Though sporting activities started on July 24 and the US Men U23 Soccer team lost to the host, the Paris 2024 Olympics officially opens today, Friday, July 26.
The grand opening ceremony begins at 1;30 ET with participants rowing along the River Seine, rather than in a stadium. The first medals will be awarded on July 27, and the Games will conclude on August 11, with the closing ceremony later that evening.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 34th Summer Olympics.
How many athletes are on Team USA?
Team USA has 592 athletes. The majority are women, with 314 female athletes (53%) compared to 278 male athletes (47%). Americans are eager to see a lot of gold medals with eyes on stars including Coco Guaffe and Lebron James who were the nation’s flagbearers.
The black-dominated track team also has citizens hoping for a show expected from the likes of Noah Lyles, Simone Manuel, Sha’Carri Richardson, and the new kid on the US track team, Quincy Wilson
The 100m finals, 200mfinals, and 4x100m relays
With the US track team largely made up of blacks, we owe it to you to highlight the dates of this powerful triad of every Olympics
The women’s 100m final is scheduled for Saturday, August 3, while the men’s 100m final will take place on August 4. Both finals will be held at the Stade de France, which will host all track and field events.
The Men’s 200m final will be run on August 8 while Women go for it on August 6. Then, on August 9, we have the adrenaline team showdown for both: Men’s 4x100m and Men’s 4x100m
How many Gold medals will be awarded?
The Games will feature 3,800 hours of live sport and award 329 gold medals across 32 sports during 18 days of competition throughout the capital and other parts of France.
The first medal event will be the mixed team air rifle in shooting, expected to occur at 10:30 BST on July 27. The final medal will be awarded in women’s basketball at 16:30 BST on August 11.
The New Sports in the Game
Breaking, a dance style that originated in the Bronx during the 1970s and has since evolved into a competitive sport, will be making its Olympic debut. In Paris, breaking events are scheduled for August 9 and 10, with 16 men and 16 women competing for medals. Baseball/softball and karate, which were featured in Tokyo 2020, have been excluded from these Games.
Other changes include a revised format for sport climbing, which will offer combined medals for lead and bouldering and a separate medal for speed climbing. Kayak cross, a new addition, will feature athletes racing against each other in a canoe slalom format. Sailing will see the inclusion of two kite events, windsurfing – iQFoil and kiteboarding. Artistic swimming will make history with men’s participation and a new team acrobatic routine round.
Meet Olympics 2024 Mascot
Introducing Olympic Phryge, named after the traditional small Phrygian hats that the mascots are modeled after. These hats symbolize freedom in French history and represent allegorical figures of the French Republic. The mascot’s motto is “Alone we go faster, but together we go further.”
Will there be prize money at the Olympics?
World Athletics has announced it will be the first international federation to award prize money at the Olympic Games. For Paris 2024, a total prize pool of $2.4 million (£1.9 million) is available, with gold medallists receiving $50,000 (£39,400).
Where to get the backstage tea
Some athletes have been using Social Media to keep their audience engaged and you can join them to see what you will not see on the big screens. Some US athletes in this category include Daniella Ramirez (Artistic Swimming), Suni Lee (Gymnastics), Keturah Orji (Track and Field). Ilona Maher (Rugby), Erik Shoji (Volleyball)
As you witch between screens to stay updated, you can stay overnight and enjoy the games with your groups at local businesses across DC that the government has granted extended hours.
