The torch for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be lit in ancient Olympia and handed over to French organizers in Athens on Friday, April 26, after an 11-day torch relay around Greece.
After spending the night at the French Embassy in Athens, the torch will travel by boat to Marseille, where it will begin its journey through France on May 8th.
When will the Olympics be held?
The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be held on Friday, July 26, along the Seine, but sporting competitions will begin 48 hours earlier. There will be qualifying stage competitions in football, rugby sevens, handball and archery on Wednesday 24th July, and the competition will run until 11th August.
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There are 329 medals in 32 competitions, most of which are held in Paris. But the surfing takes place on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, about 10,000 miles from the Olympic stadium (the repurposed Stade de France in Paris).
How many countries are participating?
Approximately 10,500 athletes from 206 national Olympic committees will compete. Team GB won 64 medals at the 2021 Tokyo Games, including 22 gold medals, finishing in 4th place, just one less than the total number of medals won at the 2012 London Games.
What's noteworthy
According to Nielsen's Gracenote predictions, Britain will win 66 medals this time around, including 13 golds. Among the notable Team GB athletes are Keeley Hodgkinson, who is hoping to surpass her 800m silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Skye Brown, a 15-year-old skateboarder who won bronze at the age of 13 last time, and Great Britain's 1500m. Meter world champion Josh Kerr.
Familiar names alongside Team GB include three-time Olympic gold medalist Max Whitlock in gymnastics and diver Tom Daley, who is returning to competition after a two-year hiatus.
According to Gracenote's virtual medal table, the United States is expected to win the most medals overall at the Paris 2024 Games, with 123 medals. Sprinter Shakari Richardson has the potential to excel on the track, and Hunter Armstrong dreams of doing the same in the pool.
China is expected to finish second in the medal count, with the likes of teenage diving sensation Quan Hongchan and table tennis star Ma Long eager for a podium spot.
What political issues are there?
Politico said France “does not want politics to taint this important Olympic moment.” “Good luck then,” the news site said, since “a political-free nirvana is unlikely to arrive this summer” or “might even not exist.”
Among the political issues clouding Olympic preparations are “the war between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, disputes over public transport, terrorism, homelessness and furious booksellers along the Seine”; And “there's even a Tahitian surf wave.''
Athletes from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete as neutral athletes, but will not take part in the opening ceremony, the International Olympic Committee said. In response to the ruling, President Vladimir Putin plans to unveil the “World Friendship Games” in Russia later this year, the name of which “comes from the president who launched the invasion of Ukraine,” according to HuffPost. I told you.
The Middle East conflict is also expected to cast a shadow over the litigation process. Given the controversy surrounding Israel's attacks on Gaza, Politico reported that the ruling against the Russian athletes means that “accusations of inconsistency regarding Israeli athletes will haunt Olympic leaders.”
Meanwhile, controversy is brewing in Tahiti, where the surfing competition is being held. Local residents of the French Polynesian island oppose the construction of new infrastructure, citing the potential negative environmental impact on coral reefs.
How are these games different?
This Olympics brings some new features. For the first time, there will be an equal number of male and female athletes, 5,250 men and 5,250 women.
Breaking will make its official debut at the Olympics this year, with solo breakers improvising moves such as windmills, six steps, and freezes to DJ tracks. The BBC reported that it was introduced at the 2018 Youth Olympics and that its “combination of athleticism and urban dance secured a place on the program in Paris”.
How can I watch it?
The BBC will broadcast the match on its TV channels, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, as well as providing extensive coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live. If you would like to attend the event, tickets are on sale on the Paris 2024 website. Prices range from approximately €24 (£21) to €2,400 (£2,100).
