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Meredith Chen

The Paris Olympics not only dazzled with world-class athleticism but also kept viewers on the edge of their seats with some captivating storylines.
As with all sporting events, the athletes’ performances are just one element, and this year’s Games have been rich with narratives that transcend the sports themselves.
If you’re suffering from some sporting withdrawal, here are five storylines that defined the Paris Olympics to reminisce over.
Doping controversy

Tensions between China and the United States escalated after it was revealed 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for a banned substance were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
It meant Chinese swimmers were under the microscope throughout the Games – whether it was about their performances or the number of tests they had to undergo.
Pan Zhanle’s record-breaking victory in the men’s 100 metres freestyle set off a firestorm – his achievement deemed “not humanly possible” – and the swimmer triggered waves online by saying his opponents from the United States and Australia had been “disrespectful”.
The China swim team later ended the United States’ dominance of the 4x100m medley relay to take gold, after Pan produced another stunning swim.
Slow pool

Another topic of discussion on the pool was its shallow depth, with many of the best swimmers in the world clocking slower-than-expected times.
Social media sleuths noticed that several winning times were slower than in Tokyo, and suggested the pool’s lower depth could have been the cause.
The Paris pool was shallower than in previous Games, as its maximum depth was only 2.15m – 85cm less than Tokyo’s pool.
While it still met the standard set by World Aquatics in 2021 of two metres, it is lower than the governing body’s updated version released earlier this year of 2.5m for the Olympics.
Village “boycott”

Athletes in the French capital had mixed reviews, to put it kindly, of the Paris Olympic Village.
Whether it was the veggie-heavy cafeteria, limited air conditioning or cardboard beds – which organisers designed under the concept of sustainability, aiming to minimise the carbon footprint.
Even before the Games started, several athletes had complained about the shortage of food, specifically eggs, at the Olympic Village. The UK team had to resort to flying in their own chef because of a lack of protein and raw meat being served.
China did likewise and also shipped over mattresses and air-conditioning units.
Fandom culture

China cracked down on “fan culture” after the women’s singles table tennis gold medal match where favourite Sun Yingsha was met with roaring applause from the crowd in South Paris Arena, while Chen Meng encountered sporadic booing and became a target of online harassment.
“Don’t let fan culture erode Chinese table tennis” quickly became one of top trending topics on social media and Weibo banned more than 300 accounts for “inciting conflict” after users expressed their dismay at Chen’s victory.
Later, authorities in Beijing detained a 29-year-old woman for allegedly posting slanderous comments about athletes and coaches on social media.
Gender controversy

Women’s boxing was caught in the centre of the controversy as critics took issue with the inclusion of two athletes: Imane Khelif of Algeria and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting.
The two failed gender eligibility tests while competing for the IBA World Championships in 2023, though the methods used were never revealed.
Both have always identified exclusively as women and the International Olympic Committee, who last year stripped the IBA of its international recognition, defended their right to compete in Paris and questioned the validity of those unspecified tests and the fairness of their previous disqualification.
Despite the false accusations and attacks, Khelif defeated Chinese opponent Yang Liu in the 66kg gold medal bout to claim victory, while Li overcame Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the 57kg final.
Khelif’s first opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, abandoned their bout after 46 seconds, which sparked a furious online reaction against the Algerian. Carini later issued an apology.


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Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Paris Olympics: doping, fan culture and shallow pool among top 5 storylines at Games

China’s Pan Zhanle’s world-record shattering 100 metres freestyle race led to criticism over how it was achieved. Photo: Kyodo

China’s Pan Zhanle won the 100 metres freestyle final with a world-record time. Photo: Kyodo

Questions have been raised over whether the more shallow pool had an effect on swimmers’ times. Photo Reuters

Several issues and concerns were raised throughout the Games regarding the Olympic Village. Photo: EPA

Chen Meng (right) was abused on social media after beating Sun Yingsha in the table tennis final. Photo: Xinhua

Algeria boxer Imane Khelif kisses her gold medal after victory over China’s Yang Liu in the 66kg final. Photo: AP

Sport

Paris Olympics 2024

Aquatics

China

The Buzz

As with all sporting events, the athletes’ performances are just one element of an Olympics and this edition has been rich with narrative


As with all sporting events, the athletes’ performances are just one element of an Olympics and this edition has been rich with narrative.
