2024 Summer Olympics

Multi-sport event in Paris, France From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2024 Summer Olympics (French: Les Jeux Olympiques d'été de 2024), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (French: Jeux de la XXXIIIe olympiade de l'ère moderne) and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events starting from 24 July. Paris was the host city, with events (mainly football) held in 16 additional cities in metropolitan France, including the sailing centre in the second-largest city of France, Marseille, on the Mediterranean Sea, as well as one subsite for surfing in Tahiti, French Polynesia.[4]

LocationParis, France
MottoGames Wide Open (French: Ouvrons Grand les Jeux)[1][2]
Nations204 (including the AIN and EOR teams)
Athletes10,714
Quick facts Location, Motto ...
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
Emblem of the 2024 Summer Olympics
LocationParis, France
MottoGames Wide Open (French: Ouvrons Grand les Jeux)[1][2]
Nations204 (including the AIN and EOR teams)
Athletes10,714
Events329 in 32 sports (48 disciplines)
Opening26 July 2024
Closing11 August 2024
Opened by
Closed by
Cauldron
Venue
Summer
Winter
2024 Summer Paralympics
Close

Paris was awarded the Games at the 131st IOC Session in Lima, Peru, on 13 September 2017. After multiple withdrawals that left only Paris and Los Angeles in contention, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved a process to concurrently award the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics to the two remaining candidate cities. Having previously hosted in 1900 and 1924, Paris became the second city ever to host the Summer Olympics three times, after London (1908, 1948, and 2012).[5][6] Paris 2024 marked the centennial of the 1924 Summer Games and the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix (the first Winter Olympics), as well as the sixth Olympic Games hosted by France (three Summer Olympics and three Winter Olympics). The Summer Games returned to the traditional four-year Olympiad cycle, after the 2020 edition was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paris 2024 featured the debut of breaking as an Olympic sport,[7] and was the final Olympic Games held during the IOC presidency of Thomas Bach.[8] The 2024 Games were expected to cost €9 billion.[9][10][11] The opening ceremony was held outside of a stadium for the first time in modern Olympic history, being outdoors in the Paris's downtown and athletes were paraded by boat along the Seine. Paris 2024 was the first Olympics in history to reach full gender parity on the field of play, with equal numbers of male and female athletes.[12]

The United States topped the medal table for the fourth consecutive Summer Games and 19th time overall, with 40 gold and 126 total medals.[13] China tied with the United States on gold (40), but finished second due to having fewer silvers; the nation won 91 medals overall. This was the first time a gold medal tie had occurred between the two most successful nations in Summer Olympic history.[14] Japan finished third with 20 gold and 45 total medals, and sixth in the overall medal count. Australia finished fourth with 18 gold and 53 total medals, marking the nation's most successful Summer Olympics of all time, and fifth in the overall medal count. The host nation, France, finished fifth with 16 gold and 64 total medals, marking their first top-five finish since the 1996 Summer Olympics, and fourth in the overall medal count. Dominica, Saint Lucia, Cape Verde and Albania won their first-ever Olympic medals, the former two both being gold, with Botswana and Guatemala also winning their first-ever gold medals. The Refugee Olympic Team also won their first-ever medal: Cindy Ngamba, a refugee from Cameroon, won a bronze in boxing.

Despite some controversies throughout relating to politics, logistics and conditions in the Olympic Village, the Games were considered a success by the press, Parisians and observers upon its conclusion.[a] The Paris Olympics broke all-time records for ticket sales, with more than 9.5 million tickets sold (12.1 million including the Paralympic Games).[15]

Host selection

The Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower during the Games

Having previously hosted the 1900 and 1924 Games, Paris did not attempt to host the Olympics again until it bid, unsuccessfully, for the 1992 Games which were awarded to Barcelona. Subsequent bids for the 2008 and 2012 Games were also unsuccessful, as they were awarded to Beijing and London, respectively. Undeterred, Paris decided to bid once more for the 2024 edition, which would mark the centenary of its last Games.

The six candidate cities were Paris, Hamburg, Boston, Budapest, Rome, and Los Angeles. The bidding process was slowed by withdrawals, political uncertainty, and rising costs. Boston surpassed Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., for the official U.S. bid. On 27 July 2015, Boston and the USOC mutually agreed to terminate Boston's bid to host the Games, partly because of mixed feelings among city residents. Hamburg withdrew its bid on 29 November 2015 after holding a referendum.[16] Rome withdrew on 21 September 2016, citing fiscal difficulties.[17] Budapest withdrew on 22 February 2017, after a petition against the bid collected more signatures than necessary for a referendum.[18][19][20]

Following these withdrawals, the IOC Executive Board met on 9 June 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to discuss the 2024 and 2028 bid processes.[21][22] The International Olympic Committee formally proposed electing the 2024 and 2028 Olympic host cities at the same time, a proposal which an Extraordinary IOC Session approved on 11 July 2017 in Lausanne.[22] The IOC set up a process whereby the LA 2024 and Paris 2024 bid committees met with the IOC to discuss which city would host the Games in 2024 and 2028 and whether it was possible to select the host cities for both at the same time.[23]

