Summer Olympics set for July 26 to August 11

By Greg Buchanan

The 2024 Olympics will be in Paris, France. It is the third time the French capital has hosted the summer Games, the first being in 1900 and the second in 1924, exactly 100 years ago.

For the first time, this year’s Olympics will have an equal number of male and female athletes, and the same number of events for all. The 33rd Summer Olympic Games, or formally, the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, will run from Friday, July 26, until Sunday, August 11. As is tradition, the opening ceremony will take place on Friday, July 26.

Four events actually start before the opening ceremony: archery, football, handball and rugby sevens. More than 10,000 athletes from 206 nations are expected to take part in 329 events, across 45 sports disciplines.

Will Russians be competing at the Olympics? The Russian Olympic Committee remains suspended from the International Olympic Committee after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was dismissed.

The IOC suspended the ROC on October 12 last year, after the ROC took a unilateral decision on October 5 to include as members regional sports organizations which were under the authority of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee. These regional organizations were within territories annexed by the Russian military amid its invasion of Ukraine. CAS found the IOC executive board’s initial decision “did not breach the principles of legality, equality, predictability or proportionality”. The decision does not affect individual Russian athletes’ ability to compete as neutrals at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, provided they meet eligibility criteria imposed by the IOC. 

There are a total of 10 million tickets for the Games, with British supporters set to be the largest fanbase outside of the home nation. Team GB is obviously coming in force with great expectations. One regret for the organizers will be the absence of the England women’s soccer team, and what would have been a large fanbase. Tickets for the most popular Olympic events, including swimming and gymnastics, are sold out with only availability through special ‘hospitality packages’. Remaining opening ceremony tickets are available for around $4,500.  Yup think I will stay home and watch from my couch, a little cheaper.