These countries' athletes made history at the Paris Olympics

The Olympics are always ripe with history-making performances, and the Paris Games were no exception.

While stars like Leon Marchand dominated headlines, these athletes also immortalized themselves in their country's Olympic annals.

Guatemala - Adriana Ruano: A former gymnast , Ruano was forced to take up shooting after a spinal injury ended her gymnastics career. Ruano claimed Guatemala's first-ever gold medal when she won the shooting women's trap final on July 31.

Algeria - Kaylia Nemour: The first gymnast to earn a medal for Algeria, Nemour was also the first to do it for the entire continent of Africa when she won gold on the uneven bars. The 17-year-old is a dual national but decided to compete for her parents' country of Algeria after a dispute with the French federation.

Romania - David Popovici: Not only did Popovici become the first Romanian to ever win swimming gold, he was also the first to win multiple medals at an Olympic Games. And at only 19-years-old, he'll be a sure threat to add to that resume in Los Angeles in 2028.

Philippines - Carlos Yulo: The 24-year-old became the first man to win gold for his country . Yulo finished first in the men's floor exercise & vault apparatuses, going viral for the exorbitant amount of prizes his home country bestowed upon him for winning two gold medals.

St. Lucia - Julien Alfred: Some may only be able to point out this island nation on a map due to its popularity as a vacation destination, but now, Julien Alfred has it pinned permanently on the Olympic map. The 23-year-old won its first ever Olympic medals when she took gold in the women's 100m and silver in the 200m.

Dominica - Thea LaFond: The 30-year-old won her country's first-ever Olympic medal in the women's triple jump. LaFond grew up in Maryland and discovered track and field in high school but still felt allegiance to her tiny island nation, home to roughly 72,000 people .

Olympic Refugee Team - Cindy Ngamba: The Cameroon-born boxer won a bronze medal in the women's 75kg category, the first medal ever for the refugee team since its inception in 2016. Ngamba lives in Great Britain, but because she isn't a citizen, she was allowed to participate in Paris as part of the refugee team.

North Korea and South Korea: While on the medal podium following the mixed table tennis event, a selfie taken by the South Korean team with their Northern neighbors went viral for "sports diplomacy." At a time when relations between the two nations are currently strained, the rare moment gave hope that sports do truly transcend politics.