One the the world’s biggest sporting events will take place this summer. The 2024 Summer Olympics will begin Friday, July 26 and last until Sunday, Aug 11 2024. It’s going to be a multi-sport event in Paris, France. The Olympics are every four years and the city changes.
The Olympic Games started in 776 BCE, in Olympia, Greece, so a long time ago. And the modern Olympics, as we have them today, started in 1896 in Athen, Greece.
The Summer Olympics are not only about the competition, they are also about celebrating all the diverse cultures.
“I’m going to watch the Olympics because it’s fun to cheer for our country and it’s also kind of nostalgic for me,” Kailey Lawrence said, who is a cross country and track athlete at Liberty. “I will probably watch track, the marathon, gymnastics, and diving.”
Aubrey McClelland is going to watch the Olympics in hopes of seeing the USA win as many medals as possible. “It gives people a sense of pride. I’m going to watch mainly hockey, rhythmic gymnastics, and volleyball,” McClelland said.
This will be the third time Paris has hosted the Olympics, also having the games in 1900 and 1924. The opening ceremony will flow along the Seine River, from the new Olympic Village, and it’s just 15 minutes away from the city center.
The first sports to begin this year’s Olympics even before the opening ceremony are football and rugby that will both start play on July 24 and handball on the 25th. In a little bit over three weeks, 329 events in 32 different sports will take place.
“I watch the summer Olympics every year that it airs,” Amber Sethaler said. “I watch it because I just enjoy watching athletes finally achieve their goals. And I mainly watch gymnastics. I used to do the sport myself, so it’s cool to watch it and know what all the skills are. I also know of every gymnastics athlete. My favorite one is Simone Biles.”
Around 10 million tickets will be sold and you could buy them on their website. The prices will start at 24 Euros and for the Paralympics at 15 Euros.
With the wide variety of sports, there are some that many people may not consider a sport that is a part of the Olympics. One of these sports includes the sport of “breaking,” and it’s a combination of dance moves and improvising to the DJ’s beats. This is the only new one for this years Olympics. Trampoline is another sport that many people do not see as a sport that is included in the Olympics. The trampolinists have 10 different maneuvers and the judges score their effort. Another sport is the air pistol, and it’s part of the Olympics since 1998. The next one is sailing, and some people don’t think it’s an Olympic sport to capture the power of wind.
