The 2024 Paris Olympics started with a splash (literally). The Opening Ceremony featured 90 boats, filled with country teams waving flags, all floating down a rainy river Seine, as the crowd of 300,000 cheered from the riverbanks.

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From the beginning, the atmosphere in Paris was a contrast to the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, which were held under strict Covid pandemic restrictions and saw athletes competing in empty stadiums and without their family, friends, or support teams along for the ride. This year, record-breaking numbers of fans lined the streets and stadiums of Paris to cheer on the athletes.

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By the end of a busy two weeks, including 32 different sports and over 460 Australian athletes, the Aussies walked away with 18 gold medals — the most in our history — and 53 medals overall, the fourth in the overall tally behind the USA, China, and Japan. Here are some highlights:

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Aussies rule the pool:

As always, the Aussie swim team “The Dolphins” showed up to defend their titles in the pool, and gave US rivals something to chase. Kaylee McKeown, the 23-year-old backstroke expert from Queensland, became the first Australian athlete across any sport to win four individual gold medals, defeating the US and Canada in 100m and 200m backstroke, as well as securing silver and two bronze medals in the team medley relays. As for what’s next for McKeown, she told reporters she hasn’t gotten there yet: “I just want to enjoy my moment, enjoy what I’ve done.” After her stellar performance in the pool, it seems only fair she takes her time soaking up the moment.

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Family affair for the Foxes:

Australian flag-bearer Jess Fox came to Paris off the back of four medals in Tokyo, including gold in the canoe singles — an event which sees paddlers take off at high speeds down perilous man-made rapids, avoiding obstacles and making hairpin turns. After a shaky start in the semi-finals, Jess came back with determination to win a gold medal in both the Kayak and Canoe races. But the Fox family didn’t stop there, with Jess’s younger sister Noémie winning a surprise gold in the Kayak Cross, a hair-raising race where four kayakers speed down a white-water track to the finish line.

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When winning isn’t everything:

With the whole nation watching, the pressure on athletes to perform can be immense. But winning isn’t the only way to make Australia proud. Boxer Harry Garside’s raw and emotional admission that he “felt like a failure” after losing his first match triggered an outpouring of support for the 27-year-old, who has been open about his mental health struggles in the past. Garside later said for those young people watching at home: ““It’s important for young people to see life will knock you down… a lot of it is out of our control at times too and I think it’s important for young people to see failure is part of life.”

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Generation Alpha dominates the skate park:

Appearing in its second ever Olympics, skateboarding took its place this year as a must-watch event. As competitors got ready to carry out gravity-defying tricks, all eyes were on 14-year-old Gold Coast skater Arisa Trew. After becoming the first woman ever to land a “900”, a two-and-half rotation in mid-air first attempted by Tony Hawk twenty-five years earlier, Trew was more than ready to take on the Olympic stage. She told reporters, “I just need to think it’s another skate comp and have fun with all my friends and skate my best.” Dominating her final run in the finals with speed, style, and technique, Trew did just that, taking home the gold medal, and making history by becoming our youngest ever gold medalist. What’s next for Trew? Her parents promised that if she won, she could finally get the pet duck she’d been asking for.