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“I think we’ve made each other better” : Ariarne Titmus on her compelling rivalry with Katie Ledecky After one of the greatest and long running rivalry of Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, swimming has found two new faces going head-to-head in this current era, Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky. Over the past few years, this rivalry has captured worldwide attention due to the high pressure and mutual respect between the two athletes. The Australian and the American first locked horns in the 2019 World Championships, where Titmus won over Ledecky in the 400m freestyle, which caused a huge upset and initialed the start of their rivalry. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics however, both one upped each other in a mix of freestyle and long distance competitions, securing their respective gold medals. Their rivalry continued in the recent Paris 2024 Olympics as well, where the Australian won gold in the 400m freestyle while Katie Ledecky had to settle for the silver. Meanwhile, the American reversed the results in the 800m long distance. While both competitors have managed to assert dominance in their respective masteries, they have known each other for a long time, and thus the respect that they have is second to none. Both athletes have also made remarks on each other during interviews, admiring their abilities and the fact that they have completely changed the landscape of women’s swimming. “It goes to show any little girl at home that they can jump into sport” : Ariarne Titmus on the impact she has made and rivalry with Ledecky Titmus’s childhood played a key role in her taking swimming as a profession, as the Australian started swimming at a very young age. Being from Tasmania, she did not possess good infrastructure and mainstream competition, which led to her imminent move to Queensland later on in her childhood, thanks to her family making significant sacrifices to help her achieve her dream. In a recent interview, the Australian described how grateful she feels to be able to inspire young girls to pursue their careers in sports. “I think it’s so exciting. And it goes to show any little girl at home that they can jump into sport. Trying hard, dreaming big, doing whatever they want to do. In Australia, our women in sport are tearing it up, we’re killing it. And I feel so proud to be a part of that at the moment. Hopefully it inspires any little girl anywhere around the world to get into sport if they love it,” said the 23-year-old (via Olympics.com). The Australian swimmer also addressed her close relationship with friend and rival Katie Ledecky, and says it is a ‘privilege’ to be able to push each other and get better along the way. “It’s so fun, and it’s an absolute privilege to push her and she pushes me every day. I think we’ve made each other better because of it. The 800 final [in Paris] was such a fun race to be a part of. I really took it to her and challenged her, and I’m so proud of my efforts in that. She’s remarkable,” said the two-time Olympic gold medalist. With both athletes being at the prime of their careers, they are surely going to continue to give each other a hard time at the upcoming World Championships, while the LA 2028 Olympics could be the final tournament for both athletes to seal their legacy as the greater swimmer between them. But it is safe to say that this rivalry will not just be celebrated for their high level of competition, but also for the mutual respect and sportsmanship they share for each other. Also Read: “I know I can jump higher” : Mondo Duplantis on setting greater world records

“That’s never supposed to happen” : Shaquille O’Neal expresses his disappointment over USA’s inability to dominate at the Olympics Team USA once again brought gold in basketball, making it their fifth consecutive gold medal win in the Olympics. It is not surprising, as the country invented the sport and the NBA is by far the best league in the world where the best players play. But this year, the USA were somewhat ‘forced’ to call upon their very best players, instead of sending a mix of young talent and experienced veterans like in previous years. In a team which consisted of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo and Tyrese Haliburton, it was a clear indication of them going all out to win the gold. And win the gold they did, but not by convincing fashion to say the least. The USA were usually trailing by a large amount of points during quarters, and if not for the individual brilliance of players like James, Curry and Durant, they would have been knocked out in the earlier stages of the tournament. Due to the standards set by the Americans in basketball, many fans criticized their performance and coach Steve Kerr’s tactics as well. Most recently, one of the biggest personalities in the sport, Shaquille O’Neal admitted he was ‘disappointed’ in the team’s efforts. Shaq opines on USA’s inability to dominate games Ever since USA’s loss against Argentina in the 2004 Olympics held in Athens, there has been widespread circulation and agreement that the world is coming closer to the standards set by USA in basketball. Fast forward two decades later, and it is not unfair to say that European and South American countries have caught on to them. This was clearly showcased during the Paris Olympics, where USA had