Olympic fever is surely but surely upon us. It has only actually been three years (not four) since the international multi-sport event was held in Tokyo, during which celebrations were somewhat marred by the pandemic. The Opening Ceremony will be the first ever held in a city centre, and gigantic Olympic rings have already been displayed on the Eiffel Tower overlooking the Seine since earlier this month. Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024.
Where & when will it be held?
The summer edition of the Olympic games, which are held every four years typically lasts for 16 days and this year they will be held from 26 July (Friday) to 11 August (Sunday). See the full schedule on the Olympics’ official website.
The events will be divided across 35 venues throughout Paris and Versailles, Le Bourget, Nanterre, Vaires-sur-Marne, and Saint-Denis. This will also include some of the most iconic sites in Paris including the Eiffel Tower, Champs de Mars, the Grand Palais, and Château de Versailles. Surfing will be held at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia and will be the farthest medal competition outside of the host city in history.
Which Malaysian athletes will be competing?
An estimated 25 Malaysian athletes will be competing in sports including cycling, weightlifting, archery, golf, sailing, taekwondo, swimming, table tennis, and shooting. Read this list for the glittering names to watch out for.
Who are the international athletes to look out for?
As always, there will be global superstars who will be hoping to head home with their own shiny medals. This will include Simone Biles (United States): Gymnastics; Viktor Axelsen (Denmark): Badminton; Stephen Curry (United States): Basketball; LeBron James (United States): Basketball, and Tom Daley (Great Britain): Diving.
Where will the opening ceremony be held?
Paris 2024 will be the first Olympics in history to take the opening ceremony out of its traditional setting of the main Games stadium. It will be held outdoors, along the banks of the river Seine and even through its waters. This also increases the audience capacity as they will be spread along a six-kilometre route. It will start at 8.24 pm Parisian time, which cleverly translates to 20:24 according to the 24-hour format. Around 10,500 athletes from different national delegations will gather on boats at the River Seine at sunset.
Renowned stage director Thomas Jolly, who has been appointed as the artistic director of the various ceremonies has successfully directed musicals, plays, and operas. He is an avid lover of Shakespearean epics and their blend of tragedy and grotesque elements, so expect some of those elements at the ceremony!
What are the new sports being introduced this year?
This year, breaking (i.e. breakdancing) will be introduced where 16 men and 16 women will improvise to music they didn’t pre-select. Men will also be included in the artistic swimming category for the first time ever. Surfing and skateboarding will be included again after first being introduced at the previous Olympics.
Can tickets for the games still be purchased?
Naturally, due to the popularity of the Olympics, some sessions are sold out. However, several sports are still on sale and you can check the availability on their official website. There are also Hospitality Packages for VIP access.
Where will the next Olympic games be held?
The next Olympics will be the Winter Games hosted in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy in February 2026. The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in and around Los Angeles, California, United States.
The million-dollar question is of course, “Will Malaysia finally win a gold medal?”. That is a question that only time will tell.
Find more Paris Olympics 2024 updates here.