Europe sits proudly at the top of the continental medal table after nine days of exciting competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
On the Games’ first return to the continent for more than a decade, European athletes have joined their fellow competitors from across the globe as record crowds flock to venues in the French capital and beyond.
At the end of competition, Europe had won 68 gold medals, 72 silver and 86 bronze, leaving them with a total of 226 medals, 105 more than Asia and 111 more than the Americas.
Great Britain’s women’s synchronised 3m diving team won Europe’s first medal of the Games on the very first morning, before Belgian cycling superstar Remco Evenepoel claimed the first European gold, and was followed in silver and bronze by Filippo Ganna (Italy) and Wout van Aert (Belgium) respectively, making Europe’s first podium sweep.
Other highlights for European athletes have included French swimming star Leon Marchand winning four gold medals in the pool and former Piotr Nurowski Prize winner Yaroslava Maruchikh (Ukraine) adding an Olympic gold medal to her ever-expanding collection.
A number of European Games gold medallists have already placed on the podium in Paris, highlighting the importance of the European Olympic Committees’ (EOC) pathway with the European Games and European Youth Olympic Festivals.
EOC President Spyros Capralos hailed France for its staging of the Games so far and praised European athletes for their stunning successes already.
President Capralos said: “Already, we can say that the Olympic Games has shown the best of Paris, the best of France and the best of Europe, with six days of competition still remaining. In stunning venues with packed crowds, we have seen athletes from across the world entertain fans and produce memories that will last a lifetime for all involved.
“I have paid particular attention to the successes of our European athletes and especially those who have competed in EOC events previously. We believe that the pathway the EOC lays out for European athletes to compete in multi-sport events is vital to their success on the world stage and this has been proven by the results we have seen.
“The Olympic spirit has been alive in the Olympic Village and on the field of play, as has European unity, and we are all excited to watch the final days of competition.”
