The Olympics in 2021 had some really memorable moments. This article will highlight some of those top moments in the Olympics and how they managed to pull off the Olympics during the pandemic. Some top moments include Lydia Jacoby’s swim to success, Clarissa Moore’s strong surfing, Simone Biles’ Final Flip, and Neeraj Chopra’s tremendous throw.     

Lydia Jacoby –

              Lydia Jacoby is 17 from Anchorage, Alaska. She won the gold medal for 100 meter breaststroke. She was born on February 29th 2004. She attended Seward High School and her college team was Texas Longhorns Swimming and Diving. Jacoby started swimming when she was 6 years old and at the age of 12 she broke the Alaska state record in swimming. She was known as the Dark Horse Threat. She was the first American woman to win a gold medal in the swimming events. She completed the 100 meter in 1 minute and 4.95 seconds. Her hometown was very proud and she gained a lot of attention.

Clarissa Moore – 

     Clarissa Moore became the first female to win a gold medal in surfing. Even  more amazing is that Moore is only 29 years old. She started surfing with her dad when she was 5 years old. Winning this gold medal was a huge moment for her native Hawaii, where surfing is a central sport. In 2013, she was in one of Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year. She also became part of the Surfers Hall of Fame. “I feel super blessed, super fortunate. It’s been an incredible experience,” is what she said after winning the gold. Moore’s family cheered her on from Hawaii. She noted that it was an emotional rollercoaster learning how to trust herself without her family with her. 

Simone Biles – 

                    Simone Biles is 24 years old and from Columbus, Ohio. She started doing gymnastics when she was 6 years old and she began her career when she was only 14. In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Biles left the team after the first vault of the team final, saying she wasn’t confident she could perform well. Simon was dealing with twisties, which is when a gymnast feels lost in the air. She also didn’t want to risk any injury. Biles said, ”It wasn’t easy pulling out of all those competitions. I physically and mentally wasn’t in the right head space and I didn’t want to jeopardize my health or safety because at the end of the day it’s not worth it.” She altered her routine, and performed while still having twisties. 

In the end she walked away with a bronze medal. “ I wasn’t expecting to walk away with a medal. I was just going out there to do this and whatever happens, happens” This moment is important because it tells us that we should always put ourselves and our health before our success. Taking care of our health is such a memorable thing to do; Simon Biles is an inspiration to all athletes. 

Neeraj Chopra – 

              Neeraj Chopra is an Indian track and field athlete, who takes part in javelin throw. Chopra is 23 years old and was born in Panipat, India. He is the first track and field individual competitor to win the gold medal for India. This was the first time India had won a gold medal since 2008. He reached a mark of 87.58 meters. His gold winning throw made his nation proud. As a result, in August of the 2021 Olympics he was placed No. 2 by the World Athletes Organization. 

These were some epic and great moments in the Olympics. We can all learn from how hard they worked and how they respect their mental and physical health. We must also remember not to aim for winning but to always do our best. Just like them, and always remember a little hard work goes a long way.