A little over two weeks after it began, the Paris Olympics are set to come to an end with the closing ceremony scheduled for Sunday, August 11. (Medal Tally|Schedule & Results| Full Coverage)
The elites of the sporting world gave us another thrilling edition of the Summer Games as records fell like a pack of cards and history was created every single day.
While the Games have been considered largely as successful there were some blemishes too. Now as the Olympic glitter dampens in Paris, it is time to look at the five controversies that tried hard to take the sheen away from the sporting action.
1. Gender Row
The biggest controversy at the Paris Olympics was definitely the row over the gender of two boxers, Imane Khelif of Algeria and Taiwan's Lin Yu Ting. Khelif was especially at the centre of this row. Both these wrestlers were disqualified last year after failing gender tests. However, International Olympic Committee allowed both to participate in the Paris Games.
The controversy erupted when Italian Angela Carini withdrew from her Round of 16 bout against Khelif within a minute after the Algerian threw her first significant punch on Carini's face.
Khelif recieved a lot of abuse on the Internet for being a 'man' who was fighting women. However, IOC later clarified that Khelif and Yu Ting were both females.
The bout that lasted not even a minute would trigger endless debate on the Internet on how genders are to be defined especially in combat sports.
2. The Last Supper Controversy
The controversies did not take long to come up as the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games itself was not liked by many. One part which purportedly enacted 'The Last Supper', a painting which depicts Jesus Christ having his final meal, received criticism from world over. The parody of 'The Last Supper' and the usage of drag queens in that recieved heavy backlash.
IOA would later apologise for the act.
3. Seine's Scene
Paris' ambitious plans to host the Olympics included having events like triathlon and marathon racing in the Seine, the river central to Parisian and French identity.
The plan was great but the risks were massive as well. Rain would force the sewer water to get discharged into the river and this is exactly what happened as the heavens opened up during the opening ceremony.
Triathlon events were delayed by a day but eventually all the events scheduled to take place in the river went ahead as expected.
One triathlon participant vomited incessantly after competing. Another was later reported to have an infection.
4. Crimes In Paris
The days in the run up to the Olympics in Paris were very turbulent with news of shocking crimes coming out of the city. Report stated that an Australian tourist was allegedly gang-raped in the city ahead of the Olympics. Two staffers from Australia's Channel Nine Network faced an attempted robbery ahead of the Games.
On the day when the Olympics unofficially opened, Argentina men's football coach Javier Mascherano said the team's Olympic training base was robbed.
5. Vinesh Phogat Controversy
India's wrestler Vinesh Phogat was barred from fighting her gold medal match on the morning of the fight as she was found to be 100 grams overweight. A day before, she had defeated three wrestlers, included the ever unbeaten Yui Susaki of Japan, to qualify for the final. Fans and former wrestlers demanded that since the Indian wrestler was within the weight on the first day, she at least be given the silver.
Phogat has knocked the doors of the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) appealing the disqualification and asked for a silver medal.
