200 days to Paris 2024: Five things that set the upcoming Games apart from any previous Olympics
A revolutionised Opening Ceremony, gourmet cuisine and unprecedented gender equality are just some of the things that set Paris apart from the rest
With 200 days to Paris 2024, get ready for an Olympic experience like no other.
The heart of Paris will serve as a backdrop to the Summer Games as the city’s iconic landmarks are incorporated throughout. Athletes and spectators should expect gourmet, local cuisine from a collaboration of local farmers, chefs and restaurant owners.
The Opening Ceremony will be something that has never been done before while an equal number of male and female athletes are set to compete for the first time in Olympic history.
Here are five things that make Olympic Games Paris 2024 different from any Olympic Games to ever come before.
The first Opening Ceremony of its kind
Paris 2024 is set to revolutionise the concept of an Olympic Opening Ceremony, as on 26 July, over half a million people will watch the Summer Games’ first-ever outdoor ceremony.
With sporting venues scattered across the heart of the French capital, the Opening Ceremony will run through its main artery — the Seine River. Each national delegation will traverse the river on boats, with the 10,500 athletes travelling six kilometres to the world-famous Trocadéro where the final shows will take place.
Incorporating Parisian icons
In an iconic city like Paris, it’s only fitting that the Olympic sporting venues will incorporate the landmarks that render the destination so enchanting.
Volleyball spectators will look up to see the Eiffel Tower just outside of the outdoor arena, while the Trocadéro will offer a viewing platform that overlooks the city, allowing spectators to watch the triathlon, road cycling, marathon and more from a birds-eye-view of Paris.
Spectators will be able to conveniently experience the Games on foot or using public transport, as 80% of competition venues are located within a 10km radius of the Olympic and Paralympic Village.
Returning sport stars
As well as a new generation of athletes, some of the world’s biggest stars will return to the Olympic stage in Paris.
The potential comeback of all three of the last artistic gymnastics Olympic all-around champions — Sunisa Lee, Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas — is poised to rival Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and ‘Magic’ Johnson's 1992 “Dream Team” title as the trio could rock the history of their sport. If all three make Team USA’s 2024 Olympic team, they will go head-to-head to win the ultimate individual title: the all-around gold.
LeBron James is another headliner who is likely to grace Paris, but the appearance may be the 39-year-old's last at the Olympic Games. The global basketball legend openly contemplated retirement after the 2023 NBA Playoffs following a tough loss to the Denver Nuggets but returned for his 21st season. Having publicly expressed his interest in competing in Paris, the two-time Olympic champion is one to watch in the summer of '24.
Olympic champion and British social media star Tom Daley is also looking to make a splash in Paris after taking men’s synchronised 10m platform gold at Tokyo 2020. French judo legend Teddy Riner will also aim to add to his five Olympic medals (3 golds, 2 bronze) in front of his home crowd.
Gender equality
“Paris 2024 will be the first Olympics in history to achieve numerical gender parity on the field of play,” announced the International Olympic Committee in March 2023.
At the world’s largest sporting event, 5,250 men and 5,250 women are set to compete from 26 July-11 August. Additionally, local authorities and Paris 2024 have committed to renaming sporting facilities with the names of prominent women, addressing the current disparity where only one percent of facilities in France are named after women.
Gourmet cuisine
The theme of Paris 2024 cuisine is: “Gourmet, more local and more plant-based”.
With the Games taking place in a country famed for its gastronomic delights, athletes and spectators should be excited for a plethora of Parisian options within the Athletes' Village and surrounding sporting venues. The Food Vision established for the upcoming Olympics intends to use the Games “to highlight how creative and sustainable food can be produced at a major international event.”
Farmers, chefs, artisans, restaurant owners, caterers, nutritionists and more will collaborate to showcase the best cuisine that France has to offer.