Austria's Olympic Splendor in Paris 2024: A Balance Between Tradition and Surprises
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are history, and Austria can look back proudly on its sporting achievements. On Tuesday, the successful Olympic athletes were honored in the Vienna Hofburg by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen.
In the Vienna Hofburg, President Alexander Van der Bellen honored the successful Austrian Olympic athletes who had won a total of six medals, including three gold medals, at the sixth most successful Summer Games in Paris. / Picture: © Österreichische Präsidentschaftskanzlei/Paul Kulec/HBF
“Thank you for so many wonderful, exciting, and inspiring moments at the Olympic Games!” said Van der Bellen as he greeted the athletes. Special mention was made of the gold medal winners Lara Vadlau, Lukas Mähr, and Valentin Bontus, who were each rewarded with a medal bonus of 20,000 euros in the form of Philharmonic gold coins.
Austria's successful Olympic record
The Games in Paris brought Austria one of the best medal hauls in recent history. The Austrian team won a total of six medals, putting it in fourth place of all Austrian Summer Games. Particularly noteworthy were the performances of sailors Lara Vadlau and Lukas Mähr, who won gold in the 470 class, and kitesurfer Valentin Bontus, who surprisingly triumphed in the Formula Kite class. These victories consolidated the position of sailing as one of the most successful disciplines for Austria at the Olympic Games.
Jakob Schubert and Jessica Pilz, both active in climbing, also provided medal-worthy moments. They each took bronze, underlining Austria's significant status in this young Olympic sport. Michaela Polleres rounded off the medal tableau with bronze in judo, a discipline that is traditionally strongly represented in Austria.
Top sporting performances and missed opportunities
The sporting results of the Olympic Games reflect Austria's ambitions, but there were also bitter moments. Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri, who were considered the favorites in synchronized swimming, narrowly missed out on the bronze medal. The sisters expressed their disappointment with the scoring after the competition and hoped for future improvements through the use of artificial intelligence to minimize human error in scoring.
ÖOC President Karl Stoss was nevertheless satisfied with the overall performance of the Austrian team. He emphasized that, in addition to the medals, there were also 20 top ten placings, which underlines the potential of the athletes. At the same time, he regretted that Austria was not represented in team sports at these games and emphasized the need to invest in promising disciplines such as women's soccer and flag football.
The closing ceremony in Paris: a spectacle for the ages
The 33rd Summer Olympics ended with an impressive closing ceremony at the Stade de France. The 11,148 athletes from 206 nations gathered one last time to bid the Games a fitting farewell. Gold medal winners Lara Vadlau and Lukas Mähr carried the red-white-red flag for Austria and, like the other medal winners, were celebrated by the spectators.
The celebrations featured a spectacular show with musical and acrobatic interludes, including a vertically suspended piano and giant golden Olympic rings that soared into the night sky. Hollywood glamor was brought into play by Tom Cruise, who abseiled from the stadium roof and symbolically carried off the Olympic flag - a gesture that already drew attention to the upcoming 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will not only be remembered for the sporting successes, but also the impressive closing show and Austria's strong presence in the medal ranks. With six medals, including three gold, this edition of the Summer Games is one of the most successful in Austrian history. However, the realization remains that there is still a lot of work to be done to be among the world leaders in even more disciplines in future Games.
The award ceremony in the Hofburg marks the end of a successful Olympic year for Austria, but the focus is already on the future. In four years, the athletes will once again be competing for medals in Los Angeles - and Austria will once again do everything in its power to excel in sport and build on its successful track record.