This year, the XXXIII 2024 Olympic Games begin in July in the city of Paris, France. They will take place from July 26 to August 11 and the city will be the main venue for hundreds of international athletes, each representing their country, who come together to compete, enjoy and, of course, obtain the glory of the Olympic medals. The city will once again host the competition for the third time in history and will host the competition after 100 years since the last celebration there in 1924.
The official website of the Olympic Games defines them as: "... The only truly global, multi-sport competition that celebrates sport in the world. With more than 200 countries participating in more than 400 events between the Summer and Winter Games, the Games are where everyone comes to compete, be inspired and be together."
The global celebration begins with the lighting of the Olympic torch in the city of Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. Then, it will travel through different geographical points and is handed off by different athletes or figures related to the sport until it reaches the host city where the celebration will be held. On this journey, the torch symbolizes peace and friendship before the world. On the day of the opening ceremony, each delegation will parade wearing clothes representative of their country and the torch will light the Olympic cauldron thus giving the official opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At the end of the ceremony, the cauldron will be extinguished during the official closing ceremony.
So far, twelve countries have already qualified to compete. Some of them are United States, France, Argentina, New Zealand and Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee authorized Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate but under a neutral flag and under strict conditions, forbidding the mention of any political issues.
The sports in the competition are very varied such as: soccer, swimming, rugby, golf, beach volleyball, canoeing, basketball, water polo, among others. Recently, to attract the attention of the younger public, a sport called breaking or also known as break dancing has been added. It is a style of urban dance that originated in New York in the 1970s. According to the official website of the Olympic Games, "it is a form of dance sport that mixes urban dance with remarkable athletics."
Tickets to attend the events of each competition can be purchased online through the official website https://tickets.paris2024.org/. They have a minimum value of €24 depending on the sport and the city where they take place.
Although the city of Paris is very touristy and will make use of existing facilities for greater environmental sustainability during the celebration of the games, work has been underway for some time to improve public transport and different facilities so that everyone’s stay and enjoyment of it is optimal for both athletes and tourists. For example, an Olympic Village has been built, where the athletes who will represent each delegation will stay for the duration of the Games. Other French cities that are taking part in this historic event are Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Nantes, among others.
After the Olympic Games are over, the Paralympic Games begin, from August 28 to September 8, 2024. They will take place in the same venues set for the Olympic Games and will also be broadcast globally. Their tickets can also be obtained through the official website but the minimum value of them will be €15.
It will be the first time in history that France will host this event, since it began in Rome in 1960. The athletes of the Paralympic Games all have different disabilities and represent their country by excelling in a particular sport. They were created to include all kinds of people and to demonstrate worldwide that regardless of the physical condition a person has, you must never stop believing in yourself and develop the passion that you like, in this case sport. The only limitations that exist are those of the mind, not the body.
By Marina Chauffaille