10 scandals that overshadowed 2024 Paris Olympics: From soccer snooping to online jab

2024 Paris Olympics: Top 10 controversies of the Games explained

The Olympics are about honoring global athletic achievement in the name of friendship, unity, and solidarity. However, they also involve cheating, controversies, and a ton of extremely tense sporting matchups on a geopolitical level. There were many remarkable moments during the 2024 Paris Olympics, some more contentious than others. Here are 10 of the most buzz-worthy events from the Paris Games.

1. Australian hockey player arrested for attempting to buy drugs (cocaine)

Tom Craig, an Australian Olympic field hockey player, was arrested in Paris on Wednesday, August 7, after attempting to purchase cocaine. The 28-year-old athlete eventually expressed regret for his "terrible mistake." Craig stated, "I would firstly like to apologize for what has occurred over the last 24 hours. I made a terrible mistake and I take full responsibility for my actions," per NBC New York. In a statement issued later by the Australian Olympic Committee, 2024 team captain Anna Meares said that Craig had been expelled from the athletes' village and had lost his Olympic credentials.

2. Imane Khelif gender controversy in boxing

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif made global headlines by winning the gold medal in boxing at the Paris Olympics, following a 46-second bout that prompted questions about gender testing. The International Boxing Association had previously banned Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of Chinese Taipei from the 2023 World Championship due to gender tests indicating the presence of XY chromosomes, which was believed to give them an unfair advantage over female opponents. Both Khelif and Yu-Tin won gold medals in their respective weight divisions after being granted permission by the IOC to participate in the Paris Olympic women's boxing competition.

3. 'Last Supper' at opening ceremony

Models and drag queens strolled down a red carpet runway alongside the Passerelle Debilly bridge as the four-hour Opening Ceremony show came to an end. Dozens of other models and actors joined Drag queens Nicky Doll, Paloma, and Piche in an interpretation that many people on the internet claimed was reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's famous picture of 'The Last Supper.' The act was criticized by religious conservatives worldwide, with the conference of bishops of the French Catholic Church condemning "scenes of derision" that they claimed made an affront of Christianity.

4. South Korea mistaken for North Korea at opening ceremony

The athletes from South Korea were mistakenly introduced as North Koreans during the opening ceremony in Paris, prompting the Olympic organizers to make a "deep apology." Presenters in both French and English referred to the enthusiastic, flag-waving team as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea"—the official name of North Korea—as they floated down the Seine. However, the correct title was displayed in the subtitle that appeared at the bottom of the television broadcast. According to the South Korean sports ministry, a "strong complaint with France on a government level" would be filed over the embarrassing blunder.

5. Water quality of the Seine River

Swimming at the Olympics had a rough beginning. Initially, swimmers were concerned about the shallow depth of the pool, which they felt impeded their performance. Then, there were worries about the Seine's water quality and the amount of feces it contained. As a result, several triathletes, including New Zealand silver medalist Hayden Wilde fell sick. However, data from the Paris Olympics organizers indicated that during the swimming events in the Seine River, bacteria levels were within the permitted limits as per testing and defined thresholds.

6. Simone Biles’ Instagram post jab at MyKala Skinner

Simone Biles shared a triumphant snapshot of the winning team on Instagram after the US gymnastics squad won the gold medal in the women's all-around team competition. The caption, which has since become popular, read, "lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions." This was clearly a reference to the remarks made by former American Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner who had previously criticized the US gymnastics team in a since-deleted video. Among other things, she had said, "I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be."

7. Canadian soccer team penalized for spying

Canada, long known for its reputation as the world's "nice guy," faced significant backlash during the 2024 Olympics due to controversial actions. The relationship between Canada and New Zealand, its Commonwealth counterpart, may never be the same after three Canadian head coaches were sent home in disgrace. Additionally, the Canadian football team was penalized with a six-point deduction and a $313,000 fine for using a drone to spy on the New Zealand Football Ferns' training sessions. The situation was further complicated by the fact that Bev Priestman, one of the dismissed coaches, is married to former football player Emma Humphries.

8. Charlotte Dujardin’s viral video of her whipping her horse

Olympic dressage has once again faced criticism for alleged cruelty to horses following the withdrawal of British athlete and three-time gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin. This decision came after a video surfaced showing her repeatedly striking a horse more than 20 times. Although Dujardin has since expressed regret for her actions, this entire episode serves as more evidence to support the views of people who feel that horseback riding should not be allowed in the Olympics and that equestrian sports are merely the glamorous version of animal abuse.

9. Jordan Chiles bronze medal controversy

US Olympic officials have announced that they will appeal a court decision that forced gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal she took home from the Paris Games. Chiles' performance in the floor finals on August 5 was originally scored 13.666. Following a review, the judges adjusted the score, increasing it by 0.1 to 13.766, which led to Chiles winning the bronze medal and pushing Ana Barbosu of Romania to fourth place. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) claimed on August 11 that it "will reallocate" the bronze medal from Chiles to Barbosu, following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration (CAS) that recommended reverting Chiles' score to the original floor routine result.

10. British commentator Bob Ballard pulled out for sexist commentary

Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard passed a sexist remark after Australian swimmers Mollie O'Callaghan, Emma McKeon, Meg Harris, and Shayna Jack won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay. He said, "Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their make-up." The audience and his coworkers on-air both quickly expressed their displeasure at the sexist remarks and Ballard was eventually removed from the commentary team.