The event was also attended by the heads of the National Olympic Committee and sports federations, coaches, parents of athletes, and representatives of state and public organizations.
The 2024 Olympic Games were held in Paris from July 26 to August 11. About 11 thousand athletes from more than 200 countries took part in them. Uzbekistan participated with 90 athletes in 19 sports. These prestigious competitions became rich in records and unprecedented achievements for us.
The Head of state delivered a speech congratulating the athletes on this historic victory.
“Having shown great courage and perseverance in the most intense struggle, you won 8 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals, and this is a bright result, testifying to the high development potential of our country. This historic victory once again showed what great achievements the youth of New Uzbekistan is capable of. Our country took 13th place among the participating states in the overall team standings, 4th place on the Asian continent, 1st place among the Turkic and Islamic countries, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. These unprecedented results in the history of Uzbekistan made us all very happy”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.
All conditions were created for athletes and coaches, and the approach to training athletes was changed. At the meeting held in August 2021, the goal was set to enter the fifteen strongest countries at the upcoming Olympics. Having coped with this task with honor, Uzbekistan took 13th place worldwide.
As noted in the authoritative Financial Times, the Olympic medals and the country’s achievements in the world of sports testify to the country’s overall development and human development.
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of each achievement, each high indicator in the Olympic Games. After all, at such a significant international competition, held every four years, the attention paid in each country to sports and the physical and spiritual potential of the nation is demonstrated.
Diyora Keldiyorova won the first gold medal. She became the first Uzbek woman to win a gold medal in the history of the Summer Olympics.
Another brave girl, Svetlana Osipova, won the first silver medal in taekwondo, opening a new page in the country’s history of women’s sports.
For the first time at the Olympic Games, Uzbekistan won two medals in taekwondo. The country’s national team recorded the best result in its history and took third place in the overall team standings. Uzbekistan’s talented athlete, Ulugbek Rashitov, became the youngest two-time Olympic champion in taekwondo in the Olympic movement’s history.
At the current Olympic Games, Uzbekistan won the most significant number of medals in judo in its history. After a 12-year break, a gold medal was won in freestyle wrestling again.
Our national boxing team broke the country’s record for the number of gold medals and took 1st place in the overall team standings. Of the seven gold medals among men, five were won by Uzbekistan boxers.
In general, the anthem of Uzbekistan was played 8 times in the heart of Europe in honor of Uzbekistan athletes, and the country’s flag was raised high 13 times.
The President emphasized that these high results caused great pride in people and addressed the athletes:
“These days, our entire nation lives in the atmosphere of Independence Day. Your bright victories have become a worthy gift for the greatest and most precious holiday. You have increased the national pride in the hearts of our people. Such bright victories inspire and unite our people even more strongly. They become a school of courage and glory for young people. Honor and praise to you!”
The Head of state expressed gratitude to the athletes, their coaches and mentors, and members of the sports delegation. He wished strength and good luck to our steadfast athletes participating in the Paralympic Games.
At the meeting, special attention was paid to the preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The need to strengthen the activities of the federations of water sports, athletics, cycling, shooting and archery, and gymnastics was noted. The potential of such team sports as field hockey, basketball, handball, rugby, and water polo is underutilized. There are still many untapped opportunities in Greco-Roman wrestling, equestrian sports, modern pentathlon, triathlon, fencing, rowing, and cycling.
It was emphasized that these sports federations should draw the appropriate conclusions and conduct large-scale preparations for the upcoming Olympics.
It was noted that large programs for training athletes will be adopted in the next four years. Qualified specialists from abroad in sports medicine, pharmacology, dietetics, psychology, and engineering will be attracted to each area.
A special system for holding competitions and training sessions based on advanced foreign experience will be created in the Olympic Village. Specialized sports institutions, such as the schools of Bakhodir Jalolov and Oksana Chusovitina, will be organized in each region for each sport.
In addition, a special program will be introduced to identify new talents locally, especially in mahallas, and their targeted preparation for international competitions based on targeted selection.
Local and foreign coaches will be assigned to 15 Olympic and Paralympic training centers, 6 national schools of higher sports skills, and 56 specialized sports schools with the necessary sports infrastructure.
The Head of state emphasized that the development of mass sports should become an integral part of the national Olympic movement. The government was instructed to develop relevant proposals in this area.
In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan of August 23 this year, a group of athletes and coaches who achieved high results at the Paris 2024 Olympics were awarded honorary titles and awards.
The event included a ceremonial presentation of these high awards.
The athletes, coaches, and parents expressed gratitude to the Head of state for the respect and attention.
