The 2024 Olympic Games will be held in Paris, France from July 26 to August 11. There will be around 10,500 athletes, 329 events, and 44 sports at this year’s games. The 2024 Olympics will have four newly added sports, such as, breakdancing “breaking,” sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing.
Paris will be transforming their iconic landmarks to offer spectators a once and a memorable experience. The Games will be held in 35 venues; the most iconic are the Eiffel Tower Stadium and Grand Palais.
Breakdancing, referred to as “breaking,” is a sport that is new to the Olympics. Breaking is a hip-hop style of dance rooted in Black culture. Male dancers, called “b-boys,” and women dancers, “b-girls,” will compete and be evaluated by the World DanceSport Federation. At the 2024 Olympics 16 b-boys and girls will compete for bronze, silver, or gold for their country.
Sports climbing was initially competed at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games in 2018 then in the Olympics in the Tokyo 2020 games. Athletes will be separated based on gender where they will compete in a set of competitions for a chance to take home a metal. The set of competitions will be speed and boulder/lead events. Sports climbing is also set to be in the Olympic program in the Los Angeles 2028 games.
Skateboarding was another sport to make its competition debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games skateboarding made its very first appearance on an Olympic platform. July 27 and 28 will host the skateboarding portion of the Olympics. The skateboarding portion will have competitors perform tricks on stairs, rails, and gaps where each run will be 45 seconds.
Competitive surfing made its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with 20 men and women competing for a medal. The United States and Australia are the top two surfing competitors. At the 2024 Olympics 24 men and women will compete in French Polynesia. During the event surfers will have 20-30 minutes to try and catch the best wave. The first round of competition will be non elimination, as the competition continues surfers will get cut each round, which will eventually the top three taking home a medal.
Presenting the torch at this year’s Olympics will be Tokyo 2020 Olympic rowing gold medallist Stefanos Douskos along with the captain of the 2020 silver medal-winning water polo captain Giannis Fountoulis. The torch carries a symbolic message, representing spirit, knowledge, and life. Hellenic Olympic Committee President and IOC member Spryos Capralos says, “but even more important for us are the very special messages that the Olympic flame carries with it. Especially at a time when war is raging in many parts of the world. At such a time, it is peace, cooperation, noble rivalry, and the ideals of Olympism that can rekindle the flame of hope.”
Those unable to attend in person will be able to view Olympic events online, TV, and news articles.
