Paris, the famed city of light, known for its environment of architecture, cuisine and rich culture, will be embracing a new repute as the host of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The games began with the traditional opening ceremonies occurring on Friday, July 26 (the Olympics last 16 days, July 26-August 11). Throughout the thousand-year-history of the Olympics, opening ceremonies have shown to be exquisite spectacles, and this year did not disappoint. Paris became the first host city to ever hold the opening ceremonies on the water. The 2024 ceremonies featured close to 100 boats carrying over 10,000 athletes down the river Seine, a fashion show, and many celebrity performances including those by singers Lady Gaga and Celine Dion. This was notably Dion’s first performance following four years of health issues which kept her off the stage.
The Seine will not only host the opening ceremony but will also serve as the location for the swimming leg of the triathlon. Beyond the main host city of Paris, however, the surfing competition will take place in Teahupo’o, Tahiti – part of the French Republic and known for some of the heaviest waves in the world.
Among the athletes to watch out for, Simone Biles leads the American gymnastics team towards redemption after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, during which she had to drop out of multiple events due to mental health issues. Biles is favored to dominate the finals this year and has set multiple records since struggling at the Tokyo games. She and the rest of the American team have a favorable chance to win a gold medal.
In the water, at only 17 years old, Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh will be competing for her team in butterfly, freestyle and an individual medley. Her Olympic debut occurred in Tokyo when she was only 14 years old where she landed one spot behind a bronze medal. However, this year, she is returning for a spot on the podium.McIntosh will be competing against her rivals – Australia’s Ariarne Titmus and America’s Katie Ledecky – in the Women’s 400m freestyle in what has been dubbed the “Race of the Century” for it’s intense battle between three powerhouse swimmers. Each of the three women have a solid chance at first.
Other athletes include Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who will be competing in her fifth and final Olympics. With eight medals across four Olympic games and more achievements outside of the Olympics, such as World Championship accolades, she is known as one of the greatest sprinters of all time.
This year, the United States is favored to win a majority of the Olympic events, boasting strong athletes and a history of holding the most gold medals at the Summer Olympics for the past six Summer games. In fact, the United States has taken 594 athletes to Paris this year, more than any other participating nation.
Overall, this year’s Summer Olympic games contain a promising array of outstanding and competitive athletes – each looking toward the same goal: winning gold in Paris.