The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics have drawn to a close, and over 11,000 athletes from all over the world are returning to their home countries — some as jubilant victors, many more as competitors simply proud to have participated. 

For China, this year’s Games were hailed as a remarkable success: The country’s athletes took home 40 gold medals and 91 in total, its best-ever showing not on home soil.

But the Olympic Games are defined by camaraderie as much as competition. Every four years, the world’s top athletes come together, not only to test themselves but to celebrate their achievements and those of their peers. Some of the most talked-about moments at this year’s Games, from badminton ace He Bingjiao’s show of solidarity with an injured Spanish rival to 331-pound weightlifter Li Wenwen’s excited leap atop the medal podium, came after the athletes’ respective competitions were over.

Here is a selection of the best photos from Paris 2024, as chosen by Sixth Tone’s photo editors.

Editor: Tom Arnstein.