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MORE THAN 10,000 of the world’s best athletes are about to congregate in Paris for two and a bit weeks of pure sporting nirvana. For a brief, shining moment, witnessing the absolute pinnacle of human speed, strength and endurance will become part of our daily routines, as the exemplars of peak performance duel it out to immortalise themselves in the annals of Olympic history.
Excuse the overly pithy introduction, but in case you can’t tell, we’re hyped for the Olympics – and Paris 2024 looks like it will be one to remember. Records are set to tumble, inspirational stories are guaranteed to be plentiful, and an Australian gold rush is a very real possibility.
Due to the colossal proportions of an event like the Olympics, it can be easy to get lost in the chaos. That’s why we’ve rounded up all the key details you need to know ahead of the Games. Read on to learn everything from when and where to watch, to how the Australian team’s gold medal hopes are projecting.
When are the Paris 2024 Olympics?
The 2024 Paris Olympics will take place from July 24th to August 11th. The opening ceremony is scheduled for July 26th, but preliminary and qualifying events will actually begin a few days earlier, on July 24th.
For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony will occur outside of a stadium. Instead, the parade of nations will take place on the River Seine (regardless of how clean it is), with athletes being ferried along the river on boats. Then, they’ll make their way to the Trocadéro, where the Eiffel Tower will serve as a backdrop to the celebrations.
The closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics will take place on August 11th in the Stade de France, the country’s national stadium.
Where can I watch the 2024 Paris Olympics in Australia?
The Nine Network holds the broadcasting rights for the 2024 Paris Olympics. You can watch the Games for free on Nine’s free-to-air channels or stream them on the 9Now platform. You can also catch replays and highlights on 9Now.
Stan will also be broadcasting Olympic events – ad-free, live and on-demand. Additionally, the streamer will be airing highlights and daily talk shows.
For those doing the time zone conversion math in their head, let us save you the trouble. Paris is eight hours behind Australia’s east coast, seven and a half hours behind Adelaide, and six hours behind Perth. That means that events that take place in the Parisian morning and afternoon will be easy viewing for most Australian’s, as they’ll take place in the evening and early night Australian time. Local time night events will require a bigger commitment, as an event starting at 7pm in Paris will mean a 3am start in Sydney.
Is Australia going to have a good Olympics?
By all accounts, yes. Some early projections have Australia delivering its best performance since Athens 2004. The most recent data-based Nielson projection is predicting a whopping 48-medal haul for the Aussies, with 13 of them being gold. That tally would be our third highest medal output of all time and the highest since the Athens Games. 13 gold medals would be a slight downturn from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics though, where Australian athletes took home a record-equalling 17 gold medals.
As usual, much of Australia’s Olympic success will depend on how well the swimming team performs. The Dolphins (the Aussie swim team) secured 21 medals at the Tokyo Games, putting them second behind the USA on the swimming medal table. With gold medal favourites like Cam McEvoy, Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan heading to Paris, the Dolphins have a chance to finally eclipse their cross-Pacific counterparts.
Outside of the pool, Australian gold medal contenders include Jess Fox in the C1 and K1 canoe slalom, Logan Martin in BMX, Matt Wearn in sailing, Grace Brown in cycling, Nicola Olyslagers in high jump, the men’s basketball team, a host of rowing teams, and of course, the Matildas – if they can survive without Sam Kerr.
How many countries are in the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Not all teams are final and not all athletes have qualified, but it’s expected that the 2024 Paris Games will feature 206 countries and around 10,500 athletes.
How many sports are in the Paris 2024 Olympics?
32 sports make up the Paris 2024 Olympic program, with a total of 329 medal events. Every summer Olympics feature the same 28 ‘core’ sports, in addition to a few extra sports that are selected every four years. This year, those extra sports are surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing (which all made their debuts at the Tokyo Games) and breaking (Olympic speak for breakdancing), which is making its first appearance as an Olympic sport.
How many Australian athletes compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics?
The complete Australian Olympic team hasn’t been announced just yet, but it is taking shape. So far, 432 Australians have secured a place at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but with qualifiers still being held and teams yet to be named, expect that number to rise closer to the 500 mark.
Can you still get tickets for the Olympics?
Tickets are still available for plenty of Olympic events and can be purchased here. Although, they are going fast, and many events are already sold out. Don’t expect to find tickets to the athletics on the day of the 100m final, or to the basketball whenever team USA is playing. But if you’re into volleyball, badminton or table tennis, the tickets are there for the taking.
Finding accommodation, however, is another issue. Unless you’re willing to pay an exorbitant premium for jacked-up nightly rates, you’ll struggle to find accommodation in Paris during the Olympic period – it is the biggest event on the sporting calendar, after all.
What’s going on with the Seine?
Perhaps you’ve heard about the controversy surrounding Paris’ iconic river Seine. Or more specifically, about the city’s resident’s plans to defecate into the body of water on a mass scale. So, why on earth are they doing that? Well, in the months leading up to the Games, France has spent more than $2.2 billion AUD attempting to clean up the river so that it’s safe to swim in for certain events. Parisians haven’t been too pleased about the costs, and in protest, are planning to empty their bowels in the river.
Whether or not they go through with it remains to be seen, but the protest was originally scheduled for June 23rd, and no faecal catastrophes have happened yet. Regardless of the protest, officials are uncertain if the Seine will be clean enough to host long distance swimming and triathlon events and are yet to confirm that the site will be used.
Related:
What you need to know if you’re travelling for the 2024 Olympics