Following the decision to award the two Games simultaneously, Paris was understood to be the preferred host for 2024. On 31 July 2017, the IOC announced Los Angeles as the sole candidate for 2028,[24][25] enabling Paris to be confirmed as host for 2024. The two bids were praised for their high technical plans and innovative ways to use a record-breaking number of existing and temporary facilities. Both decisions were ratified at the 131st IOC Session on 13 September 2017.[26]

Host city election

Paris was elected as the host city on 13 September 2017 at the 131st IOC Session in Lima, Peru. The two French IOC members, Guy Drut and Tony Estanguet, were ineligible to vote under the rules of the Olympic Charter.[27][28]

More information City, Country ...
2024 Summer Olympics bidding results
City Country Vote
Paris France Selected as 2024 host
Los Angeles United States Selected as 2028 host
Hamburg Germany Withdrew
Rome Italy
Budapest Hungary
Close

Development and preparations

Venues

Most of the Olympic events were held in the city of Paris and its metropolitan region, including the neighbouring cities of Saint-Denis, Le Bourget, Nanterre, Versailles, and Vaires-sur-Marne.[29][30]

The basketball preliminaries and handball finals were held in Lille, 225 km (140 mi) from the host city, Paris; the sailing and some of the football games were held in the Mediterranean city of Marseille, which is 777 km (483 mi) from Paris; meanwhile, the surfing events were held in Teahupo'o village in the overseas territory of Tahiti, French Polynesia, which is 15,716 km (9,765 mi) from Paris. Football was also hosted in an additional five cities: Bordeaux, Décines-Charpieu (Lyon), Nantes, Nice and Saint-Étienne, some of which are home to Ligue 1 clubs.

Grand Paris zone

Stade de France
Paris Aquatic Centre
Porte de La Chapelle Arena
More information Venue, Events ...
Venue Events Capacity Status Ref.
Yves du Manoir Stadium Field hockey 15,000 Existing, renovated [31]
Stade de France Rugby sevens 77,083 Existing [32]
Athletics (track and field)
Closing ceremony
Paris La Défense Arena Aquatics (swimming, water polo finals) 15,220 Existing with temporary stands [33]
Porte de La Chapelle Arena Badminton 8,000 Built for the Games [34]
Gymnastics (rhythmic)
Paris Aquatic Centre Aquatics (water polo preliminaries, diving, artistic swimming) 5,000 [35][36][37]
Le Bourget Climbing Venue Sport climbing 5,000 Temporary [38]
Arena Paris Nord Boxing (preliminaries, quarter-finals) 6,000 Existing with temporary stands [39]
Modern pentathlon (fencing)
Close

Paris Centre zone

Eiffel Tower stadium, Champ de Mars
Grand Palais
Les Invalides
Parc des Princes
Stade Roland Garros
More information Venue, Events ...
Venue Events Capacity Status
Parc des Princes Football (group stage, quarter-finals and gold medal matches) 48,583 Existing
Stade Roland Garros[40] Tennis 36,000
(15,000 + 12,000 + 9,000)
Boxing (finals)
Paris Expo Porte de Versailles Volleyball 18,000
(12,000 + 12,000)
Table tennis
Handball (preliminaries)
Weightlifting
Bercy Arena Gymnastics (artistic and trampolining) 15,000
Basketball (finals)
Grand Palais Fencing 8,000 Existing with temporary stands
Taekwondo
Place de la Concorde Basketball (3x3) 30,000 (overall) Temporary
Breaking
Cycling (BMX freestyle)
Skateboarding
Hôtel de Ville Athletics (marathon start) 1,500
Pont Alexandre III Aquatics (marathon swimming)
Triathlon
Cycling (time trial finish)
Trocadéro (Pont d'Iéna) Athletics (race walk) 13,000
(3,000 sitting)
Cycling (road race)
Eiffel Tower Stadium (Champ de Mars) Beach volleyball 12,000
Grand Palais Éphémère Judo 9,000
Wrestling
Les Invalides Archery 8,000
Athletics (marathon finish)
Cycling (time trial start)
Close

Versailles zone

Le Golf National
Vélodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
Château de Versailles
Vaires–Torcy Nautical Centre
More information Venue, Events ...
Venue Events Capacity Status
Gardens of the Palace of Versailles Equestrian 80,000
(22,000 + 58,000)
Temporary
Modern pentathlon (excluding fencing rounds)
Le Golf National Golf 35,000 Existing with temporary stands
Élancourt Hill Cycling (mountain biking) 25,000
Vélodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Cycling (track) 5,000 Existing
Cycling (BMX racing) 5,000 Existing with temporary stands
Close

Outlying venues

Parc Olympique Lyonnais
Roucas Blanc Olympic Marina, Marseille
More information Venue, Events ...
Venue Events Capacity Status
Pierre Mauroy Stadium, Lille Basketball (group stage) 26,000 Existing with temporary stands
Handball (finals)
Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium Rowing 24,000 (overall)
Canoeing (slalom, sprint)
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Football (6 group stage matches, quarter-finals, women's and men's semi-finals) 67,394 Existing
Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon Football (6 group stage matches, quarter-finals, men's and women's semi-finals, women's bronze medal match) 59,186
Stade Matmut Atlantique, Bordeaux Football (6 group stage matches, quarter-finals) 42,115
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne Football (6 group stage matches) 41,965
Allianz Riviera, Nice Football (6 group stage matches) 35,624
Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes Football (6 group stage matches, quarter-finals, men's bronze medal match) 35,322
Roucas Blanc Olympic Marina [fr], Marseille Sailing 5,000 Existing with temporary stands
Teahupo'o, Tahiti Surfing 5,000
National Shooting Centre, Châteauroux Shooting 3,000 Existing
Close

