The Olympics 2024 have finally concluded, and there’s so much we’ve learned after more than two weeks of world-class sporting action.
Just like in previous editions of the quadrennial meet, there have been athletes who have made their Olympic debuts in Paris, and they were able to deliver for their countries despite it being their first time.
There will be more to come from them, as they will surely be competing in more Olympic Games, such as the 2028 edition in Los Angeles, if things go according to plan.
Without further ado, SBOTOP lists the four newcomers who have made a huge splash, and let us know what you think.
Sha’Carri Richardson, USA
Sha’Carri Richardson qualified for the Olympics for the first time when she claimed the 100m title at the US trials, when she set a world lead time of 10.71 last June. The 24-year-old sprinter was expected to win gold in Paris, according to the pre-tournament Olympics 2024 odds, and she delivered.
After settling for silver in the women’s 100m event, barely losing to Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred by 0.15 seconds in the final, Richardson bounced back in the women’s 4x100m relay, teaming up with Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry to beat Great Britain and Germany to win the gold medal.
A gold and a silver isn’t a bad haul from your first Olympics, especially after winning the US and world titles last year. This is scary for her counterparts, as Sha’Carri Richardson is far from a finished article.
Richardson is one of the reasons why the USA finished on top of the official Olympics 2024 medal tally. Across 329 events, the Americans notched 40 golds, 44 silvers, and 42 bronzes for a grand total of 126 medals.
Victor Wembanyama, France
Despite settling for silver in his Olympic debut, Victor Wembanyama dropped an ominous warning to the rest of the world, saying that he is “worried” for his opponents in a couple of years.
At just 20 years old, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year was named in the Paris 2024 All-Star Five alongside tournament MVP LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Dennis Schroder, and Nikola Jokic.
Wembanyama averaged 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks per contest in six Olympic outings to lead Les Bleus. His best game of the tournament was when he recorded 26 points, seven rebounds, and two assists while going 11-for-19 from the field in France’s 98-87 loss against Team USA in the gold medal match.
The USA have reigned supreme in 5×5 basketball for as long as we can remember, but France have put themselves in a great position to potentially dethrone them.
Besides Victor Wembanyama, France have no shortage of talented young stars, especially after Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr were the top two picks of the 2024 NBA Draft and are expected to make a significant impact.
Philip Kim, Canada
Breakdancing was introduced to the Olympics for the first time in Paris, which saw 16 dancers, known as B-Boys, go head-to-head in a series of dance battles, starting from the group stage before the knockout phase.
It was Philip Kim, aka Phil Wizard, who won the inaugural Olympic men’s breaking gold in Paris after beating home favourite Danis Civil, aka Dany Dann, in front of a partisan Place de la Concorde crowd in the final. Victor Montalvo, meanwhile, took home the inaugural bronze medal.
Phil Wizard was one of the favourites to win in Paris, as the 27-year-old was fresh from winning the Pan American Games last year. He cruised to the final by beating J-Attack (Jeff Dunne) 2-0, Lee (Lee-Lou Diouf Demierre) 3-0, and Shigekix (Shigeyuki Nakarai) 3-0 before he took on Dany Dann.
With the victory, Phil Wizard is hopeful that the sport of breakdancing will continue to grow, even if it is left off the programme for Los Angeles 2028.
Aira Villegas, Philippines
Aira Villegas may not have won gold in Paris, but she has won the hearts of the Filipinos with her valiant display during her Olympic debut.
The 29-year-old light flyweight boxer compiled positive Olympics 2024 results against Morocco’s Yasmine Moutaqui, Algeria’s Roumaysa Boualam, and local hero Wassila Lkhadiri, but she eventually lost to Turkey’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu in the semi-finals.
Villegas lamented that she was outmatched by her Turkish counterpart, but she expressed her intent to rejoin the Olympics in 2028 to represent the Philippines anew.
She was one of the few Filipinos who won a medal in the Paris Games alongside two-time gold medalist Carlos Yulo and fellow boxing bronze winner Nesthy Petecio.
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