Paris bids adieu to Olympics as Los Angeles Games beckon

In the lead-up to the Paris Olympics, there were many doubts over whether the French capital would be able to pull off hosting the world's biggest sporting event.

- Kimberly Kwek

There were concerns over heatwaves and security risks amid political uncertainty in France, and Parisians displayed little enthusiasm as the clock ticked down to the Games.

But Paris came to life over the past fortnight as it welcomed more than 10,700 athletes from 200 countries and territories, who battled it out across 32 sports.

In a stark contrast to the Tokyo Games in 2021, which were held in empty stadiums due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Paris delivered 17 days of world-class sporting action in front of packed stands at iconic venues such as the Grand Palais.

The United States topped the medal table for the fourth straight Games, although it came down to the very last event on Aug 11 for the Americans to do so. Going into the final day, the US had 38 golds, while China led with 39.

While Chinese weightlifter Li Wenwen clinched one gold in the women's 81kg event, the Americans claimed two, first through cyclist Jennifer Valente and then via the women's basketball team, who claimed their eighth consecutive Olympic title.

Level on 40 golds, the US pipped China to the top spot based on silvers won - 44 to 27.