Non-competitive

More information Venue, Events ...
Venue Events Capacity Status
Jardins du Trocadéro Opening ceremony 30,000 / 13,000 Temporary
Champions Park
The Seine Opening ceremony 300,000
Olympic Village Olympic Village 18,000 athletes Built for the Games
Aranui 5, Tahiti Surfing Olympic Village 256 athletes Existing
Parc de l'Aire des Vents, Dugny Media Village N/a Temporary
Le Bourget Exhibition Centre and Media Village [fr], Le Bourget International Broadcast Centre 15,000 Existing
Paris Congress Centre Main Press Centre N/a
Close

Medals

Medals from the Games, with a piece of the Eiffel Tower

The president of the Paris 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee, Tony Estanguet, unveiled the Olympic and Paralympic medals for the Games in February 2024, which on the obverse featured embedded hexagon-shaped tokens of scrap iron that had been taken from the original construction of the Eiffel Tower, with the logo of the Games engraved into it.[41] Approximately 5,084 medals would be produced by the French mint Monnaie de Paris, and were designed by Chaumet, a luxury jewellery firm based in Paris.[42]

The reverse of the medals features Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, inside the Panathenaic Stadium which hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896. Parthenon and the Eiffel Tower can also be seen in the background on both sides of the medal.[43] Each medal weighs 455–529 g (16–19 oz), has a diameter of 85 mm (3.3 in) and is 9.2 mm (0.36 in) thick.[44] The gold medals are made with 98.8 percent silver and 1.13 percent gold, while the bronze medals are made up with copper, zinc, and tin.[45]

Security

France reached an agreement with Europol and the UK Home Office to help strengthen security and "facilitate operational information exchange and international law enforcement cooperation" during the Games.[46] The agreement included a plan to deploy more drones and sea barriers to prevent small boats from crossing the Channel illegally.[47] The British Army would also provide support by deploying Starstreak surface-to-air missile units for air security.[48] To prepare for the Games, the Paris police held inspections and rehearsals in their bomb disposal unit, similar to their preparations for the 2023 Rugby World Cup at the Stade de France.[49]

As part of a visit to France by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, several agreements were signed between the two nations to enhance security for the Olympics.[50] In preparation for the significant security demands and counterterrorism measures, Poland pledged to contribute security troops, including sniffer dog handlers, to support international efforts aimed at ensuring the safety of the Games.[51][52] The Qatari Minister of Interior and Commander of Lekhwiya (the Qatari security forces) convened a meeting on 3 April 2024 to discuss security operations ahead of the Olympics, with officials and security leaders in attendance, including Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour Al Thani.[53] A week before the opening ceremony, the Lekhwiya were reported to have been deployed in Paris on 16 July 2024.[54]

In the weeks running up to the opening of the Olympics, it was reported that police officers would be deployed from Belgium,[55] Brazil,[56] Canada (through the RCMP/OPS/CPS/SQ),[57][58] Cyprus,[59] the Czech Republic,[60] Denmark,[61] Estonia,[62][63] Finland,[64] Germany (through Bundespolizei[65][66]/NRW Police[67]),[68] India,[69][70] Ireland,[71] Italy,[72] Luxembourg,[73] Morocco,[74] Netherlands,[75] Norway,[58] Poland,[76] Portugal,[77] Slovakia,[78] South Korea,[79][80] Spain (through the CNP/GC),[81] Sweden,[82] the UAE,[83] the UK,[49] and the US (through the LAPD,[84] LASD,[85] NYPD,[86] and the Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department[87]), with more than 40 countries providing police assistance to their French counterparts.[88][89]

Security concerns impacted the plans that had been announced for the opening ceremony, which was to take place as a public event along the Seine; the expected attendance was reduced by half from an estimated 600,000 to 300,000, with plans for free viewing locations now being by invitation only. In April 2024, after Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Crocus City Hall attack in March, and made several threats against the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, French president Emmanuel Macron indicated that the opening ceremony could be scaled back or re-located if necessary.[90][91][92] French authorities had placed roughly 75,000 police and military officials on the streets of Paris in the lead-up to the Games.[93]

Following the end of the Games, the national counterterrorism prosecutor, Olivier Christen, revealed that French authorities foiled three terror plots meant to attack the Olympic and Paralympic Games, resulting in the arrest of five suspects.[94]

Food

To reduce the environmental impact and climate footprint of the Games,[95] the Olympic venues served twice as much plant-based food as was available in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.[96] Vegan chicken nuggets and vegan hot dogs were served in place of the meat-based variety.[97] Venues for spectators served on average two-thirds plant-based meals. The Place de la Concorde, the venue that hosted the skateboarding, breakdancing and BMX events, only served plant-based food. The football stadiums served 40% plant-based food. About 30% of the meals served to athletes in the Olympic Village were plant-based.[98]

A prior estimate of 13 million meals were served during the Games;[95] with around 40,000 meals each day, 1,200 of those will be Michelin-starred.[97] Each day, a boulangerie will bake fresh baguettes and other breads.[99] A 3,500-seat restaurant was constructed for the Games to highlight global cuisine. Great Britain's team asked for porridge to be added to the menu, and South Korea's team asked for kimchi.[97]

