The Paris Olympics 2024 not only saw some stunning performances, but it was also the stage of several conflicts and controversies. Some of them saw a change in the result, some saw medals being stripped, some saw athletes being sent home, and some raged on as debates on social and world media. From Vinesh Phogat to Imane Khelif, we take a look at the big controversies at the Summer Games, as the Paris Olympics 2024 draws to a close

Gender row surrounding Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting both clinched gold in their respective categories, but not before widespread controversy. With both athletes containing XY chromosomes in their bodies, accusations of them being “male” were rife all across social media. Khelif and Lin had both been disqualified from the 2023 Boxing World Championships, but the IOC had allowed them to compete.

Despite both being born biologically female, Khelif and Lin faced a barrage of incorrect accusations and vitriol, before responding back with gold medals each.

Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification

An event that will shake the Indian sporting culture for quite some time, Vinesh Phogat’s incredible journey to the women’s 57kg freestyle wrestling final was halted as she was disqualified ahead of the final due to being 100 grams overweight. Having been under the weight limit on the first day – when she won her three bouts – she was stripped of her medal and not allowed to play the final.

Vinesh’s case rages on at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), where a verdict on whether she will receive a silver medal will be given shortly.

Cocaine controversy for Tom Craig

Australian field hockey player Tom Craig was arrested for attempting to buy cocaine in Paris, along with a 17-year-old seller. However, he was let off with a slap on the wrist; just a warning, with no formal charges against him.

Although Craig apologised for the incident, he was removed from the remaining hockey proceedings by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and barred from participating in any further activity in Paris 2024.

Jordan Chiles loses bronze after CAS intervention

American gymnast Jordan Chiles’ coach Cecile Landi had submitted an enquiry to the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to add 0.1 points to Chiles’ score. This enquiry was initially accepted, promoting Chiles from fifth to a bronze-winning third position.

However, intervention by the CAS led to a decision that Landi’s enquiry was 64 seconds beyond the permitted time, and therefore, stripped her of the medal.

Swimmer Luana Alonso’s ‘Expulsion’

Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso had been reportedly asked to leave their camp due to ‘inappropriate’ behaviour. However, Alonso later denied the reports, stating that she had not been removed. The swimmer – who failed to make the semi-final of the women’s 100m butterfly event – made further headlines by stating that she had received a ‘DM’ from Brazilian footballer Neymar.

Artistic swimming – colloquially recognized as synchronised swimming – is one of the most aesthetically-pleasing sports at the Olympics. It is a sport that allows the athletes to perform choreographed routines, on which they’re scored. At Paris Olympics 2024, the USA artistic swimming team put on a show, swimming to the tune of legendary American singer and dancer Michael Jackson’s iconic song ‘Smooth Criminal’. The video of the USA team performing to the song at sport’s grandest stage has gone viral on social media.

The USA team even performed an underwater moonwalk as they paid tribute to Michael Jackson.

Watch: Team USA perform an underwater moonwalk to Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’ in artistic swimming

This was the highlight of the day for me.

USA #ArtisticSwimming team with a underwater moonwalk in a tribute to Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal…

Instant iconic! #Olympics pic.twitter.com/VwQ2mZbaYd

— Kalyani Mangale (@MangaleKalyani) August 6, 2024

Team USA’s stunning performance took them to a fourth-place finish in the technical routine team event at Paris 2024. USA finished on 282.7567 points, more than 30 points short of eventual first-place China. Spain and Japan finished second and third, respectively.

China are the dominant nation in the World Aquatics rankings, holding top spot in many categories.

What is artistic swimming?

The sport requires athletes to perform acrobatics in water, tuning their moves to a song. As per usatoday.com, athletes are scored based on their execution, synchronisation, degree of difficulty, music, and choreography.

Traditionally, it has been a sport for women. However, in 2015, World Aquatics introduced duet events, allowing one male swimmer to perform per duet event.

Artistic swimming has been an Olympics sport till 2017. Duet and team events are most common, with the women’s duet and the mixed team events taking place in Paris 2024. Russia have been a dominant force in recent Olympics history in the sport, winning both medals in each of the last six Olympic Games.

The technical routine team event will be followed by the free routine event. Both technical and free routine will be performed in a team event and then in a women’s event.

France’s Leon Marchand produced a dazzling double gold-medal winning performance to electrify the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, powering to victories in the 200m breaststroke and 200m butterfly to send the host nation into ecstatic celebrations. The 22-year-old bagged his first gold of the night after summoning a lung-bursting late charge to claim the 200m fly, and then just under two hours later showed incredible reserves of stamina to motor home in the 200m breaststroke.

The back-to-back golds made Marchand — who won gold in the 400 individual medley earlier in the Games — the first swimmer to win the 200 fly and breaststroke in the same Olympics.

The five-time world champion, little known outside the world of swimming before the Olympics, has become a national hero in the space of a week with his trio of golds.

“I’ve fulfilled a lot of dreams since I’ve been here. Doing this double was something I felt I could do. But to really do it, that’s something else,” he said.

“Of course, I had a lot of doubts. Because everyone told me it wasn’t possible,” he said of the unprecedented double.

While the 15,000 crowd at the La Defense Arena belted out a rousing rendition of La Marseillaise during the medal ceremonies, a smiling Marchand looked calm as he soaked up the adulation.

“I’m just trying to keep going. I really enjoyed every moment of those two finals. It was really amazing for me to swim those,” he said, after dethroning two defending champions.

‘Tonight was amazing’

For as powerful, focused and technically gifted as he is when racing, the prodigy from Toulouse is a relaxed, chilled, individual out of the pool, a winning combination that has earned him the hearts of a nation.

In the breaststroke, the 22-year-old touched the wall in a time of 2min 5.85sec, a new Olympic record and the second fastest time of all-time.

Australia’s Zac Stubblety-Cook, the defending champion from Tokyo, finished with silver 0.94 seconds behind with Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands claiming bronze.

Remarkably the race was the first time Marchand has swum the 200 breaststroke in a major international competition but in his current form and with a deafening home crowd behind him, there was simply no stopping him as he led from start to finish.

But it was his astonishing victory in the butterfly which will live longest in the memory.

World record holder and defending champion Kristof Milak of Hungary led until the final lap when Marchand hunted him down.

The Frenchman produced a perfect turn, coming out of it with the momentum he needed to catch Milak and he did just that — the moment he passed the Hungarian, midway through the final greeted with a guttural roar from the crowd.

Milak had no answer and the arena was on its feet as Marchand finished with a new Olympic record time of 1min 51.21sec.

“The 200 butterfly was crazy. I had a really good race strategy. I managed to stay fairly close to the favourite and I really managed to catch him…with the pool on fire. It was pretty crazy to experience that as a French swimmer. I’m so happy,” he said.

Could he really follow up all that exertion with another individual medal later in the same evening?

Marchand is trained by Michael Phelps’ former coach Bob Bowman and not even his former charge had managed this particular double gold haul in the same Games.

Nothing seems to faze France’s newest sporting superstar though as he raced to victory with not the slightest sign of fatigue.

“It’s wonderful. That tonight was amazing. It’s a night he’ll never forget,” said a purring Bowman.

“The way he handled it. His attitude about it was amazing. The way that he put different parts of it and lands how to swim each race were just exactly why I’m so proud,” he added.

Marchand could add further to his historic Olympic performance when he competes in the 200m individual medley starting Thursday.

Even amidst the joy of his remarkable triumphs, Marchand’s thoughts were turning to that next challenge.

“Now I’m going to have to realise what happened, appreciate every moment — and above all, refocus for the 200 IM.”

Srihari Nataraj in action© X (formerly Twitter)