The 2024 Paris Olympics have officially closed and this year had plenty of events for fans to enjoy. With the addition of streaming over the last few years, the Olympics are more accessible than ever (if you have a Peacock subscription that is). That said, options are endless for the Olympic consumer. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone missed out on some of the best events from this year’s edition. With the next Summer Olympics coming to Los Angeles in 2028, here are some of the events you don’t want to miss next time around.
5. Archery
One of the events that can come down to the slightest margin. I put Archery over Shooting here because of the popularity Shooting gained in 2024. However, Archery has been a long staple in the Olympics and should not be undervalued. For example, this year saw a magnifying glass come out for scoring purposes.
the gold medal archery match came down to a one-arrow shoot-off AND THEN it came down to an arrow so close to the border between a 9 and a 10 that someone had to come out and look at it with a magnifying glass. unreal drama pic.twitter.com/vzc7Pbal8D
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) July 28, 2024
This event can be that close, but look how far down the line athletes have to fire.
Anyone else’s mind blown when you realise how far away the Olympics archery target is?!
😳#Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/SQmuwgUlVG— James Withers (@JamesRWithers) July 31, 2024
Archery has been and still is an underrated event in the Olympics. With how close this past Olympics was, I expect an even closer event come 2028. You won’t want to miss it.
4. Triathlon
I was fortunate enough to catch this year’s women’s triathlon at about 2 a.m. one morning, but it was completely worth it. If you have any interest in running, swimming, or cycling events, then this is for you. This event combines all three requiring athletes to show skill in all 3 domains.
What I found most interesting was the strategy behind being in a pack and how that can better someone’s race in the long haul. Benefits were seen early on in the Women’s event as Flora Duffy pulled out to a huge lead through the first transition. Eventual winner Cassandre Beaugrand ran with the pack, so she caught Duffy easily. The win for Beaugrand marked the first time a French woman had won in the triathlon, a triumphant feat for her and her country.
If you happen to be awake when it starts, I highly recommend checking out Triathlon next time the summer Olympics are around. Not only is it entertaining from the race itself but the stories behind some of the racers make things just that much more special.
3. Canoe Slalom
Canoe Slalom is one of those events that looks terrifying to someone who’s never done it before. Essentially, these athletes kayak down white water rapids, navigating a series of gates that they must work through or around. It catches your eye especially if anyone has ever dealt with rapids before.
Rapids aren’t exactly friendly and while Olympic rapids are generally man-produced, the fact athletes can move their kayak any way they want is very impressive. Considering the goal is to make it to the end of the course in the fastest possible time, there’s a lot of excitement while watching this one.
2. Cycling, BMX Racing
As someone who’s an avid racing fan, this event is cool to see. While there are many different forms of bike racing in the Olympics, BMX is the most entertaining. The courses are extremely hard to navigate under the high speeds and with plenty of huge air jumps mixed in between, it’s hard to not be entertained. Crashes can even occur at times.
What I found most entertaining about this was the bike control from the different riders. At certain points of the track, their ability to keep their bike flowing with the track kept them from having big air time which in turn, meant more speed. Watching athletes try to maintain that throughout the very difficult courses is a spectacle everyone should see. France earned all 3 podium spots at the men’s final in Paris. Ideally, there will be a lot of countries hungry for those medals come Los Angeles.
1. Speed Climbing
One of the events I found most fascinating this year was speed climbing. Making its official Olympic debut, the event sees climbers ascend 49 feet(15M) looking for the fastest time on the rock climbing wall.
Sam Watson breaks his own speed climbing world record to secure BRONZE at the #ParisOlympics! 🇺🇸🧗 pic.twitter.com/D6cy2r8U5c
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
It’s incredible to watch these athletes fly up the wall like Spiderman saving his love interest. Sam Watson’s ability to almost jump from step to step on the wall is incredible. No matter how many races you watch, it continues to be entertaining. Keep in mind that these racers are climbing a wall we pay by the hour to do and even then it’s still a challenge. Most of us take our time and struggle, these guys run up the wall almost effortlessly.
This event should not be undervalued and considering it was just the first Olympics for the event, I expect more of a following come 2028. The competition is fierce and records are always waiting to be broken.
Don’t miss out on these events in Los Angeles 2028!
Don’t worry, you have plenty of time to get configured with these events. We have almost a full 4 years until the next Olympics. However, these events should not be overlooked. These should be on your watchlist. You won’t want to miss the storylines and action in these Olympic events.
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