Throughout the Games, various athletes and competitors at the Olympic Village complained about certain foods within the accommodation such as eggs and grilled meats not being available in sufficient quantity.[100][101] Some countries also reportedly complained about raw meat being served, and the food issues led many of them to begin to avoid the Olympic Village dining facilities and to eat elsewhere; one example was the British Olympic Association having flown in chefs to take care of the nourishment of British athletes at a location outside the Olympic Village.[101][102][103][104]

Air conditioning

In the lead-up to the Games, it was announced that the Olympic Village would lack air conditioning; as an environmental measure, the buildings would instead use a geothermal natural cooling system to keep the inside temperature 6 °C (11 °F) cooler than outside.[105] On learning this, many teams opted to supply their own air-conditioning units to the Games, including Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Japan, and the US.[106] Olympic delegations from poorer countries, such as Uganda, complained that they could not afford to provide air conditioning for their athletes.[107]

Transportation

Special signage for the 2024 Games on the Paris metro, here in the Saint-Denis–Pleyel station

Over €500 million was invested in transport improvements for the Games,[108] with extensions to the Paris Métro and 60 kilometres (37 mi) of new cycle lanes.[109][110] Visitors to Paris paid higher public transport fares during the Games, €4 instead of the previous €2.15 price. This paid for the increased frequency and hours of service for public transport during the Games, with an average increase of 15% in services.[108][111] As with previous Games, 185 kilometres (115 mi) of reserved traffic lanes was used to ensure reliable journey times for athletes, officials and the media.[112]

Volunteers

The Paris 2024 volunteer platform for the Olympic and Paralympic Games was opened to the public in March 2023. There were expected to be 45,000 volunteers recruited worldwide for the Games.[113] Following the end of registration on 3 May 2023, over 300,000 applications had been submitted to the Paris Organising Committee, exceeding the number of applicants for the previous two Olympics.[114] Applicants were notified of the outcome of their application between September and December 2023.[115] Over 800 applicants were excluded over security fears, among which 15 were flagged with Fiche S.[116]

Torch relay

Two torchbearers in Carcassonne

The Olympic torch relay began with the lighting of the Olympic flame on 16 April in Olympia, Greece, 100 days before the start of the Games. Greek rower Stefanos Douskos was the first torchbearer and swimmer Laure Manaudou served as the first French torchbearer.[117][118] The latter was selected to be one of four captains of the torch relay, alongside swimmer Florent Manaudou (her brother), paratriathlete Mona Francis, and para-athlete Dimitri Pavadé.[119][120] The torch relay was expected to have 10,000 torchbearers and visit over 400 settlements in 65 French territories, including six overseas.[117] On 18 May, it was reported that the portion of the relay in New Caledonia was cancelled due to ongoing unrest in the collectivity.[121]

Tickets

9.5 million of the 10 million tickets available for the games were sold, breaking the record held by the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Several sports reported record attendance.[122]

The Games

Opening ceremony

Pyrotechnics at the Pont d'Austerlitz marking the start of the Parade of Nations
The cauldron flying above the Tuileries Garden during the games. LEDs and aerosol produced the illusion of fire, while the Olympic flame itself was kept in a small lantern nearby

The opening ceremony began at 19:30 CEST (17:30 GMT) on 26 July 2024.[123] Directed by Thomas Jolly,[124][125][126] it was the first Summer Olympics opening ceremony to be held outside the traditional stadium setting; the parade of athletes was conducted as a boat parade along the Seine from Pont d'Austerlitz to Pont d'Iéna, and cultural segments took place at various landmarks along the route.[127] Jolly stated that the ceremony would highlight notable moments in the history of France, with an overall theme of love and "shared humanity". The French Assassin Arno Dorian appeared to carry the olympic torch through the streets of parkour.[127] The athletes then attended the official protocol at Jardins du Trocadéro, in front of the Eiffel Tower.[128] Approximately 326,000 tickets were sold for viewing locations along the Seine, 222,000 of which were distributed primarily to the Games' volunteers, youth and low-income families, among others.[129] Most of the ceremony took place under the rain, rather than in the sun.

The ceremony featured music performances by American musician Lady Gaga,[130] French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura, heavy metal band Gojira and soprano Marina Viotti,[131] Axelle Saint-Cirel (who sang the French national anthem "La Marseillaise" atop the Grand Palais),[132] rapper Rim'K,[133] Philippe Katerine (who portrayed the Greek god Dionysus), Juliette Armanet and Sofiane Pamart, and was closed by Canadian singer Céline Dion.[131] The Games were formally opened by president Emmanuel Macron.[134]

The Olympics and Paralympics cauldron was lit by Guadeloupean judoka Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec; it had a hot air balloon-inspired design topped by a 30-metre-tall (98 ft) helium sphere, and was allowed to float into the air above the Tuileries Garden at night. For the first time, the cauldron was not illuminated through combustion; the flames were simulated by an LED lighting system and aerosol water jets.[135]

Controversy ensued at the opening ceremony when a segment was interpreted by some as a parody of the Last Supper.[136] The organisers apologised for any offence caused.[137] The Olympic World Library and fact-checkers would later debunk the interpretation that the segment was a parody of the Last Supper. The Olympic flag was also raised upside down.[138][139] During the parade of nations, Algerian athletes carried red roses and threw them into the Seine to commemorate the 1961 Paris massacre.[140]

During the day of the opening ceremony, there were reports of a blackout in Paris, although this was also later debunked.[141]

Sports

The disciplines of kayak cross (pictured) and kiteboarding made their debut in the core Olympic programme.
Breaking (pictured) was selected as one of four discretionary sports for the games alongside skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing.

