The Paris 2024 Olympic Games come to a close: how did Team GB and Spain fair?

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have come to an end and it has been a whirlwind event for all who participated.

The closing ceremony happened yesterday, August 11, sending off the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with Tom Cruise cruising into the Stade de France, and an incredible performance from the young Parisian artist, Yseult, giving it her all singing the originally French song Comme d’habitude, later adapted to the famous “My Way”.

Marking the end of the Olympics, all the nations celebrated collectively, and amongst themselves, holding pride in what they had achieved.

Team GB won a total of 65 medals at the Paris Olympic Games

Great Britain came with 327 athletes for the Olympic Games and, in total, 131 of them will return home with medals around their necks, with more medals than they had in Tokyo.

After more than two weeks of intensity, Team GB won 14 gold medals, 22 silver medals and 29 bronze medals.

In total, Great Britain will be bringing home 65 medals, one more than they had in the last Olympics. 

Ranking all the participating countries by total medals won, this places Team GB in third, above the host country, Paris, but below China and USA, who won the most.

Britain’s performance at the Paris Olympics was triumphant and certainly deserves celebration.

Great Britain surpasses 1,000 medals won at the Olympics

Andy Anson, the British Olympic Association’s chief executive pointed out that Great Britain “passed 1,000 medals in the Olympics during this Games, which was a big moment.”

“65 medals is our second-best-ever tally on foreign soil,” added Anson, “So that’s something incredible to celebrate”.

There were some low points, with swimmer Adam Peaty catching covid, and Kate French having to pull out for gastric reasons.

However, there were also some incredible highs; Track and field was one of the biggest of Britain’s successes, with 10 medals overall, the best since the Los Angeles 1984 Games.

Another highlight for Team GB was on Friday, August 2, where they secured a gold and silver medal in rowing, and a bronze in diving, as well as Bryony Page making history this day by becoming the UK’s first-ever Olympic trampoline champion, also taking the role as flag bearer for GB at the closing ceremony.

Additionally, there was the special occasion of Tom Daley not only returning to perform for his son, who wanted to “see his Papa” dive at the Olympics, according to the 30-year-old champion, but also winning his fifth Olympic medal in the synchronised 10m platform diving competition.

The nation also gave a emotional goodbye to Sir Andy Murray, after he hung up his racket, giving his last performance at the Paris Olympics before retiring from the sport.

Spain won 18 medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Spain had a good year at these Olympic Games, with 383 total athletes arriving to represent their nation.

After two and a half extraordinary and riveting weeks at the Olympic games, Spain won 5 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 9 bronze medals.

In total, Spain won 18 medals in Paris, surpassing the number of medals – and the number of gold medals – the team won at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“We are so proud of each of the 383 athletes who have made us dream these days!” celebrated the Spanish Olympic Committee on social media. 

Congratulations to all the athletes who performed for their country, with a special mention to the gold medalists, bringing home awards from; women’s water polo, men’s duo sailing, men’s football, men’s triple jump, marathon relay racewalk.

An honourable mention to Saul Craviotta who made Spanish history at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, becoming the most decorated Spanish athlete in the nation’s Olympic history.