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E-mail Xinhua, August 11, 2024
PARIS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Paris 2024 embodied the Olympics' "Faster, Higher, Stronger -- Together" motto as it showcased exceptional athletic achievements, unity and resilience. Here are some of the stars that shone most brightly during the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad:
1. Pan Zhanle (China, Swimming)
Paris 2024 confirmed Pan Zhanle's standing as one of swimming's brightest stars.
In the 100m freestyle, China's Pan smashed his own world record by winning gold in a time of 46.40 seconds, more than a second ahead of silver medalist Kyle Chalmers.
Despite he had to take a doping test that ran into the early hours of the morning before the final, Pan said all the tests had not affected him much and he was not annoyed. "It's a part of the rules," he said.
Pan also anchored China to victory in the men's 4x-100m medley relay final alongside Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang and Sun Jiajun.
It broke the United States' run of 10 successive gold medals in this event dating back to the Los Angeles 1984 Games.
"This is magic for me," Pan said after the relay triumph, which coincided with his 20th birthday. "We make a good team and we managed to get a great result."
2. Leon Marchand (French, Swimming)
Local hero Leon Marchand won four gold medals to be the undisputed star of the pool at the Paris Games.
The 22-year-old Frenchman triumphed in the 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke.
Only three other swimmers in history have won more gold medals than him in the same edition of the Olympics: Michael Phelps (5 golds in 2004; 8 golds in 2008), Mark Spitz (7 golds in 1972) and Kristin Otto (6 golds in 1988)
"Winning four [gold] medals in five days, I don't know what to say," Marchand said. "After the semifinals on Thursday night I was really tired, but it was a great race. I'm so happy."
His victories in the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke came just two hours apart as he became the first swimmer to win the events at the same Games.
3. Zheng Qinwen (China, Tennis)
Zheng made history by winning China's first-ever Olympic gold medal in tennis singles with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Croatia's Donna Vekic in the final.
"Since I was 10, my father always talked about Grand Slams and the Olympics. I know the Olympics means more to him than a Grand Slam," she said after the final.
"I felt like I represented all of Chinese tennis, and winning the gold made -- all the hard work and struggles are worthwhile," she added.
Zheng, currently ranked No. 7, showcased the powerful serves and groundstrokes in the final that had helped her oust world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals.
The Olympic champion marks the biggest title of her burgeoning career, following her runner-up finish at the Australian Open in January.
Besides Zheng, other Chinese athletes to secure breakthrough medals are Deng Yawen, who clinched gold in the women's BMX freestyle, and boxers Wu Yu and Chang Yuan, who triumphed in the women's 50kg and 54kg divisions.
4. Simone Biles (the U.S., Artistic Gymnastics)
Simone Biles completed one of the great comebacks in sport with three gold medals at the Paris Games.
After withdrawing from the all-round event in Tokyo three years ago, the American reigned supreme in the team, individual all-round and vault in addition to claiming silver on floor.
It means Biles is now the most decorated American Olympic gymnast of all time with a whopping 11 medals - seven of them gold - across the last three Olympic Games.
"A couple years ago, I didn't think I'd be back here at an Olympic Games," she said. "So competing and then walking away with four medals... I'm not mad about it. I'm pretty proud of myself."
Despite her medal haul, Paris 2024 wasn't without its hiccups for Biles. She faltered on the uneven bars during the individual final and she fell midway through her beam routine, a mistake that relegated her to fourth.
"I've accomplished way more than in my wildest dreams," Biles said after her last event. "Not just at this Olympics, but in the sport."
5. Ma Long (China, Table Tennis)
Ma Long became the most successful Chinese athlete in Olympic history as he helped secure China's victory in the men's table tennis team final against Sweden.
The victory also earned the 35-year-old Ma his sixth gold medal, making him the most decorated table tennis player in Olympic history.
Ma, who confirmed that the Paris 2024 was his last Olympic Games, is then the only table tennis player to win four Olympic gold medals in the team event: prevailing in London, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris.
"These past 12 years have been a journey filled with ups and downs, and I feel incredibly fortunate," he said.
"I've taken on many different roles in each Olympics. After Tokyo, I didn't expect to be here in Paris, but these three years have helped me grow mentally and technically."
6. Julien Alfred (Saint Lucia, Athletics)
Julien Alfred entered the record books for Saint Lucia by winning the country's first-ever Olympic medal and it is a gold!
The 23-year-old clocked 10.72 seconds to finish ahead of Americans Sha'Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson in the women's 100m final.
"I feel honored to just be an ambassador for my country," Alfred said, adding that she looked forward to celebrating with her fellow Saint Lucians.
She revealed that she had been inspired by Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt, whose races she watched on YouTube earlier in the day of her 100m final.
Alfred later added to her success by claiming silver in the 200m sprint. Enditem
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