The XXXIII Olympiad in Paris, France was the center of the world’s attention from July 24 - August 11, 2024. There were 329 events featuring 32 sports with 10,500+ athletes at 35 different venues. From the opening ceremonies and torch relay to new sporting events, 1,000+ total medals, and world-wide viewership, the Paris 2024 Olympics was nothing short of spectacular.
Olympic History
The Olympic Games as we know them today began in 1896 in Athens, Greece with 14 teams and nine sports. These Summer Games were held every four years until 1924 when the Olympic Winter Games began with 16 teams and nine sports, first hosted in Chamonix, France. Initially, the summer and winter Olympics occurred every four years, with the exception of World War I and World War II. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to change the schedule to alternate the Summer and Winter Games every two years in 1994. By this point there were 67 teams and 12 sports. The IOC added the Paralympic Games in 1960 and the Youth Olympic Games in 2010.
2024 Olympic Results
This year there were 203 National Olympic Committees (NOC), each representing a country or territory. Of those, 84 earned at least one gold, silver, or bronze medal. The United States finished at the top of the leaderboards with 126 total medals including 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze won in 34 sports. People’s Republic of China was the second highest medal earning NOC with 91 (although they tied the US in gold medals) followed by Japan, Australia, and France. This year was the debut of break dancing, in which Canada and Japan took home gold medals, and the second year of skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing.
Durangoans in the Olympics
Riley Amos, Christopher Blevins, and Savilia Blunk are three Durango mountain bikers that competed in the 2024 Olympics. Both Amos and Blevins were born in Durango, Amos still residing here, while Blunk moved here to attend Fort Lewis College. Blevins and Blunk are second time Olympians placing 13th and 12th respectively. Amos is a first time Olympian and placed 7th in the men’s cross country race. All three state that they got into the sport early, especially growing up in an area where mountain biking is popular and trails to ride are not hard to come by. This is proven throughout local history as many other Durangoans have represented our city, state, and country at the Olympics including names such as: Todd Wells, Howard Grotts, Mike Elliott, Greg Lyman, Ron Yeager, Cathy Hearn, Elaine Youngs, Chris Thorpe, Elva-Martinez-Dryer, Tracey Barnes, Lanny Barnes, Juli Furtado, Travis Brown, Ruthie Matthes, Zachary Lokken, and US Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell.
As the Summer Olympics return to the United States for Los Angeles 2028, following the Winter Games in Milano Cortina, Italy in 2026, we eagerly anticipate cheering on the incredible athletes representing their countries. With over 400 annual events and participants from more than 200 countries, the Olympic Games continue fostering international collaboration through the power of sport. We are especially proud to have Durango locals competing and plan to see more in the coming years.
