Esprit sportif: Top 30 moments of respect from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Moments 1 to 10)
Excellence, friendship, and respect, the 3 foundations of Olympism were once again on display in Paris.
We’ve compiled the top 30 respect, leadership, and ‘esprit sportif’ (sportsmanship) moments from the 2024 Olympics Games that brought the world closer through the power of sport. #JeuxOlympiques
Here’s Part 1 of the series: Moments 1 to 10. Enjoy!
1. Jemima Montag – Female role model
Respect for others starts with respect for yourself and check out this amazing post-race interview with Olympic bronze medal winning Australian racewalker Jemima Montag, where she shares her philosophy of not having her whole identity bound to being an athlete.
Her philosophy of “wanting it, not needing it,” and not linking her self-worth to the outcome, goes beyond athletics and can be applied in any aspect of life.
She also shares some great advice on the power of sports for girls and it’s not hard to see why she was appointed as an ‘IOC Young Leader’ bringing her energy and communication skills to the Ambassador initiative.
Off the track, Jemima has also co-launched an online program called ‘Play On’, that equips teenage girls in Australia with the knowledge, encouragement, and skills they need for their “whatever suits you” journeys in sport and recreation.
So much positivity, humility, and grace all after an energy sapping 20 kilometre walk.
Credit: Channel Nine
2. The love of a father
“It wasn’t meant to be for today!”
Anyone can have an off day… and it must be tough when it happens at the Olympics.
Behind every Olympian is a support structure and great to witness the beautiful moment where 19-year-old English diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix is consoled by her father, celebrity Chef Fred Sirieix after she finished sixth in the individual 10m diving event.
The unconditional love and support parents give athletes in chasing their dreams is one of the special parts of the Olympics and the way Fred talks Andrea through an emotionally distressing moment and also provides a perspective reset is wonderful.
Like any of us in that moment, all we want is reassurance and, in this case, dad did the job.
And thanks to Andrea and Fred for providing a reminder that all Olympic athletes are already winners just by getting there.
3. Snoop – Taking the Games to the masses
One of the highlights of the Olympic Games for many was the high energy support of NBC pundit and Hip-Hop legend Snoop Dogg.
Snoop was the unofficial mascot and hype man for Team USA athletes and NBC spokesperson Molly Solomon said he was the: “Ambassador of Happiness.”
He was one of final Olympic torchbearers and his joyous antics, enthusiasm and authenticity made the Games cool and contributed to a big spike in NBC viewership and his clips went viral on social media.
Using the hashtag #FollowTheDogg to document his adventures, Snoop was everywhere and in addition to bringing fun and energy he has taken many on a learning journey shining a light on lower focus sports such as fencing, steeplechase, badminton, and Equestrian.
Much respect for Snoop for enhancing the fun and positivity of the Paris Olympics.
Credit: NBC
4. ‘Delly’ – Leadership masterclass
Australian Boomers legend Matthew Dellavedova has had an extraordinary NBA career spanning 10 years, 479 games and including winning an NBA title in 2016 alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Now playing his final years in the NBL, he is in the mentoring phase of his career, sharing his knowledge and expertise with the next generation.
This clip from the Boomers Olympics match against Spain shows him performing the veteran role perfectly, keeping his young teammates from getting distracted through a physical confrontation.
Player-led leadership like this is a coach’s dream – Dellavedova sizes up the situation, separates his fired up young teammates from the fray, forms a huddle, regroups, and focuses on playing their own game, leading to a Spanish turnover and a Patty Mills three pointer.
Along with fellow NBA legend Patty Mills, Dellavedova brings leadership intangibles that are worth way more than their stats.
Credit: Dustin Aubert/IOC
5. Kipchoge – A legend and people’s champion bows out
Father time comes for us all and Kenyan two-time gold medal winner and marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge finally succumbed in the Paris Marathon.
His body could go on no more with hip and back pain leading to the great man stopping at the 30 kilometre mark.
He chose to farewell the event with respect, first waiting for all the runners to pass and once the final runner, Mongolian 6-time Olympian Ser-Od Bat-Ochir went past, he turned to fans, handed them his shoes, bib and socks, received applause and cheers, hopped into the van and onto a new life.
Later Kipchoge later said: “I walked for about 2 kms and there were about 300 people walking with me. That’s why I don’t have my shirt and shoes, I gave them all out.”
“Seeing that support is what motivates me.”
The Rio and Tokyo gold medallist ended an era and bowed out with class.
6. Bob the Cap Catcher
One of the most invisible jobs at the Olympics is the Olympic pool lifeguard, tasked with the rare likelihood of saving an international level swimmer from drowning.
