On the night of Aug 11, the Paris Olympics officially closed with an impressive ceremony at France's national stadium (体育场). As the first game started on July 24, around 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries and regions competed at the biggest sports event in the world.
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Paris saw a series of "dream-come-true" moments. China's Olympic team delivered its best performance away from home soil, winning 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals. Chinese divers and table tennis players swept all the gold medals in their sports. In swimming, Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle, 20, broke his own world record to win the men's 100-meter freestyle in 46.40 seconds, leaving his name in history. Zheng Qinwen, 21, won China's first Olympic gold in the tennis singles at the Paris Olympics on Aug 3. After withdrawing (退出) from most of her competitions in Tokyo, US gymnast Simone Biles, 27, made a comeback at the Paris Olympics, winning three gold medals and one silver.
Heartwarming moments
Beyond pushing the limits of athletic achievement, the Olympic athletes who participated in Paris will also be remembered for their excellent sportsmanship. After winning silver in women's singles badminton, China's He Bingjiao, 27, carried a Team Spain Olympic pin with her onto the podium (领奖台), showing respect for her semifinal opponent (对手) Carolina Marin, who withdrew due to a knee injury. This act of sportsmanship touched millions.
Better Olympics, better society
The dormitories (宿舍) in the Olympic village will be turned into 2,800 housing units post-Games. By holding the opening ceremony in an open urban space along the Seine, Paris brought athletes, performers and the audience closer together, igniting (点燃) the city of fashion with an amazing carnival.
