This year, the Summer Olympics were held in Paris, France. Over 10,000 athletes represented their country and 204 nations were there. The United States came in first place with 40 gold medals and 126 medals in total. In total, more than 500,000 spectators attended and some North students got the opportunity to experience the Olympics in person.
On the way back from her trip, Senior Madelyn Hall and her family decided to stop by Paris and watch the Olympics. Hall had the opportunity to watch multiple events, including cycling, diving, and track and field.
“[The U.S. team] did good, especially in track and field. It was really fun to watch them especially when they win and they’d hold up the U.S. flag,” Hall said.
Hall says track and field, specifically sprints, was her favorite to watch. However, seeing people come together to support their country and meet people from different countries and cultures was Hall’s favorite part of the whole experience.
“I would expect that [the fans] would just cheer for their own country, but they don’t. Everyone cheers for everyone, so it’s really fun” Hall said.
Hall says that her experience watching the Olympics was cool yet inspirational as it made her want to improve c her work ethic.
“You could see all the people [athletes] that dedicate their entire life to perfecting their sport and see how exciting it is for them. This is the ultimate event they all try to go to,” Hall said.
Similarly, Junior Jack Munro got to watch swimming, volleyball, and tennis Olympic events, when he and his family went to Paris.
“I feel like other countries have caught up to [the US swim team], but in other sports, we still dominate pretty good,” Munro said.
Munro and his family are big fans of the Olympics. As a swimmer himself, Munros’s favorite event to watch was swimming but in general, he said everything was a cool experience.
“The French swimmer Leon Marchand inspired me because he won four golds in his first Olympics,” said Munro.
Alongside the Olympics giving him a new inspiration, Munro shared that his experience changed his view on sports.
“[The Olympics] definitely made me feel more proud to be an American, but also gave me respect for other countries,” Munro said. “It’s made me appreciate other sports more and realize how much these athletes have to work to be where they are.”
