BRICS countries and key allies at the Paris 2024 Olympics

The Paris 2024 Olympics marked a significant chapter for the BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa and their close allies like Iran, the UAE, and Ethiopia. This global event not only showcased their athletes’ talents but also emphasized their growing prominence in the world of sports. China was one of the powerhouses. With a well-rounded team across various disciplines, China continued its tradition of finishing among the top nations in the medal standings.

China amassed a total of 91 medals.  40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze. The Chinese gymnastics team, led by world champions like Liu Yang   and Zou Jingyuan delivered stellar performances, securing multiple golds. In diving, the Chinese athletes once again demonstrated their dominance, sweeping the podium in several events.

 This overall performance solidified China’s position as a global sports superpower, underscoring its meticulous preparation and deep talent pool. Brazil had an impressive showing, building on the momentum from previous Games. With a total of 20 medals with 3 gold, 7 silver, and 10 bronze. Brazil once again proved its prowess in sports, particularly in football, volleyball, and judo.

The Brazilian women’s football team were among the highlights and managed to reach the finals and secured a silver medal after losing 1-0 to the USA. Volleyball also brought glory to Brazil, with the women’s team clinching gold and the men’s team earning bronze.

Brazilian judokas showed their technical superiority, bringing home several medals and Beatriz SOUZA won gold for Brazil in women’s 78kg. Additionally, Brazil made strides in athletics, particularly in the hurdles with Alison dos SANTOS bagging a bronze medal.

Iran put in a solid performance, with its athletes showing grit and determination across two disciplines, Taekwondo and Wrestling. The country won a total of 12 medals: 3 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze. Iranian wrestlers dominated their weight classes, with several athletes winning gold and silver medals. Taekwondo also brought success to Iran, with one gold ,2 silver and one bronze medals. Wresters like Saeid Esmaeili Leivesi and Mohammadhadi Saravi took home gold medals for the Islamic Republic of Iran.

South Africa’s Olympic journey in Paris was marked by individual brilliance. The standout performance came from the track, with Akani Simbine  clinching silver in the 4 x 100m, making history as the first South African sprinters to do so.

 Swimmer Tatjana Smith continued her excellent form, winning a gold medal in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke and silver in Women’s 200m Breaststroke, adding to her Tokyo success. The rugby sevens team, the Blitzboks, earned a bronze medal, adding to their legacy as one of the top teams in the sport. South Africa won 6 medals, 1 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia’s participation reflected its growing investment in sports. Although the countries had nothing to show from the Paris Olympics 2024 the future looks bright for the next Olympics in the USA. Ethiopia maintained its reputation as a long-distance running powerhouse. Tamirat Tola won gold in the Men’s Marathon.  Tsige Duguma and Tigst Assefa both added silver medals in the women’s marathon.  And in the Men’s 10,000m,  Berihu Aregawi , also bagged a silver.

India took home six medals – a silver and five bronze. Manu Bhaker bagged a bronze and became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal for shooting. She then created history by becoming the first Indian to win two medals at a single edition of the Olympics after she clinched a mixed team 10m air pistol bronze with Sarabjot Singh.

Swapnil Kusale added a third medal in shooting to make it India’s biggest haul in a sport in a single edition of the Olympics. The Indian men’s hockey team matched their Tokyo 2020 success with the bronze in Paris while Neeraj Chopra became the most successful individual Olympian after he claimed a silver medal in the javelin throw.

Egypt made a strong impact at the games by winning a total of 3 medals: 1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze. The gold came from Elgendy Ahmed in Modern Pentathlon where an Egyptian lifter dominated the competition. The Paris 2024 Olympics showcased the diverse strengths of the BRICS countries. China’s dominance, Brazil’s rise, Iran’s focused success, South Africa’s individual brilliance, the UAE’s growing ambitions, and Ethiopia’s long-distance legacy all contributed to a memorable Games.

Kenyan athletes’ sterling performance at the Olympics has once again earned the country the number one position on the continent after garnering a total of 11 medals. 4 gold, two silver and five bronze. Kenya was ranked 17^th out of the  180 nations that participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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