The 2024 Paris Olympics are quickly approaching, but when exactly will you be able to watch the iconic Summer Games?
The Paris Olympics will officially kick off with a wildly ambitious waterborne opening ceremony, but that won’t actually mark the start of competition.
The event is set to be the first Olympic opening ceremony held outside a stadium setting. About 10,500 athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along the route ending in front of the Trocadéro.
The Olympic rings have already been mounted to the Eiffel Tower, signaling the big moment is near. The rings will be illuminated every night with 100,000 LED bulbs through the Paralympics, which start 17 days after the Olympic closing ceremony.
Here’s what to know:
When are the Olympics?
The Opening Ceremony will kick of on July 26, but some events will actually begin competition as early as July 24. The Games continue until the Closing Ceremony on Aug. 11.
Shortly after, the Paralympics are scheduled to take place Aug. 28-Sept. 8.
When will the first medals be handed out?
The first medals are expected to be awarded on July 27 in sports like diving, swimming, skateboarding and more.
A full schedule of events can be found here.
Where are the Olympics?
The Paris Olympics mark the first Games in a century in France’s capital.
But they won’t be judged for spectacle alone. Another yardstick will be their impact on disadvantaged Paris suburbs, away from the city-center landmarks that are hosting much of the action.
There will be no shortage of iconic venues at the Paris Olympics.
The Eiffel Tower, nicknamed La Dame de Fer (The Iron Lady), will feature prominently Paris Games and the Paralympics.
Men’s and women’s beach volleyball will be played at the foot of the 330-meter (1,083-foot) monument. They will be watched by nearly 13,000 fans at the temporary Eiffel Tower Stadium on the nearby Champ de Mars, where Parisians and tourists like to have picnics on the grass or watch July 14 firework displays.
The Olympic and Paralympic medals in Paris are being embedded with pieces from a hexagonal chunk of iron taken from the tower.
Who is competing in the 2024 Games?
While many are gearing up to watch the world sporting event, athletes in several sports are competing for their chance to make Team USA.
Final qualifications for Team USA’s swimming, track and field, and gymnastics teams are happening at the end of June. See a list of local athletes to watch here.
Meanwhile, a number of athletes have already secured their spots.
On this episode of Hometown Hopefuls, NBC Chicago’s Alex Maragos talks with rhythmic gymnast Evita Griskenas. The suburban Chicago native shares the remarkable story of what sparked her journey to becoming an Olympian and so much more
An updated list can be found here.