Written and Edited by: Bagmita Gogoi (Tinsukia, Assam, India) and Tahoora Charfare (Yanbu, Saudi Arabia)

Discover how India and South Korea fared at the Paris 2024 Olympics. A Games Wide Open filled with memorable moments and future aspirations.

The global sports calendar is always marked with significant events such as the Olympics, Asian Games, the leagues, etc. This year too was exceptionally significant for countries like India and South Korea, which had high expectations for the Olympics 2024, which was held in the city of love, Paris. Many countries took part in it and had the opportunity to showcase their prowess and etch their names in history to inspire future generations. India and South Korea too had high expectations of getting Medals in the Paris 2024 Olympics and had sent their best foot forward for the same. Let us look at the article to learn about the challenges, victories and overall performance of both countries at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games saw competitors’ parade on boats along the River Seine through central Paris. It was held on July 26, 2024, and was a grand event. Directed by Thomas Jolly, the ceremony saw a celebration of French culture through various artistic performances, which included twelve acts in total. Renowned celebrities and artists like Celine Dion and Lady Gaga were part of this magnificent event. There were notable French performers, including Aya Nakamura and Gojira. The most marvelous and soulful rendition of “La Marseillaise” was sung by none other than the soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel from the rooftop of the Grand Palais.

This was the first Olympic opening ceremony, which took place outside the traditional setting of a stadium. An estimated 3,20,000 spectators were reported in attendance. The Indian contingent consisted of 117 athletes who competed in 16 sports. P.V. Sindhu and Sharath Kamal were the designated flag-bearers for the opening ceremony. High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok and swimmer Kim Seo-yeong were the designated flag bearers for the South Korean contingent. The entries of both the Indian and Korean delegations met with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.

With an initial glitch of South Korea being introduced as “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” (North Korea) instead of “Republic of Korea” during the Parade of Nations, the issue was amicably resolved between the Olympic organizers and the South Korean officials later on.

India’s Performance

India put forth their best athletes to represent on the global stage. Neeraj Chopra once again delivered a fantastic performance in the javelin throw, securing a silver medal for India. With his gold medal in the 2020 Olympics, he became the fifth individual multiple medalists for India and the first to win a gold and silver combination.

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Manu Bhaker made history by winning two bronze medals in shooting at Paris 2024, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat since independence. She displayed her sportsmanship at the finest during the women’s 10m air pistol and also in the mixed 10m air pistol team event with Sarabjot Singh. The Indian Men’s Hockey Team also had the opportunity but had to make peace with just a bronze. Aman Sehrawat won a bronze too in the men’s freestyle 57 kg wrestling event, becoming the youngest Indian to win an Olympic medal at age twenty-one. The last of the bronze medals for India was won by Swapnil Kusale in Men’s 50m Rifle Three Positions.

At the Paris Olympics, India finished 71st in the overall medal tally, with a total of six medals: one silver and five bronze medals, three of which came from shooting. Avinash Sable finished fifth in the men’s 3000 m steeplechase qualification heat to qualify for the final, becoming the first Indian athlete to qualify for the final of this event. He finished in 11th place in the final classification. Lakshya Sen had a standout performance in badminton, reaching the semi-finals and becoming the first Indian to do so in the men’s solo event. He lost in the semi-finals and then narrowly missed out on the bronze medal after losing to Lee Zii Jia. Vinesh Phogat reached the final in the women’s 50 kg wrestling event after defeating top opponents, including the reigning Olympic champion. However, she was disqualified for being 100 g over the weight limit. Indians were taken aback by such a close call. They almost had a gold medal.

Despite the attempts to achieve the best, the games were not without the disappointments of missed chances. The accomplishments of the Indian athletes in the Olympics are, after all, not just about securing medals but also about setting up higher goals and preparing accordingly for future opportunities.

South Korea’s Performance

South Korea’s performance at the Paris Olympics 2024 was exceptional and truly commendable. Their athletes excelled in their strong domain sports such as archery, shooting, and taekwondo. South Korea maintained their stronghold for their nation in archery and shooting by bagging a total of eight gold medals, five and three gold medals, respectively.

The South Korean men’s and women’s teams both won gold in archery, with the women’s team conquering the gold for the tenth consecutive time. They have undoubtedly dominated archery in team as well as individual events with key players like Lim Si-hyeon and Kim Woo-jin. South Korea also grabbed gold in both men’s fencing individual and team Sabre. Park Tae-joon won gold in men’s 58 kg Taekwondo and Kim Yu-jin won gold in women’s 57 kg Taekwondo.

_{Lim Si-hyeon (L) and Kim Woo-jin of South Korea (Picture Credits: Yonhap News)}

Interestingly, most of the medals were won by female athletes. Hats off to the women’s power. To name a few: Oh Ye-jin won gold in the women’s 10-meter air pistol, Ban Yo-jin won gold in the women’s 10-meter air rifle, and Yang Ji-in won gold in the women’s 25-meter pistol. An Se-young won gold in women’s singles badminton.

South Korea won 13 gold medals, 9 silver and 10 bronze, making it a total of 32 medals.  Making them one of the prominent countries in the medal tally list and ranking at the 8th position globally. In the future, South Korea is all set to take an opportunity in challenging events such as swimming and gymnastics where they fell short by just a little missed opportunity. Reflecting on South Korea’s performance at the Paris Olympics 2024, the country has maintained its strong hold on its traditional and domain sports and has room for improvement in other events.

CONCLUSION

The Paris Olympics 2024 showcased the perseverance, talent, and determination of athletes from around the world. India and South Korea both had notable performances, with India celebrating its medalists and South Korea continuing to build on its legacy in the sports in which it dominates. While there were moments of triumph and disappointment, the true spirit of the Olympics lies in the journey and the continuous pursuit of excellence. As both nations reflect on their achievements, they also look forward to future opportunities, using the experiences of the Paris Olympics 2024 as a steppingstone toward greater success in the global arena.

Which Olympic moment had you cheering and made you go in awe? Tell us in the comment section below.