It was an Olympics with a lot of rain, incredible performances and records broken. Simone Biles established herself as the undisputed queen of gymnastics. Swimmer Katie Ledecky became the most decorated U.S. woman Olympian. The U.S. women’s soccer team returned to the top of the medal podium with its first gold medal in 12 years.
These games also featured something never before seen: reallocation ceremonies. The first one happened on August 7 when figure skaters from the 2022 Olympic Winter Games marched into Champions Park. This was more of an allocation because no medals from the team competition had been awarded because what country would receive which medals remained at issue until recently. On a sunny day in Paris, the skaters of Team USA and Team Japan received their gold medals and silver medals.
“As an Olympic medalist myself, I feel for them,” said Sylvia Hoffman, who won bronze in the two-woman bobsled in the 2022 Winter Olympics. “I was super excited to receive my medal in Beijing (site of the Games). I got to take it with me everywhere.. … I’m really happy that they were able to experience their medal ceremony at an Olympic Games, which is so very special.”
Two days later, 10 athletes representing seven countries at three Olympics received medals as a result of previous medalists being disqualified. The longest wait was for Beverly McDonald of Jamaica, bronze medalist in the 200 meters at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
“Even though they have been waiting for years and some of them probably pushed it aside at some point…the [result] was changed and that’s what matters,” said Hoffman. “You do hope that the right thing can be done.”
The two gold medalists were both Americans, Erik Kynard Jr., winner of the men’s high jump, and Lashinda Demus, winner of the women’s 400 meter hurdles at the 2012 Olympics. Demus was joined by the silver medalist, Zuzana Hejnova of Czech Republic, and bronze medalist Kaliese Spencer Carter of Jamaica. Queens-born and Long Island-raised Chelsea Hammond-Ross was awarded a bronze medal in the long jump for the 2008 Olympics.
“I’m just so happy I was able to be with the ladies I competed with,” said Spencer Carter. “I was happy, regardless of the fact that I have lost so much in those years, endorsement wise and otherwise. But I am very grateful that we received the ceremony, which was well deserved. It was great going out there and the crowd cheering. Not the same feeling as if it were in the Olympic stadium after our race, but I am still grateful for the fact we have gotten what we deserved after so many years.”