Paris Olympics’ display of celebration keeps Olympic dream alive

The Paris Olympics didn’t change the world. But they looked great on television. They showcased the most iconic backdrop in Olympic history. They featured two of the greatest shooters in history: 

Steph Curry and Yusuf Dikec, the Turkish legend with minimal gear who casually fired his air pistol with an idle hand tucked in his pocket. He looked like a character you might encounter in “Grand Theft Auto” or a Quentin Tarantino movie.   

The 2024 Summer Games were a smashing success because they felt like a celebration. They felt like Paris. They featured plenty of smiles and sexploitation, from the swimming pool to the sandpits at beach volleyball. They resuscitated an event that felt joyless, suffocated and pointless during the pandemic.

There were moments of real Olympic controversy. Canadian coaches were sent home for employing spy drones. An underqualified breakdancer from Australia scored a perfect zero. The women’s boxing competition became the latest battle ground for gender identity issues. And somehow, LeBron James was named MVP of the men’s basketball tournament even though Steph Curry lit up the globe in a gold-medal performance. 

With jaws dropped, we all witnessed Curry’s greatest gift as a pro basketball player: Whenever he puts on a fireworks display, the entire sport benefits. The entire world is inspired. 

The Olympics were a smashing success for Arizona sports fans. ASU legend Leon Marchand became a national hero in France while Phoenix gymnast Jade Carey made headlines. Diana Taurasi won her sixth gold medal while Brittney Griner wept from the podium during the national anthem, with a meaning that was lost on no one. Kevin Durant made Olympic history, affirming both his historical greatness and current relevance. And just like a boss, Devin Booker left a Paris nightclub at 6 a.m., pedaling away on a bicycle with a gold medal around his neck. 

The Paris Olympics compelled us to watch. Fun fact: The Eiffel Tower debuted at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1889. It was such a hit that it caused great stress and anxiety on the city of Chicago, which hosted the ensuing World’s Fair in 1893. In something of a Hail Mary, they came up with the Ferris wheel. 

At the 2024 Summer Games, the Eiffel Tower felt like more than a civic attraction. It felt like a lighthouse in a turbulent world, so gorgeous and grand in the background of every Olympic shot.  You could barely imagine Paris without the magnificent structure, one that ordinary tourists often find overrated.  

The Paris Olympics were also a reminder that we should all strive for greater sportsmanship. Studies suggest humans have been around in some form for nearly 300,000 years. We have achieved many great things and gold-medal performances along the way, except for the bliss of peaceful and cheerful co-existence. 

Au revoir, Paris. And merci for keeping the Olympic dream alive. 

Reach Bickley at @arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

Follow @danbickley