Eight magical days in, Australia is in reach of the unthinkable

PARIS: A little more than halfway through the Olympics, it's time to take a moment, sip a mediocre Parisian coffee, take a bite of a much better croissant, and breathe.

Day eight is over, there's eight days to go and Australia sits fourth on the Paris 2024 medal tally with 12 golds.

It's the country's best-ever start to an Olympics, ahead of 11 gold at the same stage of Athens 2004 and 10 at Sydney 2000.

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The gold rush to kick off Paris 2024 surpassed even the wildest expectations.

Some athletes became household names for the first time with their maiden individual gold medals, the kind where only first names are needed: Mollie, Saya, and Grace.

Veterans have broken through to end long droughts and the relay swimmers have extended their dominance.

Others - Jess, Ariarne and Kaylee - are rewriting history before our eyes as their Olympic CVs soar to new heights.

The pool has dominated the action over the first week in Paris, as it often does before handing over to the athletics.

The USA has won the swimming medal tally at almost every Olympics since Melbourne 1956; it ran second in 1988 to the doping-tainted East Germans and boycotted Moscow in 1980.

But with eight days gone and one night to go in Paris, Australia sits one swimming gold medal ahead the USA - seven to six.

Australia can claim to have taken the points in the USA rivalry, with McKeown twice knocking off Regan Smith to win backstroke gold and Titmus blowing Ledecky away in the 400m freestyle.

Ever the champion, Ledecky returned the favour in the 800m freestyle to add to her dominant win in the 1500m.

Triumph and despair, and so on

There cannot be winners without disappointment for those who don't secure the ultimate prize.

The tears from Australia's women's rugby sevens team after agonising losses in the semi-final and bronze medal matches hit a nerve, while Harry Garside's raw, unfiltered interview after his shock first-round defeat in the boxing exposed the turmoil elite sport can inflict on competitors.

"I have always said there are no guarantees at an Olympic Games, so we have celebrated all the medals won, just as we have celebrated the many other achievements including finals, personal bests and sport best results, we have also rallied around those who have felt disappointment and reminded them we are there for them and show our immense pride in their effort as an Australian Olympian," the Australian team's chef de mission Anna Meares said on Saturday.

"I am battling to find daily emotional composure as I am sure all of Australia is too.

"I am proud of every member of this team and even more proud to be in the thick of it with them.

"We have just ticked over half way in this Olympic campaign and everyone has given their best and I know the athletes and sports yet to compete will continue to represent with the same courage I've enjoyed witnessing so far."

Allez La France!

There's no question the locals have got behind their heroes.

The atmosphere at the pool at La Defense Arena has been the talk of the town and athletes, with several swimmers on record as describing the venue as the best and loudest they've competed in.

That noise goes to a new level whenever Leon Marchand, writing his own history with four individual gold medals, sets foot on the pool deck.

The coordinated roars as he surfaces during any breaststroke swim are something to behold.

On the night he won his fourth gold and celebrated with four fingers in the air, the crowds stayed behind long after the final race to sing "merci Leon" for hours on end.

At the close of day eight, France sits third on the medal table with 12 golds - the same as Australia, but with 14 more minor medals.

With spectacle comes scrutiny

For all the concerned posturing in the lead-up to Paris, things have fallen into place remarkably well.

Heavy rain didn't dampen an ambitious but divisive opening ceremony capped by Celine Dion belting out Hymne A L'Amour from atop the Eiffel Tower.

Kinks in the transport system and Olympic Village are routine for any Games and appear to have been ironed out quickly.

The crowds have been electric, with the party vibe at the beach volleyball up there with the pool.

The triathletes even swam in the Seine - eventually.

But an ugly controversy erupted around the involvement of Algerian and Taiwanese boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, who have always competed in female events but were disqualified from a world championship event for failing an unspecified gender test.

Khelif's 46-second win in the first round left her Italian opponent in tears and sparked a furore amid misinformation and outright false claims online.

Some of the irrelevant noise in the debate clouded a very real issue in elite sport and made for an undignified spectacle.

Likewise, the revelation 11 of China's swimming team for Paris tested positive to a banned heart medication in 2021 has cast a shadow over the meet.

The eyebrow-raising when Pan Zhanle rocketed to a brain melting 100m freestyle world record in a pool that everyone is describing as "slow" became sadly inevitable.

Pan was not one of those who tested positive for the banned drug.

What's next?

With Julien Alfred a shock winner of the marquee women's 100m final on Saturday night and the men's to follow on Sunday, the eyes have now turned to the vibrant purple track of the Stade de France.

There are also medals still to be handed out in events as diverse as weightlifting, kayak cross, sport climbing, taekwondo, breaking and most of the team ball sports.

Bring on week two.