The Summer Olympics are the world’s largest sporting events. In 2024, Paris will host competitions among the world’s premier athletes in dozens of different disciplines. Millions of spectators will experience an unforgettable adventure watching teams and individuals from across the globe compete and celebrate victories.

A Brief Olympic History

The modern version of the ancient Olympic games was revived in 1896 in Athens, Greece. With few exceptions (WWII and the recent global pandemic), they have been held every four years since then. In 1924, winter sports were added, with Summer and Winter Olympics each held in their respective seasons in locations conducive to the seasonal sports. Fun fact: until 1924, figure skating and Ice hockey were contested in the Summer Olympics!

Winter Olympics routinely occur in February but interestingly, with the advent of television and Americans’ sports mania, the International Olympic Committee began taking input from American network preferences for the timing of the Summer Olympics. That’s because the networks pay billions of dollars for the rights to share the competitions. July and August are months when the global sports calendar is in a bit of a lull, therefore less viewing competition for the networks.

1992 was the last time Summer and Winter games happened in the same year. Summer Olympics continued the same 4-year schedule. The next Winter Olympics happened only two years later in 1994, then resumed its four-year schedule. This effectively staggers the games so that there are Olympic events every two years.  

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024. Paris will be only the second city to host three Olympic Games; London is the other. Paris originally hosted in 1900, the first time women competed, and then again in 1924. For the first time ever, the emblem of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will be the same for the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. The design represents the gold medal, the Olympic flame, and Marianne, the personification of France representing liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will incorporate 329 events in 40 sports, plus four new sports – breaking (break dancing), surfing (taking place in Tahiti), skateboarding, and sport climbing. IOC president Thomas Bach said that the addition of these sports will make the Olympic Games “more gender-balanced, more youthful and more urban.”

The sporting categories for Paris 2024 include:

Archery	Road Cycling			Football	Rowing		Beach Volleyball
Athletics	Cycling Track			Golf	Rugby		Swimming
Badminton	Mountain Biking			Artistic Gymnastics	Sailing		Artistic Swimming
Basketball	BMX Freestyle			Rhythmic Gymnastics	Shooting		Marathon Swimming
Basketball 3×3	BMX Racing			Trampoline	Table Tennis		Taekwondo
Boxing	Equestrian			Handball	Tennis		Water Polo
Canoe	Fencing			Hockey	Triathlon		Weightlifting
Diving	Judo			Modern Pentathlon	Volleyball		Wrestling

How Paris is Changing the Rules of the Game

Paris intends to use its global stage to leave a legacy in sports by promoting social, economic, and ecological change. It hopes to act as a lab to invent the city of tomorrow and build a better world through sport.

Opening Ceremony

For the first time, the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games will not be in a stadium. Instead, Paris plans a spectacular scene staged on the river Seine. Performers and 10,500 athletes in their national delegations will parade through the heart of the city aboard a fleet of 160 boats. Spectators will see the athletes up close on 80 giant screens positioned along the 6 km route. This will allow at least 600,000 spectators to attend – that’s ten times the capacity of an Olympic stadium – most with no admission fee!

A Marathon for All

In another first, Paris will stage a “public” marathon, open to amateur athletes, on the same day as the Olympic competition. It will run at a different time, but on the same course in the same conditions. There will be several formats for experienced, beginners, and disabled athletes so that as many as possible can participate.

Venues

For the 2024 Summer Olympics, Paris is transforming its iconic landmarks such as the Place de la Concorde, the Esplanade des Invalides, the Grand Palais, and the Iéna bridge into official competition venues. The city itself becomes a backdrop for the pinnacle of sporting skills.

Sustainability

France is no stranger to hosting major international sporting competitions. It understands and appreciates the power of that global visibility. Paris will use hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games as an opportunity to accelerate sustainability transition in the world of sports. The goals are identifying tools and best practices for catering, waste management, and environmentally friendly mobility at sporting events.

Tickets for Paris 2024 Summer Olympics

A record-breaking 13.4 million tickets will be available for Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games. Covington Travel works with a trusted partner to provide Olympic packages that include:

• Personalized meet and greet upon arrival
• Choice of First-class accommodations in Paris
• Round-trip private transfers between airport and hotel
• Full breakfast daily
• Options for event transportation
• Paris welcome kit
• Summer Games commemorative gift package
• Half-day city tour
• 24/7 onsite host team including bilingual destination specialists
• All taxes and service charges

Six-night packages price from $9,825 per person, based on double occupancy, not including airfare. Upgrades and additional options can be arranged to customize your sports adventure.

As the world emerges from the isolation of the pandemic, we expect the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics to be truly extraordinary. To experience the excitement of the biggest sporting events in the world in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, contact a Covington vacation advisor today.