Now that the Paris games are over, I (American) am feeling incredible about the Olympics the world just witnessed. I feel like I haven’t seen so much excitement, so much buzz, so many great moments and images from the Olympics in a really long time. I started off not even paying attention, but by the end I was glued to my TV. I think it may be one of the best Olympics in my lifetime, if not the best.

Maybe it’s because I’ve had mixed feelings about the Olympics since the controversies at Rio, then covid disruptions and I haven’t really tuned in. But I genuinely can’t remember a games quite this impressive, it just felt overwhelmingly positive, grand, beautiful. Amazing records have been set, and from an American perspective we had what felt like a coronation of some of our greatest athletes in our nation’s history. I also feel almost like the women were the real highlight in this Olympics. It felt like they were so triumphant and often more interesting. Also, breaking. Breaking was just amazing.

And again, as an American it feels great to be so proud of my country, after a very long time of feeling not so proud of my country. We’ve had a very crazy summer in the states politically, so to hear people chant USA, to see our flag waving so often, it really inspires me during a very consequential election year. It feels like the entire world is holding their breath to see who we will elect president in November, and to hear the Star Spangled Banner sung during the closing ceremony, with our star hero Simone Biles holding our flag, a Black woman being celebrated on the world stage while a Black woman H.E.R. sang our national anthem, and the Olympic flame heading to our shores, it felt so patriotic, like the world is rooting for America, because so much hinges on us this year. “Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there” - if indeed the red white and blue is a banner of freedom for the world amid darkness and conflict, then those words scarcely held more significance than in this moment of national triumph amid a time of choosing for America if we want to continue to be that hope.

So for all these reasons and more, this closing ceremony left me more emotional than I can ever remember being at the end of the Olympics. And you add to it the incredible venues and sights of Paris, and it just feels like these have been maybe the best games in my lifetime.

I’m curious if other ppl feel the same or have other opinions on the best Olympics.