Diana Taurasi, Mijaín Lopez leave historic mark at Paris Games
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Staff Reports, Staff reports
- August 12, 2024
Diana Taurasi earns sixth gold medal
Although she didn’t play in the final, Diana Taurasi capped an impressive Paris Olympics for Latino athletes. The Argentine American made history with her record sixth Olympic gold medal with the U.S. women’s national basketball team.
Latinos helped the U.S. capture gold medals with the U.S. men’s and women’s basketball teams. In individual sports, Dominican Republic sprinter Marileidy Paulino delivered arguably the most thrilling performance while setting an Olympic record in the 400-meter sprint.
Cuban Mijaín Lopez accomplished a feat that probably won’t ever be match in Greco-Roman wrestling or any other individual sport.
Let’s recap some of the greatest performances from Latinos at the Paris Games.
Legendary Diana Taurasi
Taurasi, 42, stands alone as the most decorated women’s basketball player in the world. Already considered the greatest of all-time in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi is now the only basketball player – men or women – with six Olympic gold medals.
The Phoenix Mercury great and Sue Bird had been tied at five gold medals apiece until the U.S. held on to beat France 67-66 for its eighth consecutive gold medal in women’s basketball.
Taurasi played a minor role on the court this time around, but her leadership was praised.
“We talk about that gold standard,” Brianna Stewart told the Associated Press. “And she is that. … But she continues to kind of come in and show up and be the GOAT that she is.
“And whether it’s in different roles like when she first started or to now, she’s one of the best to ever play.”
Devin Booker shone brightly
On the men’s side, Devin Booker scored 15 points in the gold medal game to help the U.S. beat France. Only Stephen Curry, who scored 24 points, had more points than Booker in the final. Booker and his Phoenix Suns teammate Kevin Durant each scored 15 points in the final.
Booker, the biracial son of a Mexican American mother and an African American dad, was quietly one of the best players for the U.S. at the Olympics.
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There’s a reason Booker has his own Nike shoe. The young man is special, and he showed it while playing on a roster with the best of his generation. Booker has been one of the best Latinos in the NBA for a while, rivaling Karl Anthony Towns and Al Horford.
Speaking of Horford, the first Dominican Republic native to win an NBA Finals trophy, he was one of many Dominican stars raving about Marileidy Paulino.
Marileidy Paulino sets Olympic record
Marileidy Paulino rallied most of her beloved island as she smoked the field in the 400 meter final. Even the president of the Dominican was as giddy as a child yelling at the television as she sprinted toward the finish line.
Paulino set a new Olympic record in the women’s 400 meters with a time of 48.17.
“Grande!!! Felicidades, Marileidy,” Horford posted on X, formerly Twitter, with two Dominican flag emojis. (“Huge!!! Congrats, Marileidy.”)
Osmar Olvera earns silver and bronze for Mexico
In Mexico, welterweight boxer Marco Verde won the silver medal. He and synchronized swimmer Nuria Diosdado carried the Mexican flag in the Closing Ceremony.
Mexico earned gold medals in three events. Verde won in boxing. Prisca Awiti, who was born in London to a Mexican mother, won a silver in Judo. Osmar Olvera and Juan Celaya won a silver medal in men’s synchronized 3 meter springboard. Olvera, 20, also won a bronze in 3 meter springboard diving.
Ale Valencia, Ana Vazquez and Angela Ruiz won bronze for Mexico in archery.
Marta settles for silver again
If there was an equivalent of Diana Taurasi in women’s soccer at the Olympics, it was Brazil’s Marta.
The legend was playing in her sixth Olympics. She ended her international soccer career in the final against the U.S. Marta had to settle for her third silver medal at the Olympics after losing 1-0 to the U.S. at Parc des Princes.
“I am crying out of gratitude, happiness,” she told the AP. “I am not crying because we won silver. Look at how much we had to overcome to win this silver,” Marta said.
Brazil’s Ana Patricia Ramos and Duda Lisboa won gold in women’s beach volleyball in a tense final against Canada. With 20 medals overall, three of them gold, Brazil led all Latin American countries in the medal count at the Paris Games.
Brazil and New Zealand finished tied for 12th for the most medals at the Paris Olympics, but New Zealand led Brazil 10-3 in gold medals.
Mijaín Lopez leaves a champ
With Greco-Roman wrestler Mijaín Lopez leading the way, Cuba finished 25th in the medal count and second among Latin American countries. Cuba earned nine medals – two gold, one silver and six bronze.
Lopez made history by becoming the first Olympian to win gold medals in five consecutive Olympics in the same individual event.
The 41-year-old wrestler retired immediately after winning his gold medal. He took off his shoes and left them on the mat as he walked away for the last time.
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who was born in South Carolina to a Puerto Rican mother, won a bronze medal in the 100 meter hurdles for Puerto Rico.
Ecuador and Mexico each earned five medals. Ecuador finished 47th in the medal count, one spot ahead of Mexico by virtue of one gold. Colombia won four medals. Argentina and the Dominican Republic each won three medals. Chile, Guatemala and Puerto Rico each won two medals, combining for the six that Diana Taurasi has earned during her career.
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