There have been many instantly iconic moments at the social media-saturated Paris Olympics, and a remarkable number of them have starred women.
Female athletes were not allowed to participate in the Olympics until 1900, when they were let into just five events in that year’s games in Paris. This time around in Paris, the IOC announced that it is the first Games where gender parity has been achieved: of the 10,500 athletes invited, half the spots were allocated to men and half to women.
At time of publication, women have won 15 of Canada’s 24 medals, and five of the eight golds. Men have taken home seven medals, with one mixed pair winning bronze. But what has really shone through is women showing true Olympic spirit through their exceptional sportsmanship, breaking records and boundaries while showing support for each other. Here are some standout examples.
Summer McIntosh’s big wins
Canadian golden girl Summer McIntosh won three golds and one silver—so much metal that she got stopped by airport security to examine her haul. She headed straight to the cottage on her arrival home from Europe, to spend the rest of her summer and her upcoming 18th birthday with some well-earned downtime, though she’s said she’d fly back to Paris if she’s picked to be Canada’s flag bearer in Sunday’s closing ceremony. She will surely inspire the next generation of swimmers to follow her trail of glory in the pool.
Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes make history
Beach volleyball athletes Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes have secured Canada’s first medal in the sport as they head into the match for gold this afternoon. The duo has become a phenomenon in this country, showing grit and grace as they set each other up for success on the sand.
Kacie Bosch’s grace after blood
Another standout is the Canadian women’s 3 x 3 basketball team. The medal favourites dropped to 4th place after a gruelling 10 games in 6 days, and player Kacie Bosch was wounded in a game against Australia, leaving blood on the court. But in a show of grit and heart, Bosch told CBC Sports that the friendship of her teammates is what’s most important: “In five years, the medals won’t mean nearly as much to me as these women.”
Simone Biles’ superstar return
The whole world was cheering on U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, who made a triumphant return to the sport she dominates after she withdrew from competition in Tokyo suffering what she called “the twisties,” where a gymnast loses their sense of where they are in air. In taking a break and focusing so publicly on her mental health, she became a different kind of role model, tackling the stigma around seeking help to rebuild her confidence. In Paris, she brought her Olympic medal total to 11, winning three gold and a silver—and it was that silver medal podium that became one of her most lasting Olympic images. As gold medal winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil took the top step, after winning the women’s floor gymnastics final, Biles and her bronze-winning U.S. teammate Jordan Chiles bowed down to Andrade in unison. It was a show of friendship, generosity and grace that marked a historic moment: the first all-Black Olympic gymnastics podium. As Michelle Obama put it in on social media: “I’m still not over this beautiful moment of sisterhood and sportsmanship! You can feel the love shining through these ladies.”
Celine Dion’s powerhouse performance
While she’s not an athlete, Dion proved in Paris that she is unquestionably among the greatest in her profession. Her performance of Edith Piaf’s Hymne à l’Amour at the opening ceremony drew adulation and respect the world over as her voice radiated gloriously out from the Eiffel Tower. It was an awe-inspiring comeback to the stage, her first since revealing her struggle with autoimmune neurological disorder Stiff Person Syndrome, a show of grit and determination that gave us all chills.
Ilona Maher’s body shaming stance
American rugby sevens player Ilona Maher began sharing behind-the-scenes life in the athletes’ village at the Tokyo Olympics in 2018. At the Paris Games, where her team won bronze, Maher’s following has increased to some 3.5 million on Instagram and 2.2 million on TikTok. Maher, who holds a nursing degree and a masters in business, uses the hashtag #beastbeautybrains to accompany her plain-talking, witty, heartwarming content. Just before the Games, an old post resurfaced of someone mocking her BMI (body mass index). Maher responded that this used to “humiliate” her, saying on TikTok that “I’ve been considered overweight my whole life,” and clarifying that body size doesn’t equal fitness. “I think there’s this idea about what female athletes are, and this need to be lean and fit. But, no, there’s athletes of all shapes and sizes competing at the Olympics.”
Nada Hafez and Yaylagul Ramazanova competing while pregnant
Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez revealed on Instagram that she had competed while seven months pregnant, saying: “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three!” She described the experience as physically and emotionally challenging, but also rewarding: “The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to keep the balance of life and sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it.” She ranked 16th, a personal best in her third Olympics.
Meanwhile, first-time Olympian Azerbaijani archer Yaylagul Ramazanova was six months pregnant when she competed this year, going down in history for her country by making it through two stages of competition, according to @archery_azerbaijan.
Allyson Felix’s efforts for athlete moms
Tending to babies during competition has been a longtime challenge for athletes who are parents. Enter Team U.S.A legend Allyson Felix, the most decorated female track athlete of all time with 11 Olympic medals, seven of them gold, and mom of a 5-year-old daughter. Felix retired in 2022, and when she was appointed to the IOC Athletes’ Commission, athlete parents were top of mind for her. As she told USA Today: “I just knew how difficult it was to compete at the top level after I had my daughter, and some practical things were really hard.” This Games, she helped bring the first on-site nursery to the Olympic Village, teaming up with sponsor Proctor & Gamble to set up the Pampers Family Space with private feeding areas and play zones.
Julien Alfred and Thea LaFond’s medal firsts
In the marquee 100-metre track event, sprinter Julien Alfred brought home St. Lucia’s first medal, winning gold ahead of American favourite Sha’Carri Richardson. Alfred dedicated the gold medal to her late father. “He believed I could be an Olympian. That I can be here,” she told the press after her win.
Another medal first, this time for the island of Dominica, came with Thea LaFond’s golden victory in the triple jump. “Sometimes you wonder if being from a small country means that you have less accessibility to resources,” she said to reporters, after her stunning win. “It’s an understatement to say it’s a really big deal.”
Kim Ye-Ji’s compelling coolness
Korean shooter Kim Ye-Ji became a breakout star after winning silver in the 10-metre air pistol event. With her Matrix-style glasses, nonchalant pose and small stuffed elephant hanging from her pocket, a gift from her daughter, Kim drew many a suggestion that she would make a great action star. (Back home in South Korea, Kim collapsed at a press conference on August 9, reportedly from stress and exhaustion.) Her countrywoman Oh Ye-Jin won gold in the event with a metallic pink air rifle, a heart-shaped sight at the end. These compelling markswomen will no doubt inspire girls the world over to set their own sights on the sport.
Katie Ledecky’s classy shoutout
U.S. swimming superstar Katie Ledecky has 14 Olympic medals, nine of them gold, four of them from Paris. She won this Games’ 800-metre freestyle event more than a second ahead of Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, and at the finish line the two grabbed each other’s hands and raised them in a victory sign. (Titmus won the 400-metre freestyle, but then announced her plan to take a “very extended break” from swimming.) Later, Ledecky said, “After the race, I told Ariarne, thank you for making me better.” It doesn’t get better than that.
