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6 Things That Make the 2024 Paris Olympics Unique
The Paris Olympics this summer are sure to be unlike anything that came before.
One hundred years in the making, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games promise to be a spectacle and display of athletic skill like no other. The massive event is set to bring together people from all over the globe — more than 10,000 athletes and 300 different events to over one billion viewers! Here are six things that will make the 2024 Paris Olympics a tournament to remember.
1. An opening ceremony along the river
Paris 2024 will undoubtedly be an Olympics to remember—and its opening ceremony will be no exception. The beloved opening ceremony will switch up tradition for the first time and take place along the beautiful Seine river rather than in a stadium. In a scene that will be unique to the City of Love, a parade of 160 boats will float down the Seine to kick off the Olympic Games.
2. Famous French landmarks in the games
Beyond the opening ceremony, beautiful Paris landmarks will serve as the backdrop for the athletes competing in this year’s games. The volleyball competition will be hosted underneath the iconic Eiffel Tower at the Champ de Mars. Spectators and athletes will be able to enjoy the Grand Palais during taekwondo and fencing, while the Place de la Concorde will be transformed into an urban park to host urban sports such as breaking (which is making its Olympic debut in Paris), BMX freestyle and skateboarding, and 3X3 basketball. Last but certainly not least, the Olympic marathon will begin at the Hotel de Ville and extend out to the gorgeous landscape of Versailles.
3. Gender equality is a top priority at the 2024 Olympic Games
A push to register as many women competitors as men is a priority for the Paris Olympics as well as the Paralympic Games. The goal is to achieve a gender-equal competition for the first time in Olympic history. This is a nod back to the 1900 Paris Olympics as it was the first time women were invited to participate in the games. Of its 997 competitors, 22 were female.
4. Mathieu Lehanneur’s new Olympic torch
One tradition Paris will continue is lighting the iconic cauldron with the Olympic torch. French artist Mathieu Lehanneur has worked to embody the core message of this year’s games in his design for the torch. It combines themes of peace, equality, and uniquely, water, and is sure to set itself apart from its predecessors. Only 2,000 metal torches will be produced for the celebration, each one perfectly symmetrical, with softly rounded lines on wave-like ripples wrapping around the base.
5. Tahiti’s Olympic debut!
While Paris will join London in being the only other city to host the games three times, one location will get its first moment in the Olympic spotlight. Olympic surfers will ride their way to victory on an island in French Polynesia, the overseas collectivity of France. The event will take place at Tahiti’s Teahupo’o Beach, known for its enormous, thrilling waves that make it the perfect destination for those looking to take home Olympic gold.
6. Breaking will debut as an all-new event
Popularized as a dance in the Bronx during the 1970s, breakdancing, or breaking, has grown into a serious sport of it's own, and will be making it's Olympic debut in Paris. Male and female breakers (known as B-boys and B-girls) from around the world will showcase athletic moves like windmills, the six-step, and freezes as they improvise to tracks from a live DJ. The competition will feature head-to-head battles of approximately one minute. When one breaker finishes their round, their opponent will instantly begin their routine, making for a fresh and exciting competition unlike any other at the Olympics.
Learn more about the four new sports at the 2024 Games!
Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peacock!
