12 Incredible Olympics Sportsmanship Moments Worth Their Weight in Gold Medals

The 2024 Paris Olympics have brought pulse-pounding excitement, amazing victories and spectacular sportsmanship we'll never forget

The Olympic Games are where some of the most intense athletic rivalries take place, with competitors fighting for gold until the bitter end. But at the 2024 Paris Olympics, another spectacular display has been taking place on the mats, fields and courses: Displays of sportsmanship that cross boundaries and borders.

From athletes helping each other after unintended stumbles to congratulating each other on their wins, the games are uniting competitors and creating friendships.

Here are 12 of the best sportsmanship moments at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Bowing Down

During the medal ceremony for the women's gymnastics floor exercise final on August 5, Simone Biles (left) and Jordan Chiles (right) bowed down to Brazil's Rebeca Andrade after she won a gold medal in the event. Biles and Chiles — who won a silver and bronze medal, respectively — planned the gesture right before the ceremony and said they wanted to honor Andrade's incredible hard work to get to this moment.

"She's so amazing, she's queen," Biles said of the Brazilian gold medalist. "And it was an all-Black podium, so that was super exciting for us."

"Not only has [Andrade] given Simone her flowers, but a lot of us in the United States our flowers as well, so giving it back is what makes it so beautiful," Chiles added.

Rugby Sevens Love

The medaling women's rugby sevens teams from New Zealand, Canada and the United States all intermingled while posing for a group photo on July 30 to show that despite being fiercely competitive (have you seen those stiff-arm blocks?), they are all still friends at the end of the day.

Quiet Down!

Japan's Daiki Hashimoto showed great sportsmanship during the men's gymnastics team final after gesturing to the stands and telling the audience to quiet down with his finger over his mouth on July 29. Hashimoto wanted to make sure his rival from China, Zhang Boheng, could concentrate while performing his final routine.

Congratulating a Friend

After Great Britain's Alex Yee (right) passed New Zealand's Hayden Wilde in the last 400 meters of the men's triathlon on July 31, Wilde quickly sat down on the blue carpet and congratulated his biggest rival on the gold medal win.

Wilde later went on social media and posted a picture of them two on the carpet with the caption, "Love yah mate. Deserved Olympic champ."

Nothing but Love

Novak Djokovic (left) and Rafael Nadal embraced each other after playing their 60th head-to-head match on July 29. Djokovic (who won) and Nadal may have had a long-time rivalry, but they have the utmost respect for each other off the court.

Selfie Time

After winning a bronze medal in mixed doubles table tennis, South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon (right) whipped out his phone to take a selfie on the podium with the silver-medaling North Korean and gold-medaling Chinese teams.

NPR called it a "moment of selfie diplomacy," nodding to the fact that tensions between South and North Korea have escalated in recent months, and border crossings between the two countries are prohibited.

Hugging It Out

Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade continue to prove that competition can't stand in the way of a good hug. The two congratulated one another with a cinch on the sidelines right before the scores for the women's gymnastics all-around individual final were announced on July 30.

One Team

Right after receiving their gold and silver medals for the 200-meter freestyle on July 29, New Zealand's Mollie O’Callaghan (right) invited fellow teammate Ariarne Titmus onto the gold medal plinth to share the moment as their national anthem played.

Friendly Competition

Team USA volleyball player Haleigh Washington (left) posted a picture on Instagram smiling alongside China's Zhu Ting after China beat the U.S. on July 30.

Washington captioned the post, "Tough loss tonight, but you either win or you learn! We’re ready to learn and come back stronger. On the plus side I got to see my best friend todayyyyy!! @zhuting1129 🫰🏽🩵😘"

Helping Hand

Silina Pha Aphay (left) of Team Lao People's Democratic Republic was the first to check on South Sudan's Lucia Moris after she collapsed on the ground clutching at her right leg during the preliminary sprinting heat of the women's 100-metre race.

Good Game

Crystal Dunn (right) of the United States offered her hand to Maika Hamano of Japan after Team USA beat Japan 1-0 in the women's quarterfinal match on August 03.

Step On Up

Team USA's Katie Ledecky (center) told her teary fellow teammate Paige Madden to join her on the podium after winning gold and bronze, respectively, in the women's 800-meter freestyle final on August 3.

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