Veterans continue to win and shine at 2024 Paris Summer Olympics

As the world's top multi-sports competition, the latest edition of the Summer Olympics continues to belong not only to rising young stars, but also to veteran athletes, many of whom have surprised and impressed spectators with remarkable performance at the 2024 Paris Games.

Novak Djokovic completed a career "Golden Slam" as the 37-year-old Serbian fought off Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in a magnificent men's singles tennis final at Roland Garros. Having suffered heartbreaking losses in Beijing, London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, Djokovic simply would not be denied the one title that had eluded him for so long, as he beat Alcarez 7-6, 7-6 in front of an enthralled crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"Yeah, first time of asking at the age of 37 – but my fifth Olympic Games," Djokovic said. "You know, three out of four Olympic Games, I was losing in the semifinals. And you know, I won a bronze medal in Beijing, which was my first Olympic Games – and carried the flag for Serbia in 2012 in London, which was one of the best feelings I ever had in my life, in my professional tennis career. I didn't know until today that there is even a better feeling, which is winning a gold for your country. So I couldn't be prouder, happier."

British skateboarder Andy Macdonald made his Olympic debut at Paris 2024 at the age of 51. Competing against skaters a third of his age in many cases, Macdonald finished 18th out of 22 entrants in the men's park preliminaries. The oldest athlete in the field was joined by 49-year-old South African Dallas Oberholzer, who previously took part in the event when skateboarding made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games.

"So I really like the fact that some elders – 'Andy Mac,' myself, Rune (Glifberg) is here again – it's essential to have the elders amongst us, you know, because we paved the way," Oberholzer said. "We did. And I don't want to give it up to some kid that is, like, regimented in a gym and, yeah, it's scary because skateboarding was always about the freedom and about the expression and the deviance of skateboarding, you know, and doing it your way."

Legendary Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez won his fifth gold medal in his fifth appearance at the Olympics following his triumph in the men's Greco-Roman 130-kilogram final. The 41-year-old defeated Yasmani Acosta Fernandez of Chile 6-0 to become the first athlete to win gold in the same event at five consecutive editions of the Games.