The programme of the 2024 Summer Olympics featured 329 medal events in 32 sports, encompassing a total of 48 disciplines.[142] This included the 28 "core" Olympic sports contested in 2016 and 2020,[143] and 4 optional sports that were proposed by the Paris Organising Committee; breakdancing made its Olympic debut as an optional sport, while skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing returned to the programme, having debuted at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[144][145][146] Four events were dropped from weightlifting. In canoeing, two sprint events were replaced with two slalom events, keeping the overall event total at 16. In sport climbing, the previous "combined" event was divided into two separate disciplines: speed climbing, and boulder-and-lead.[147]

When Paris was bidding for the Games in August 2017, the Paris Organising Committee announced an intention to hold talks with the IOC and professional esports organisations about the possibility of introducing competitive esports events in 2024.[148][149] In July 2018, the IOC confirmed that esports would not be considered for the 2024 Olympics.[145] At the 134th IOC Session in June 2019, the IOC approved the Paris Organising Committee's proposed optional sports of breaking (breakdance), along with skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing, three sports that were first included in 2020.[144][145][146][150]

In the 2024 Paris Olympics, several new events and formats have been introduced. Formula Kite made its debut, described as the "Formula One of the Olympics", featuring high-speed foil racing with separate events for men and women.[151] Kayak cross also debuted, where four athletes race against each other on a course with multiple gates, marking the first head-to-head race in Olympic canoe slalom history. Sport climbing returned with a new format, splitting into bouldering and lead combined events in addition to a speed event. 3x3 basketball, which debuted in Tokyo, was back with finals scheduled for 5 August at Place de La Concorde. Changes in other sports included the introduction of men's participation in artistic swimming, a new women's weight class in boxing, and the addition of a marathon race walk mixed relay in track and field.[152]

Medal reallocations from previous Olympics

In addition to the Medalist Celebrations and the protocolar parts of the Opening Ceremony, the Champions Park also received some medal reallocation ceremonies from previous Summer Olympics dating back as far as 2000. Due to new IOC rules and protocols, one Winter Olympic medal awarding ceremony also held in this venue was for the figure skating team event from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. It had been the first Olympic medal ceremony to be delayed after Kamila Valieva from original gold medalist Russia was reported and then confirmed to have tested positive in 2021 for trimetazidine.[153] In January 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport disqualified Valieva for four years retroactive to 25 December 2021 for an anti-doping rule violation,[154] and the International Skating Union subsequently subtracted Valieva's scores, which upgraded the United States and Japan to gold and silver, respectively.[155][156] Canada, which had originally placed fourth, failed in their bid to have Russia's bronze medal taken away.[154] Under the IOC's new Medal Reallocation Rules, the IOC, the ISU, and the National Olympic Committees for both the United States and Japan coordinated this medal ceremony. There was thus trail maintenance used during Beijing 2022. However, both delegations for weather reasons wore their Paris 2024 uniforms. The Beijing 2022 soundtrack was still used for the medal ceremony, but both teams wore Paris 2024 national uniforms and it was the first medal ceremony from the 2022 Winter Olympics to have a full crowd, as there had been reduced audiences in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[157] The Russian team was unable to attend the medal ceremony due to the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and other related logistical issues.[158][159]

Closing ceremony

The ceremony and final fireworks

The closing ceremony was held at Stade de France on 11 August 2024, and thus marked the first time in any Olympics since Sarajevo 1984 that opening and closing ceremonies were held in different locations.[126] Titled "Records", the ceremony was themed around a dystopian future, where the Olympic Games have disappeared, and a group of aliens reinvent it. It featured more than a hundred performers, including acrobats, dancers and circus artists.[160] During the handover ceremonies, the American actor Tom Cruise also appeared with American performers Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and H.E.R. during the LA28 Handover Celebration portion of the ceremony.[161][162][163] The Antwerp Ceremony, in which the Olympic flag was handed to Los Angeles, the host city of the 2028 Summer Olympics, was produced by Ben Winston and his studio Fulwell 73.[164]

Participating National Olympic Committees

Of the 206 National Olympic Committees, 204 were represented at the 2024 Summer Games with 54 from Africa, 48 from Europe, 44 from Asia, 41 from the Americas and 17 from Oceania. North Korea returned to the Games in 2024, after serving a cycle of suspension due to the "boycott" of the 2020 Summer Olympics. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the IOC suspended the Olympic Committees of Russia and Belarus for violating the Olympic Truce. Russian and Belarusian athletes instead competed as "Individual Neutral Athletes" (AIN) without national identification,[165][166] as long as they did not "actively" support the war.[167][168] Individual neutral athletes had to be approved by each sport's international federation, and then the IOC's panel.[169] As individual athletes, AIN was not considered a delegation during the opening ceremony or in the medal tables.[170][171][172] They were also not allowed to compete in team events like basketball and volleyball.[173] The Refugee Olympic Team also competed.[174]

