The atmosphere was electric at NZ House off the Champs-Élysées on Wednesday morning as the families of the Black Ferns Sevens, the women’s rugby sevens double Olympic champions, eagerly awaited the arrival of their team to continue the celebrations.
The crowd gathered to watch triathlete Hayden Wilde in the final stages of the men’s competition. Wilde, leading the race on the run, seemed poised to secure another gold for his nation until Team GB’s Alex Yee, the silver medalist in Tokyo, surged ahead in a sprint with 400m to go, ultimately claiming the gold.
Although there was a moment of silence as the turn of events sank in, the crowd quickly erupted into cheers as Wilde clinched the Olympic silver medal, a remarkable achievement.
Both athletes, Wilde and Yee, displayed immense determination and sportsmanship as they collapsed to the ground after crossing the finish line, having given their all in what was a thrilling conclusion to the men’s race.
