A SUMMER OF GOLD

SiS SUPPORTED ATHLETES REACH OVER 100 OLYMPIC MEDALS AT PARIS 2024 TO SET NEW RECORD!

In July 2024, we have been spoilt with non-stop sporting action of the highest calibre. Over 10,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees descended on Paris to fight for the chance of achieving the childhood dream of becoming an Olympic medallist. Our SiS supported athletes and teams competed fantastically well and brought home a record medal count for our elites at an Olympic Games – 105 in total, with 37 gold, 35 silver and 33 bronze. 

PIDCOCK AND PFP DAZZLE IN THE CROSS COUNTRY MOUNTAIN BIKING 

The Cross Country Mountain Biking was a strongly anticipated event at this year’s Games, with Briton and INEOS Grenadiers rider Tom Pidcock the favourite for gold in the Men’s, and INEOS Grenadiers’ French superstar Pauline Ferrand-Prevot favourite for the Women’s title in front of an adoring home crowd. Neither of these superstars failed to deliver, with Pauline executing a masterclass in mountain bike racing, with an outstanding 2 minutes 57 seconds winning margin after attacking away at a brutal pace on the 2^nd lap of 7. It marked an emotional career landmark for Ferrand-Prévot, who crossed the line in tears, welcomed home by a singing French crowd who saw their hero achieve her dream and take France’s second gold medal of Paris 2024. 

However, the home crowd were less amused when it came to the finale of the Men’s race, as INEOS Grenadiers’ Tom Pidcock defied an early puncture, which dropped him 40 seconds off the lead of the race, to fight back and make an outstanding last-gasp overtake on France’s Victor Koretzky, to claim back-to-back Olympic gold medals and make one of Team GB’s moments of the Games. Pidcock looked down and out as his team worked to replace his bike, but he used the time to take on extra fuel with SiS Elite Lab energy gels, and executed a measured effort to regain the lead of the race. 

Pauline and Tom are both part of the INEOS Grenadiers professional cycling team, of whom we possess an integrated performance partnership with. This includes creating bespoke products to meet the individual needs of the riders, as was seen with Tom’s usage of the Lab Elite Energy Gel, providing him with crucial carbohydrates which his body uses as fuel to work harder for longer and ultimately be able to catch the leaders after what appeared to be a race-ending puncture. 

TEAM GB’S ROWERS BOUNCE BACK FROM TOKYO DISAPPOINTMENT TO ACHIEVE BEST EVER OVERSEAS GAMES 

One of the standout sports for Team GB’s record medal haul at an Olympic Games was the rowing, where the Men and Women from multiple disciplines performed exceptionally well to quadruple the team’s overall medal count from Tokyo – with 3 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze. 

One of the highlights of this success came from the gold in the Women’s quad, which saw the Dutch quartet lead from the start of the race, until GB’s Scott, Henry, Anderson and Brayshaw measured the race to absolute perfection to take gold with their final stroke on the line, by the slimmest of margins – 0.15s! The Regatta was topped off brilliantly by gold in the Men’s eight and bronze in the Women’s eight on the final day, which meant that 36 of the 42 competing athletes returned home from Paris with a medal! 

As the Official Performance Nutrition Supplier of British Rowing, we are incredibly proud of the team’s success, and delighted that use of Science in Sport products have helped fuel and recover the athletes in the lead up to and during the Games. 

VELODROME MEDALS FUELLED BY SCIENCE 

Another INEOS Grenadiers rider who had a fantastic games is Italian powerhouse Filippo Ganna. The UCI Hour Record Holder came into the velodrome with a medal already around his neck after taking a stunning silver in a hotly competitive Men’s Individual Time Trial on the roads. Ganna then took to the track with his Italian teammates to double his medal count from the Games and won a brilliant bronze to add to his rich batch of career achievements. Filippo has been a part of the Grenadiers (and formerly Team Sky) for 5 years now and has benefitted from our integrated performance partnership with the team, where our embedded nutritionists and bespoke products provide Filippo and the team with fuel that is at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs. 

There were also medals for the women in team Germany in the velodrome, with Leah Friedrich being a standout performer after setting a world record in the 200m flying lap during qualification, and then backing that form up with a strong result in the final, securing a silver medal in a tightly fought encounter. The team also went on to secure a medal in the Women’s Team Sprint, coming away with an impressive bronze behind the two favourites of Team GB and New Zealand. As the Official Sports Nutrition partner of the German Cycling Federation, it has been brilliant to witness the team’s dedication to peak for the 4-year cycle, and we will achieve even greater success in the future. 

MANY MORE MEDALS FROM TEAMS AND INDIVIDUALS FUELLED BY SCIENCE IN SPORT 

Many, many more medals fuelled by science were won by athletes from many different sports and countries across the course of the Games, including in the pool, on the seas, in the velodrome, off the diving board, and in the triathlon. A huge congratulations to every single competitor at this year’s Games, what a show you have put on for us all.