no breathing room whatsoever and had closer games than expected against South Sudan, Serbia and eventually France in the final. NBA and LA Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal was the latest to criticize USA’s inability to dominate and close games without taking it to the final minutes, even after possessing the best squad in the world. “I’m not even paying attention to the Olympics, I have a dominant personality. I don’t care how you are, whatever. My cousin Kenny just had this argument upstairs. My cousin said, ‘The world is getting close,’ but I don’t think it is. The fact that [USA Basketball won] 97-95, you only beat South Sudan by one [possession]. Come on, bro. That’s never supposed to happen,” said the 52-year-old (via ‘The Big Podcast with Shaq’). The rise in talent outside the USA has been increasing every season with new stars emerging, most notably Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo winning NBA titles, Finals MVPs and All-Star inductions. It is clear that the gap is thinning between USA and other countries, and with James, Curry and KD not part of the USAB in the next Olympics, the USA might not be favorites going into the 2028 Olympics held in Los Angeles. Also Read: Horrible scenes as France and Argentina football quarterfinals ends in a heavy altercation as hosts go through

2020 vs 2024 Summer Olympics medal tally : A look at the biggest winners and losers in Paris The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, which was held from 26 July to 11 August, have just ended. 329 events were held in 32 different sports, as this was one of the most watched Summer Olympics in history. New stars were born, while familiar faces were seen everywhere.  Compared to the previous Summer Olympics held in Tokyo three years ago due to the pandemic, Paris symbolized a return to normalcy, as it brought out full crowds and a festive atmosphere as opposed to empty stadiums and health protocols in 2021. One thing which did not have much of an effect though, were the performance of the countries, as similar winners were seen in both 2021 and 2024. Here is a comparison of the medal tally of the top 10 countries in both the Summer Olympics. 2024 Summer Olympics Medal Tally Order NOCs Gold            Silver Bronze 1. USA 40 44 42 2. China 40 27 24 3. Japan 20 12 13 4. Australia 18 19 16 5. France 16 26 22 6. Netherlands 15 7 12 7. Great Britain 14 22 29 8. Republic of Korea 13 9 10 9. Italy 12 13 15 10. Germany 12 13 8 2020 Summer Olympics Medal Tally Order NOCs Gold            Silver Bronze 1. USA 39 41 33 2. China 38 32 19 3. Japan 27 14 17 4. Great Britain 22 20 22 5. ROC 20 28 23 6. Australia 17 7 22 7. Netherlands 10 12 14 8. France 10 12 11 9. Germany 10 11 16 10. Italy 10 10 20 Biggest winners at Paris Olympics 2024 The United States of America were once again the winners of the Summer Olympics as they accumulated a total of 126 medals including 40 gold medals, outdoing their performance in Tokyo. The USA have now finished at the top of the medal tally seven times out of the last ten Summer Olympics. China closely followed at second place with 91 medals but tied with the USA in gold medals. China has been the most consistent nation at the Olympics after the USA, as they have not been ranked outside the top 3 since Sydney 2000. Other notable winners included Japan with 45 medals which included 20 golds, Australia with 53 medals and 18 golds and the host nation France with 64 medals including 16 golds. These nations also featured in the top 10 in Tokyo as well.​ Biggest losers at Paris Olympics 2024 Great Britain fell out of the top 5 countries this year and got only 14 gold medals, compared to their 22 in Tokyo. Though they are still in the top ranks and continue to perform well in cycling, rowing and athletics, the British have gradually been having less dominant showing as compared to their previous Olympics. Although Germany got 12 gold medals, more than what they managed in Tokyo, they have been below par their usual historical performances during previous Olympics. A similar case could be said for Italy. Conclusion As far as medal tally goes, not much has changed. The USA and China continue to stay dominant at the Summer Olympics due to their expertise in sports such as basketball, gymnastics, table tennis, swimming, weightlifting, etc. While European nations have followed through and stayed firmly in the top 10. But a breath of fresh air was felt in Paris as the Summer Olympics returned to its full glory with celebrations and new records being broken. Also Read: Horrible scenes as France and Argentina football quarterfinals ends in a heavy altercation as hosts go through

