The 2024 Paris Olympics are currently under way, and we thought we’d play two stories from the 99% Invisible archives about the art of the Olympics.
This is 99% invisible.
I'm Roman Mars.
The Paris Olympics kicked off last week and the opening ceremonies were something else.
They were awesome.
The metal band Gojira blasted pyrotechnics from a castle alongside a headless Marie Antoinette.
Celine Dion sang at the base of the Eiffel Tower.
A masked torchbearer ran on the rooftops like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible.
And yes, there was an animal cruelty freeze.
Symbolic dove release.
A mysterious figure rode on a metal horse down the Seine, unfurling massive dove wings.
It was weird and wonderful.
This week we're presenting a freshly remixed pair of older Olympic stories from 99pi.
We'll hear more about some long lost Olympic events that we think should definitely be brought back.
But first, this 2017 episode about the iconic design of the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
Enjoy.
The United States leads the Olympics in medal awards and is just about supreme in the sprint races.
On October 16, 1968, American sprinters Tommy Smith and John Carlos climbed onto the podium at the Mexico City Olympics to accept their medals.
Yesterday they came in first and third in the 200 meter dash.
Smith had won gold.
Carlos had won bronze.