The Summer Olympic Games is rightly described as the greatest sporting occasion of all. No other event brings together the best of the world’s athletes to compete in such a wide and diverse set of disciplines.
The fact that the Olympics only come around every four years makes the competition even more exciting. In 2024, the cycle sees the games return to one of its regular homes.
2024 Olympics: The Essentials
The 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in Paris, France. This is the third time that the French capital has hosted the games, after previously staging the event in 1904 and 1924.
The competition gets underway on July 26, and will conclude on August 11. Around 10,500 athletes will contest 329 events so there is a lot to enjoy in just over two weeks of world class sporting action.
The Top Events
The focal point for most Olympics fans is the men’s 100 metres sprint. Track and Field events start in the second week of the Games and the action begins with the quest to find the fastest man in the world.
This is the time when interest peaks with TV audiences set to reach record highs. Associated industries benefit from the athletics too and this is when you can expect to see most of the Olympics betting markets open up.
The 100 metres sprint promises to be an open race this year, and that’s due to the injury record of the favorite. Trayvon Bromell hardly ran in 2023, but he is the fastest in the field. If fitness is an issue, the closest challenges to Bromell are likely to come from Ronnie Baker and Akani Simbine.
The women’s 100 metres is also expected to be close, with several runners in with a chance of the gold medal. Sha’Carri Richardson is the world champion, but she can expect stiff competition from the likes of Marie Josee Talou and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price.
Along with the sprint events, interest in the athletics extends to long distance races, including the marathon, plus a host of field events, including long jump, high jump, discus and pole vault.
Best in Their Class
Most of the attention will be focused on the athletics, but there’s plenty more to enjoy at Paris 2024. The early events include cycling and swimming, which have risen in profile thanks to some stunning individual performances in recent years.
Gymnastics also showcases the world’s greatest athletes, and fans will be hoping that the incomparable Simone Biles makes it to Paris in order to compete in her third Olympiad.
Recent summer Games have also benefitted from new events, along with the return of other sports which had been taken off the Olympic schedule. In 2024, we will see the introduction of breakdancing for the first time, and it will be fascinating to see how it’s received by the fans.
Among the more traditional sports, there will be great interest around golf and tennis. The Olympics now attract the best professional athletes in the world, so both events will be just as compelling as any Grand Slam or Major tournament.
It’s going to be a great spectacle, and for those lucky enough to attend the Olympics in person, here are some key facts.
Getting There and Getting Around
The Olympic Games will be held in several locations around Paris, but most of the action will be centered on four stadiums. The Stade De France hosts track and field events, and it’s going to be a busy period for the country’s national facility.
Also in central Paris is the Pont d’Lena which will hold indoor cycling events, while the Bercy Arena is home to gymnastics competition. Finally, there will be great interest in La Defense Arena which is set to host swimming and diving.
Those who have yet to secure their tickets are running out of time. There may still be some options, but these will become more scarce as the event draws closer. Tickets from the official source range from 24.5 Euros up to 950 Euros, depending on the sport and the duration.
Accommodation in the center of Paris is mostly booked up, although some isolated rooms may be available following any cancellations. A better option would be to stay several kilometres outside the city and commute via any of Paris’ reliable public transport networks.
Every summer Olympic Games produces its share of great sporting achievements, along with fascinating, heart-warming stories concerning the athletes involved. Paris 2024 promises more of the same, with the best performers in each sport preparing to compete in the French capital.
It’s going to be a compelling 17 days of action, so if you’re not lucky enough to get hold of a ticket, check TV broadcast times, and make sure you don’t miss out.
