, and the only athlete at the 2024 Games to win more than three golds.
It's worth noting that the athletes in this ranking were selected somewhat subjectively. Moreover, many legends didn't make the list. For example, Novak Djokovic, who won his first Olympic gold in his remarkable career. Or Fermin Lopez, who played a key role in Spain's football victory. But Marchand truly earned his place at the top!
Leo Peterson
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
