Olympics Briefing: When It’s Over

The end of the Games brings an end to competing in general for some athletes.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 10, 2024 Follow along during the day's action with live coverage from The Athletic. Ann Wang/Reuters By Andrew Keh Reporting from Paris The Olympics are in their final stretch. After two more days, the remaining athletes will pack up and return to their corners of the globe, back to their everyday lives, away from the fanfare and television cameras. Spotting the finish line this weekend reminded me of an illuminating conversation I had before these Games with Will Shaner, an American who won a gold medal at the last Summer Olympics in the men's 10-meter air rifle event, when he was just 20. It was the moment he had been working for, in a way, since he picked up the sport as an 8-year-old. But some time after he got home, he decided that he was done. He would "retire." That was it. "I don't think anyone really expected it or was too happy about it," said Shaner, now 23. But in our talk, Shaner shed light on some of the harsher truths of the Games. In many Olympic sports — even the more popular ones — the hours of work are grueling, and the financial rewards, even for medalists, can be meager. The work itself can be mentally taxing: No matter how well you do, even if you win gold, you can always do better. And not even the best athletes are impervious to impostor syndrome. Many of them, moreover, experience what has become known as "post-Olympics depression" — the crash you feel after you ascend to the supposed peak of your career and you think, that's it? "A lot of people think, that's not going to happen to me," he said. "But then it happens, and you're like, 'Oh, it makes sense.'" Many athletes, of course, have different relationships to the Games. For instance, Shaner's former teammate, Vincent Hancock, 35, just won a gold medal in skeet shooting for the fourth time. This was his fifth Olympics, and he wants to compete in Los Angeles in 2028. But some feel the way Shaner does; you just don't always hear much about them. Shaner is now an assistant coach with the shooting team at Ole Miss. He said he was worried he would regret his decision. So when he put his guns down, he left open the possibility that he might grab them again. But that never happened. "I'm comfortable being done," he said. TODAY'S TOP STORY Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Paris memo The Paris Bridge of Olympic Joy and Its Violent Past The Pont du Carrousel, gathering place of joyous crowds, has come to symbolize a season of magic. It was not always so. By Roger Cohen MEDAL COUNT     GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL United States 33 39 39 111 China 33 27 23 83 Britain 14 20 23 57 France 14 20 22 56 Australia 18 16 14 48 Japan 16 8 13 37 See all medal counts Source: International Olympic Committee Results as of Aug. 9, 6 p.m. E.T. Welcome to Day 15 All marathons seem really tiring. But apparently the Olympic marathon is extra tiring. So good luck to the men running it on Saturday and the women heading out on Sunday. At Bercy Arena on Saturday, local fans will be cheering Victor Wembanyama and booing Joel Embiid when France takes on the United States in the men's basketball gold medal game. And that isn't the only championship game for the French on Saturday. They're contending for gold medals in women's handball, against Norway, and in men's volleyball, against Poland. The United States, it must be noted, has another big gold medal game, too: facing Brazil in women's soccer. The Olympics are available on NBC and Peacock in the United States. MORE OLYMPICS COVERAGE The Olympic Marathon Course Is a Torture Test. That's by Design. "Oh, my gosh," one Olympian gasped when she got her first look at the hilly, demanding course. "This looks ridiculous." By Scott Cacciola Belarus Casts Aside Dissident Athletes, Their Talent 'Buried' Many elite athletes who spoke against their autocratic leader must watch on the sidelines while those who stayed quiet or showed loyalty compete in Paris. By Valerie Hopkins Meet Rebeca Andrade, Brazil's Powerhouse Gymnast Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, who finished second to Simone Biles in the all-around and vault finals, won gold in the floor routine. She talked to us about her experience in Paris. By Juliet Macur, Karen Hanley, Tariq Panja, Rebecca Suner and Laura Salaberry Here Are the Olympic Moments We Won't Forget It doesn't take a medal to make a lasting memory. By The New York Times Some of our Olympics coverage is available in Spanish, including these dispatches. You can read it here. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Olympics Briefing from The New York Times. To stop receiving Olympics Briefing, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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