Participating nations
Country by team size
More information Participating National Olympic Committees ...
Participating National Olympic Committees
Close

Number of athletes by National Olympic Committees[b]

More information Ranking, NOC ...
Ranking NOC Athletes
1 United States592
2 France573
3 Australia459
4 Germany428
5 Japan404
6 Italy402
7 China388
8 Spain383
9 Great Britain327
10 Canada315
11 Brazil277
12 Netherlands273
13 Poland218
14 New Zealand195
15 Hungary178
16 Belgium165
17 Egypt148
18 South Africa142
19 South Korea141
20 Ukraine140
21 Argentina136
22 Ireland134
23 Switzerland128
24 Denmark123
25 Sweden118
26 Serbia112
27 Czech Republic111
28 India110
29 Mexico107
30 Norway107
31 Romania106
32 Turkey102
33 Greece100
34 Slovenia90
35 Israel88
35 Nigeria88
37 Colombia87
38 Uzbekistan86
39 Kazakhstan79
40 Austria78
41 Croatia73
41 Portugal73
43 Kenya72
44 Cuba61
45 Chinese Taipei60
45 Morocco60
47 Dominican Republic58
47 Jamaica58
49 Finland56
50 Puerto Rico51
50 Thailand51
50 Lithuania51
53 Chile48
53 Azerbaijan48
55 Bulgaria46
56 Algeria45
57 Iran41
58 Ecuador40
59 Refugee Olympic Team37
60 Hong Kong36
61 Ethiopia34
62 Fiji33
62 Venezuela33
64 Individual Neutral Athletes32
64 Mongolia32
66 Indonesia29
66 Latvia29
68 Georgia28
68 Paraguay28
68 Slovakia28
71 Tunisia27
71 Zambia27
73 Malaysia26
73 Moldova26
73 Peru26
76 Uruguay25
77 Angola24
77 Estonia24
77 Guinea24
77 Samoa24
77 Uganda24
82 Mali23
82 Singapore23
84 Iraq22
84 Philippines22
86 Montenegro19
87 Bahamas18
87 Trinidad and Tobago18
89 Cyprus16
89 Guatemala16
89 Kyrgyzstan16
89 North Korea16
89 Vietnam16
94 Armenia15
95 Luxembourg14
95 Qatar14
95 South Sudan14
95 Tajikistan14
99 Bahrain13
99 Mauritius13
99 United Arab Emirates13
102 Eritrea12
102 Jordan12
104 Botswana11
104 Ivory Coast11
104 Senegal11
107 Lebanon10
108 Kosovo9
108 Kuwait9
108 Saudi Arabia9
111 Albania8
111 Bermuda8
111 Burkina Faso8
111 El Salvador8
111 Ghana8
111 Guam8
111 Liberia8
111 Palestine8
111 Panama8
111 Rwanda8
121 Burundi7
121 Cape Verde7
121 Djibouti7
121 The Gambia7
121 Haiti7
121 Madagascar7
121 Mozambique7
121 Nepal7
121 Nicaragua7
121 Niger7
121 North Macedonia7
121 Pakistan7
121 Papua New Guinea7
121 Tanzania7
121 Zimbabwe7
136 Afghanistan6
136 Aruba6
136 Cameroon6
136 Costa Rica6
136 Democratic Republic of the Congo6
136 Grenada6
136 Guinea-Bissau6
136 Libya6
136 Monaco6
136 Sri Lanka6
136 Syria6
136 Turkmenistan6
136 Vanuatu6
149 Antigua and Barbuda5
149 Bangladesh5
149 Benin5
149 Bosnia and Herzegovina5
149 Gabon5
149 Guyana5
149 Iceland5
149 Maldives5
149 Malta5
149 San Marino5
149 Suriname5
149 Togo5
149 Virgin Islands5
162 Barbados4
162 British Virgin Islands4
162 Bolivia4
162 Cayman Islands4
162 Central African Republic4
162 Comoros4
162 Dominica4
162 Timor-Leste4
162 Honduras4
162 Laos4
162 Marshall Islands4
162 Namibia4
162 Oman4
162 Republic of the Congo4
162 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines4
162 Saint Lucia4
162 Sierra Leone4
162 Sudan4
162 Tonga4
162 Yemen4
182 Bhutan3
182 Brunei3
182 Cambodia3
182 Chad3
182 Equatorial Guinea3
182 Eswatini3
182 Federated States of Micronesia3
182 Kiribati3
182 Lesotho3
182 Malawi3
182 Palau3
182 Saint Kitts and Nevis3
182 São Tomé and Príncipe3
182 Seychelles3
196 American Samoa2
196 Andorra2
196 Cook Islands2
196 Mauritania2
196 Myanmar2
196 Solomon Islands2
196 Tuvalu2
203 Belize1
203 Liechtenstein1
203 Nauru1
203 Somalia1
Close

Calendar

In the following calendar for the 2024 Summer Olympics, each blue box represents an event competition, such as a qualification round, on that day. The yellow boxes represent days during which medal-awarding finals for a sport were held. On the left, the calendar lists each sport with events held during the Games, and at the right how many gold medals were won in that sport. There is a key at the top of the calendar to aid the reader.[175]

