The year 2024 was marked by some big sports moments including the Paris 2024 Olympics, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Euro 2024 and Formula One, among others.
These events reflect the dynamic and memorable nature of sports in 2024, highlighting both individual and team achievements across the globe.
2024 will surely be a memorable one for sports fans around the world.
Here are the big moments of 2024 in the sporting world;
Ivory Coast’s AFCON triumph
The 2023 AFCON held from 13 January to 11 February in 2024 in Ivory Coast was indeed memorable with the host nation fighting against all odds to comeback from near exit in the group stages after losing their final group game 4-0 against Equatorial Guinea.
Durng the tournament, the host nation sacked Jean-Louis Gasset as their coach and appointed Emerse Faé to take charge of the team.
A resurgent Ivory Coast scraped through to the knockout phase eliminating the likes of Senegal, Mali and DR Congo on their way to the final.
They came from behind to beat Nigeria’s Super Eagles 2-1 in the final, thanks to Sebastien Haller’s winning goal.
The victory over the Super Eagles completed a miraculous turnaround for the Elephants in the competition.
Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics
The Paris 2024 Olympics opened on July 26 and ended on August 11 with thousands of athletes from different countries participating and millions of fans following.
The United States led the medal table with 126 total medals, including 40 golds, followed by China with 91 medals and Great Britain with 65. Notable performances included both the US male and female Basketball teams, Simone Biles’s triumphant return to gymnastics, securing gold, and Katie Ledecky’s dominance in swimming, adding multiple golds to her tally.
The occasion marked the first time a gold medal tie among the two most successful countries has occurred in Summer Olympics history.
New records were set, and historic milestones were reached as Paris passed the Olympic torch to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Games.
Shortly after the end of Paris 2024, the Paralympics followed from August 28 to September 8, with thousands of para-athletes competing in different events.
Like the Olympics, the Paralympic Games also witnessed athletes break milestones as Nigerian athlete, Mariam Eniola Bolaji, an 18-year-old, became the first African to win a badminton medal at either the Paralympic or Olympic Games.
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