“It’s the best one because it’s the one that’s right now” : LeBron James shares his thoughts after clinching historic gold in Paris An instantly iconic modern classic was played out in the fully packed Paris Bercy Arena on Saturday, as the USA won their fifth consecutive Olympic gold, beating the hosts France for the second time in a row. The veterans in the team were vividly emotional, seeing that this was their last ever Olympics, and what a way it was to say goodbye to the competition. Wardell Stephen Curry once again pulled a rabbit out of his hat and produced moments of magic that the world will never forget. Add that to the FIBA Olympics MVP’s performance of 14-6-10 and Kevin Durant doing his usual thing, the USA beat France 98-87 in a nail-biting finish. The LA Lakers superstar specifically addressed the media that this may well have been his last Olympics, as he could not see himself playing till 2028. The 39-year-old joined the USA Olympics team after a 12-year hiatus, and has now won three Olympic gold medals (Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Paris 2024) including a bronze in Athens 2004. “I can’t see myself playing in LA (in 2028). Although I also didn’t see myself playing in Paris. But four years from now, I can’t see it.” said the Olympics MVP (as quoted by Reuters). LeBron James says that he is living in the moment At the age of 39, LeBron James dropped an all-timer of a campaign and was far and away the best player in each game. He was the outright leader of the team and was often seen instructing and correcting each teammate, including having regular conversations with coach Steve Kerr. The veteran commented post match that he feels humbled to still be able to play at the highest level. “It’s a big moment for USA basketball, I’m just living in the moment. I feel super humbled that I can still play this game and play it at a high level, play with 11 other great players, and a great coaching staff go out and do it for our country.” said James. Also in the post-match interview, the media took to LeBron James about the ‘Dream Team’ in 1992, the ‘Redeem Team’ in 2008 and asked what nickname would fit this current team, to which the veteran jokingly replied to as ‘The Avengers’. LeBron James added that this win felt nearest to his heart, which suggested that this was his final Olympics, as he was seen content to be able to finish it off on such a high note. “It was great. I think you wouldn’t want it any other way to be able to face off against the host team. It was a great atmosphere, It’s the best one because it’s the one that’s right now.” the NBA all-time top scorer added. The ‘King’ has achieved everything in his 21-year long career, but if the past has taught us anything, he still will not show any signs of slowing down. LeBron James will be creating history yet again in the 24/25 season, as he is set to play with his own son Bronny James Jr. as teammates in the Los Angeles Lakers. Also Read: Horrible scenes as France and Argentina football quarterfinals ends in a heavy altercation as hosts go through

In one of the great basketball comebacks in Olympics history, USA were barely able to beat Serbia, 95-91. The current ‘big 3’ of NBA and basketball in general – LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant were the main protagonists in sealing this most important victory. The USA were down and out up until the third quarter of the game, with Steph Curry and Joel Embiid carrying all the load for the team. Credits to Serbia, as they were impressive defensively, and offensively were shooting threes for fun, thanks to Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Starting the final quarter, team USA were down 13 points to Serbia. But something had changed. While 12,213 people at the Paris Bercy Arena booed Joel Embiid, he quickly launched three consecutive buckets, as James’s layup and Curry’s three helped USA reclaim the lead in a historic 32-15 fourth quarter. Kevin Durant : “It was God talking through him tonight” Warriors legend Steph Curry came to the Olympics with no form and looked like a shadow of his previous self, but he proved in this semi-final performance as to why he is rated as the greatest shooter of all time. Countless former and current NBA players sang the veteran’s praises on social media, as Curry scored 36 points with 8 rebounds and 2 assists to his name, just one point short of Carmelo Anthony’s record, who was also present at the game passionately shouting instructions. But the ‘Slim Reaper’ of the USA, Kevin Durant had some special words for his friend post-match. “Steph, man, that was a God-like performance, dang, (Curry) was tough. He felt like he was struggling throughout the whole tournament, and we always said each night it could be somebody different (every game). And tonight, he showed up in a way that, man… shot after shot, getting a steal and then finishing with the layup. He was everywhere tonight. It was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen him play,” said the 35-year-old (per The Athletic). “Guys were looking for him. His energy was high. He was shooting the ball, turning around, shooting the ball, turning around. It was just a regular Steph game, and I think he was searching for that type of game the whole Olympics and to have it right here, especially when we needed it, it was special to see. It was God talking through him tonight,” the Phoenix Suns player added. Kevin Durant was not the only teammate who praised Stephen Curry, as Lebron James, who himself scored a triple-double, admired the performance of ‘Chef Curry’ as the duo was seen wildly celebrating after the end of the game. Looking at the context and the high stakes this match held, it would not be far-fetched to say that this was Curry’s best performance in recent years. Without him, USA would be competing for the bronze medal against Germany. The star-studded team are now favorites to win the Olympics once again, as the USA will face hosts France in the highly awaited gold medal match this Saturday. Also Read: Horrible scenes as France and Argentina football quarterfinals ends in a heavy altercation as hosts go through