All times and dates use Central European Summer Time (UTC+2); except Tahiti uses UTC-10
OCOpening ceremony Event competitions 1Gold medal events CCClosing ceremony
More information July/August 2024, July ...
July/August 2024 July August Events
24th
Wed
25th
Thu
26th
Fri
27th
Sat
28th
Sun
29th
Mon
30th
Tue
31st
Wed
1st
Thu
2nd
Fri
3rd
Sat
4th
Sun
5th
Mon
6th
Tue
7th
Wed
8th
Thu
9th
Fri
10th
Sat
11th
Sun
CeremoniesOCCCN/a
Aquatics Artistic swimming 1 1 2
Diving 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8
Marathon swimming 1 1 2
Swimming 4 3 5 3 5 4 3 4 4 35
Water polo 1 1 2
Archery 1 1 1 1 1 5
Athletics 2 1 5 3 4 5 5 5 8 9 1 48
Badminton 1 1 1 2 5
Basketball Basketball 1 1 2
3×3 Basketball 2 2
Boxing 1 2 2 4 4 13
Breaking 1 1 2
Canoeing Slalom 1 1 1 1 2 6
Sprint 3 4 3 10
Cycling Road cycling 2 1 1 4
Track cycling 1 1 2 2 2 1 3 12
BMX 2 2 4
Mountain biking 1 1 2
Equestrian
Dressage 1 1 2
Eventing 2 2
Jumping 1 1 2
Fencing 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 12
Field hockey 1 1 2
Football 1 1 2
Golf 1 1 2
Gymnastics Artistic 1 1 1 1 3 3 4 14
Rhythmic 1 1 2
Trampoline 2 2
Handball 1 1 2
Judo 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 15
Modern pentathlon 1 1 2
Rowing 2 4 4 4 14
Rugby sevens 1 1 2
Sailing 2 2 2 3 1 10
Shooting 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 15
Skateboarding 1 1 1 1 4
Sport climbing 1 1 1 1 4
Surfing 2 2
Table tennis 1 1 1 1 1 5
Taekwondo 2 2 2 2 8
Tennis 1 2 2 5
Triathlon 2 1 3
Volleyball Beach volleyball 1 1 2
Volleyball 1 1 2
Weightlifting 2 2 2 3 1 10
Wrestling 3 3 3 3 3 3 18
Daily medal events013131911181623292020132126353913329
Cumulative total0132645567490113142162182195216242277316329
July/August 2024
24th
Wed
25th
Thu
26th
Fri
27th
Sat
28th
Sun
29th
Mon
30th
Tue
31st
Wed
1st
Thu
2nd
Fri
3rd
Sat
4th
Sun
5th
Mon
6th
Tue
7th
Wed
8th
Thu
9th
Fri
10th
Sat
11th
Sun
Total events
July August
Close

Medal table

Key

   Changes in medal standings (see here)

  *   Host nation (France)

More information Rank, NOC ...
2024 Summer Olympics medal table[176][B][C]
RankNOCGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States404442126
2 China40272491
3 Japan20121345
4 Australia18191653
5 France*16262264
6 Netherlands1571234
7 Great Britain14222965
8 South Korea1391032
9 Italy12131540
10 Germany1213833
11–91Remaining NOCs129138194461
Totals (91 entries)3293303851,044
Close

Podium sweeps

There was one podium sweep during the Games:

More information Date, Sport ...
Date Sport Event Team Gold Silver Bronze Ref
2 August Cycling Men's BMX race  France Joris Daudet Sylvain André Romain Mahieu [178]
Close

Marketing

Emblem

The emblem for the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics was unveiled on 21 October 2019 at the Grand Rex. Inspired by Art Deco,[179][180] it is a representation of Marianne, the national personification of France, with a flame formed in negative space by her hair. The emblem also resembles a gold medal. Tony Estanguet explained that the emblem symbolised "the power and the magic of the Games", and the Games being "for people". The use of a female figure also serves as an homage to the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, which were the first to allow women to participate.[181] The emblem was designed by the French designer Sylvain Boyer[179] with the French design agencies Royalties & Ecobranding.[179][182][183]

The emblem for Paris 2024 was considered the biggest new logo release of 2019 by many design magazines.[179][184] An Opinion Way survey showed that 83 per cent of French people say they liked the new Paris 2024 Games emblem. Approval ratings were high, with 82 per cent of those surveyed finding it aesthetically appealing and 78 per cent finding it to be creative.[185] It was met with some mockery on social media, one user commenting that the logo "would be better suited to a dating site or a hair salon".[181]

For the first time, the corresponding Paralympics shared the same emblem as the Olympics, with no difference bar the governing bodies' logo, reflecting a shared "ambition" between both events.[186]

Mascots

Paralympic Phryge
Paralympic Phryge

On 14 November 2022, the Phryges were unveiled as the mascots of the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics; they are a pair of anthropomorphic Phrygian caps, a historic French symbol of freedom and liberty.[187][188] Marianne is commonly depicted wearing the Phrygian cap, including in the Eugène Delacroix painting, Liberty Leading the People.[189][190] The two mascots share a motto of "Alone we go faster, but together we go further".[191]

