The Olympics provide some of the greatest moments in the history of sports, and they often come with broadcasting calls of the highest level.
From Al Michaels screaming "do you believe in miracles?! Yes!" after the Miracle on Ice to Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines going crazy in that famous 4x100 freestyle relay in Beijing, some of the most memorable broadcasting moments ever have come from the Olympic Games.
Paris 2024 has provided some incredible moments, and with fans finally back in the crowd, the energy has reached levels not seen in years at an Olympics. That has brought out the best in announcers across sports and provided some calls that may never be forgotten.
Here is the best of the best from the booth at these 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
French broadcasters lose their minds as Teddy Riner wins gold
There may be no athlete in these Olympics that had a better Games than France's Teddy Riner. They began with him lighting the Olympic Cauldron to conclude the Opening Ceremony, then he went on to take gold in both the individual and team judo events.
Riner delivered that team win in incredibly dramatic fashion, after a random lottery chose his weight class for the tiebreaking match. Riner — the most decorated Judo Olympian ever — of course won and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
Before that team gold he had another moment that may have been even better, when he won the individual gold with a tremendous finishing move. Not only did it send the crowd into mayhem, but the French broadcast team lost it right along with them, providing an instant classic of a call.
Leon Marchand electrifies Paris with comeback 200m butterfly win
Probably the biggest star of these Paris Olympics was Leon Marchand, the French sensation in the pool who went 4/4 on individual gold medals.
Marchand announced himself as the best in the world with a stupefying swim in the 400 IM, lapping the field en route to his first gold of the Games.
His finest moment may have been when he pulled off an incredible comeback in the 200 fly. He chased down world record holder Kristof Milak and sent not only the arena into a frenzy, but the French announcers as well.
@nbcolympics âEXCEPTIONELLE!â The French commentary of Leon Marchandâs comeback win in the 200m fly was HYPE. ð«ð· #ParisOlympics
⬠original sound - NBC Olympics & Paralympics
Oh, and Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines' call was not too shabby either.
Saint Lucia lights up for first Olympic medal in women's 100m
Julian Alfred delivered one of the best moments of the games when she won her country's first-ever Olympic medal in the women's 100m.
Alfred left the field in her wake, including Team USA's Sha'Carri Richardson, and dashed all the way to gold. To win a country's first-ever medal in one of the signature events of the Games, and to have it be gold, cements it as one of the lasting images from Paris.
To hear the way her country's broadcast team reacted to the moment only makes it better.
Quincy Hall digs deep for 400m gold
Quincy Hall showed the world what grit and triumph looks like after he powered through to an incredible comeback win in the men's 400m.
Leigh Diffey rose to the occasion, as he often does, with an incredible call, seeming to power Hall down the backstretch and into Olympic glory.
Noah Eagle speaks for all of America
Stephen Curry delivered one of the greatest moments in the history of USA Basketball when he went off at the end of the gold medal match to secure a fifth straight Olympic gold medal.
Curry, who had never played at the Olympics before, finally had his moment on the biggest stage when he went crazy from three in a way only he can. As the threes kept pouring in, the energy kept building in the arena and on the microphone. Noah Eagle met the occasion, speaking for all of America with the sheer disbelief he gave off while marveling at Curry's insane run.
It all peaked when Curry hit the final three, a ridiculous fadeaway over two defenders, and Noah just lost his mind for a second. It perfectly met the moment, and will life forever in the history of USA basketball.
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 11, 2024SPLASH AFTER SPLASH AFTER SPLASH AFTER SPLASH! ð¦
Steph Curry couldn't miss in the final minutes! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/jM8xnR80Tx
Rowdy Gaines is just the best
There are any number of incredible calls from Rowdy Gaines at these Olympics that could be featured, but it would be too hard to pick one.
This was Rowdy's eighth Olympics alongside his partner, Dan Hicks, and his passion for the sport still jumps through the speakers and out to the world at each Games.
Rowdy announced following the swimming program in Paris that LA will be his last Games, and so to celebrate the beginning of the end, here is a compliation of the best Rowdy moments from the Paris Olympic Games, because there are just too many to choose from.
Sit back, relax and enjoy five minutes and 55 seconds of pure Rowdy Gaines energy. ð£ï¸ðï¸#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/JDehqrB31B
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2024