During the 100-meter breaststroke heat, Team USA swimmer Emma Weber suffered a slight mishap when her swim cap came off and sank to the bottom of the pool.
Cometh the moment, cometh the man as the Paris Olympic lifeguard was called on to rescue a Weber’s swimming cap, earning the nickname ‘Bob the Cap Catcher’ from NBC pundits.
Bob the Cap Catcher (who refused to be named in media reports) discharged his duty with grace and style.
Ignoring the wolf whistles, he confidently walked onto the pool deck sporting an elegant dad bod in a Speedo featuring Lions and Tigers.
He then dived to the bottom of the 3m deep pool to rescue the cap, exited the pool, and then held up the cap in triumph, receiving a roaring applause.
When the world needed a hero, Bob was there.
7. Paris Fans support Kinzang Lhamo
The power of the marathon running community was in full bloom as Paris fans joyously supported last placed Bhutanese marathon runner Kinzang Lhamo, who despite being one hour behind the field, showed perseverance, endurance and grit to finish in a time of 3:52.59, an hour and a half after the winner Sifan Hassan.
In incredible scenes, Paris spectators encouraged her and ran alongside her and gave her a huge roar when she finished.
Amazingly, Eurosport broadcast the entire last hour of her run to the joy of millions around the world.
26-year-old Kinzang is the tiny nation of Bhutan’s only athlete at the Paris Games and was her country’s flag bearer, having only taken up running four years ago.
In the lead up to the Games she said: “My first goal is to complete the marathon,” and she did with the support of thousands of fans.
Respect to Kinzang for being the Olympic Spirit personified and respect to the fans for supporting the last place runner and treating her like a gold medallist for courage and determination.
Credit: Eurosport
8. Yee-Wilde triathlon brotherhood
Great to see the spirit of sportsmanship after the Olympic men’s triathlon when Britain’s Alex Yee and New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde shared a personal moment after the brutal final leg 10km run, held in sweltering conditions.
Wilde looked set for gold after building a big lead, but Yee somehow found incredible closing speed to rein in Wilde, his number 1 rival on the triathlon circuit, winning by four seconds.
Despite his disappointment, Wilde showed he is a true competitor and gentleman by sitting with Yee and sharing his moment of triumph despite being delirious with exhaustion.
When asked about the shared moment Yee said: “I think it’s just an appreciation for each other and we work hard day in and day out to be the best athletes we can be.”
“When there is that one person that pushes you to those new limits and those new heights, I have so much appreciation for him.
“As a person who’s allowed me to do that.”
After an epic battle it’s great to see ‘heat of battle’ respect shared between competitors, and these two warriors are the essence of the Olympic spirit.
Photo: World Triathlon
9. Nikola Jokic all-class in victory
Serbian Nikola Jokic is a 6 x time NBA All Star, 3-time NBA MVB and won an NBA title in 2023. He will be remembered as one of the greatest to play the game but is immensely popular for his humility, sportsmanship, and fan-friendly personality.
Whilst his Serbian team celebrated their bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, Jokic shook hands with every German coach and player before celebrating with his team.
A true athlete respects all competitors, and it is a habit that Jokic also does in his NBA games as well, no matter how big the win or painful the loss.
A salute to Nikola Jokic for showing respect in action and winning with grace, an MVP on and off the court.
10. North Korean/South Korean selfie
Although their respective governments have frozen international relations amidst the backdrop of ongoing military tension, the athletes from the South and North Korean mixed table tennis teams were able to show the world some cross border camaraderie with a podium selfie.
For a moment, sport showed the possibilities of humanity with the competing athletes chatting together and smiling, showing the way with display of goodwill and unity of the divided Korean peninsula.
The South Korean mixed doubles players Lim Jong-hoon were largely applauded in South Korean media and we hope the North Korean athletes Kim Kum-yong and Ri Jong-sik are not punished for their spontaneous gesture.
Ping pong diplomacy with a Korean flavour!
Click here for moments 11 to 20! >
Patrick is a founder of Cultural Pulse, a leading multicultural marketing and engagement agency that has worked for the past 15 years on sports participation and fan engagement programs for over 100 communities. He is an author and both of his books ‘The Big O, The Life & Times of Olsen Filipaina‘ and ‘Celestial Footy – The Story of Chinese Aussie Rules‘ have gone into reprint. As a storyteller, his stories on the intersection of sport, history and culture have been published by The Guardian Australia, The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and The Australian Financial Review. He is passionate about celebrating the role of match officials in sport and is currently the proud coach of the Rockdale Raiders Under 6 Intermediate mixed football team.
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