Merchandise

In April 2024, the official Olympic video game titled Olympics Go! Paris 2024 was announced for release in June by Animoca Brands on Android, iOS, and Microsoft Windows devices.[192][193] The 2024 Summer Olympics became the first Summer Olympics in over 30 years to not have an official console video game.[194][195]

Posters

Official poster of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games on display at the Parc urbain de la Concorde

The Olympic poster for these games was revealed on 4 March 2024. Designed by Ugo Gattoni, the poster uses a diptych design, with one half representing the Olympics and the other half representing the Paralympics. For the first time in Summer Games history, the Olympic poster and Paralympic poster were designed together, as each one can work independently as halves, or be combined into one poster all together. The posters took 2,000 hours, across six months to complete.[196][197]

Corporate sponsorship

A TGM Research survey found that Coca-Cola was globally the most connected brand with the 2024 Olympics, with 23% of people mentioning it. Nike came in second with 16%, despite not being an official sponsor of the Olympic Games.[198]

Belgian beverage company AB InBev became the first Worldwide Olympic Partner during the Games,[199] while five companies would not renew their sponsorships after 2024; automobile manufacturer Toyota, reportedly unhappy with how the IOC has used its sponsorship money, arguing that it is not effectively used to support athletes or promote sport;[200][201] Panasonic, under continuous management considerations regarding sponsorship, with the company also looking to expand its businesses outside consumer electronics;[202][203] and Bridgestone, with the company instead wanting to strengthen its motorsports division.[204][205] Atos and Intel let their sponsorships lapse; Deloitte would replace Atos as the IOC's lead technology integrator in 2025.[206]

Under an agreement as "Premium" sponsor reportedly valued at €150 million ($163 million), French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH was involved in aspects of the Games, with its brand Louis Vuitton providing the trunks used to store the Olympic torch and medals, and the outfits and trays for medal presenters. Former IOC marketing head Michael Payne raised concerns that the prominent use of LVMH goods as part of the Olympics (and in particular, the opening ceremony, which also featured the aforementioned items as props, and performers Aya Nakamura and Lady Gaga wearing Dior haute couture) could cause conflicts with other official sponsors, noting that "the direction of stylish sponsor product placement may not be wrong but needs exceptionally careful management. LVMH got a massive free global ad last night and other partners are all going to be asking, how did that work?"[207][208]

Sponsors of the 2024 Summer Olympics[209][210][211]
Worldwide Olympic Partners
Premium Partners
Official Partners
Official Suppliers and Supporters

Broadcasting rights

In France, domestic rights to the 2024 Summer Olympics were owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (formerly Discovery Inc.) via Eurosport, with free-to-air coverage sublicensed to the country's public broadcaster France Télévisions.[217] WBD networks will broadcast from Hôtel Raphael, with dedicated studios for its British, French, Polish, and Nordic channels.[218]

The official Olympics website offered both live-streaming and recent recordings of the events in selected markets, particularly in Brazil, Russia (due to Russian broadcasters pulling out),[219] and the Indian subcontinent.[220]

Concerns and controversies

Lead-up

Several controversial issues occurred related to the 2024 Summer Olympics, including environmental and security concerns,[221][222] human rights,[223] terrorism,[224] and controversies over allowing Israel to participate amidst the Gaza war,[225][226] and allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[227][228] While there was nominally an Olympic Truce in place as usual, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Gaza war set a more conflicted political background to the games, before considering domestic and sporting issues.[229]

Opening ceremony

A portion of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics sparked significant controversy worldwide for its inclusion of a reenactment of the feast of the Gods, which depicts various Greek gods partaking in a banquet at Mount Olympus. The performance faced heavy backlash from Christian and conservative groups, who accused the performance representing the feast of Dionysus as mocking Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.[230][231][232][233]

The artistic director of the ceremony, Thomas Jolly, the ceremony's creative team, and many art historians later confirmed that the performance was unrelated to Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. Jolly additionally later stated, "The idea was instead to have a grand pagan festival connected to the gods of Olympus, Olympism".[234][235][236][237][238]

The Olympic World Library would later publish a media guide (written before the ceremony) describing it as being a homage to cultural festivities.[239] According to Georgian fact checking website Myth Detector, many experts had pointed out the differences between The Last Supper fresco and the performance.[240]

The performance, however, also received praise from others for "celebrating queer visibility and LGBTQ+ inclusivity",[241] according to American magazine Cosmopolitan.[242] Among those who expressed appreciation for the segment were American actress Jodie Sweetin, as well as Le Filip, a Croatian-French drag queen who won the third season of Drag Race France.[243][244][245]

See also

Notes

  1. Sources:
    • "'Pure Hollywood,' Paris 'wins a gold medal': Foreign press leaves glowing reviews for 2024 Olympics". Le Monde. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
    • Porter, Catherine (11 August 2024). "Paris, Uncharacteristically Giddy, Bids Au Revoir to the Olympics". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
    • Leicester, John (11 August 2024). "Paris and the Olympics have changed each other during their summer fling". AP News. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
    • Noack, Rick (12 August 2024). "The risky bets of the Paris Olympics paid off. Who can claim the win?". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  2. As of 26 July 2024
  1. Although the IOC does not include Individual Neutral Athletes[A] in the official medal tables,[177] they are listed here for comparison purposes.
  2. Figures in table reflect all official changes in medal standings.

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI