France has officially become the proud host nation of the next Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024 (the Games of the 33rd Olympiad), receiving the flag from Tokyo. Set to take place exactly 100 years after France’s last summer Games, Paris 2024 will be the largest event ever organised in the country, running from Friday 26 July until Sunday 11 August 2024. It promises to be an inclusive, interactive and sustainable celebration of sport: the first fully gender-balanced and carbon-neutral Olympics, featuring the first-ever Olympic events open to general public participation.
After a century, Paris is going to be the host for the Olympics 2024 yet again! It will become the second city to host the Olympics three times, after hosting it 1900 and 1924. Did you know? Paris is the only city in France to have ever hosted the Summer Olympics. How exciting is that?
What to expect at the Games?
What exactly would we see if we could travel 7 years forward in time and catch a glimpse of the Olympic village before anyone else?
Watched by the foodies indulging at Ladurée, the Champs Elysées has all of a sudden been transformed into a gigantic cycle track. The venerable Champs de Mars looks like a beach volleyball court and there is archery on the esplanade at Invalides. And beneath the magnificent and newly restored glass roof of the Grand Palais, two fencers are standing ready en garde.
The Eiffel Tower is hosting the triathlon, and the Seine itself serves as both a race course and an Olympics pool. A few miles away at Palace of Versailles, a horse race is underway, and the horses and riders seem as if they belong in its French gardens.
Sustainability at the forefront this Olympics 2024
Under the Terre de Jeux 2024 label, the President of the Paris 2024 is aiming at strengthening the role of sport into the everyday lives of the French population. And so local authorities (cities, intercommunal administrative entities, departments and regions) and the sports movement (federations and sports clubs), can fully engage with the Games in 2024.
Another core objective of the Olympics 2024 is a strong emphasis on sustainability. The Games will be organized in a way that will benefit the citizens of France for decades to come. The Aeroports de Paris (ADP), Airbus and RATP regional transport is even working on providing a flying start to visitors who will come to attend the Games. As soon as they land onto the runway, they can take to the air once again in a self-flying urban taxi of the future.
Paris 2024 will also be the first Games aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement, that will work towards protecting our planet for future generations. Using innovative technology, guests can download a visitor app, that will help them make sustainable choices. Through a points system, the app will tally up each user’s sustainable efforts and depending on each user’s score, will pledge to plant trees.
Another eco-friendly initiative will be the implementation of distributing wristbands to store visitor’s bookings, reservations and to make payments for all public transportation in Paris.
The construction of the Atheletes’ Village that will be used for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, situated in Saint-Ouen, will also have a strong focus on sustainability, by using natural and recyclable materials and green energy.
Get ready to live the Olympics 2024
Wondering if there have been any additions to the sports that are part of the Olympics 2024? Well then, you might just see break dancing, skateboarding, climbing and surfing in the mix! In order to make the Games younger, gender-balanced and urban- and consequently, make it more engaging for the spectators. However, these proposals are specific to the Paris 2024 Games, and guarantee no permanent spot in future Games.
The whole of Paris is part of the Olympics 2024 Games, and you are invited. No, it isn’t a dream. France wants this Olympiad to be innovative and giving, the watchwords sharing and sustainability. But most of all, France wants the games to take place in the heart of the city, its monuments, its history, and its future. And you've just seen it before anyone else...
It will be the third time that Paris has hosted the Summer Olympics, but the first time in a century – the last occasion was in 1924. The programme back then included 126 trials in just 17 disciplines, but lasted for four months. Only 135 of the 3,089 athletes vying for victory were women, although the event was gaining prominence around the world: 44 countries from all continents sent athletes to compete. Paris was also the city that invented the notion of an Olympic Village, which every Games have adopted since 1924. It will also be a century since the inaugural Winter Olympics, held in the French mountain resort of Chamonix earlier in 1924.
France’s prominent position in modern Olympic history was also shaped by French educator and historian Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937), who founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC). His congress at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1894 led to the decision to hold the Olympics every four years, with a programme of modern rather than ancient sports. The Pierre de Courbetin medal – also known as the Coubertin medal or the True Spirit of Sportsmanship medal – is an award given by the IOC to athletes who demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship at the Games.
Further info on Paris 2024: - The Olympic Games will run from 26 July to 11 August 2024 - The Paralympic Games will run from 23 August to 8 September 2024 - Official website of Paris 2024
Read more: - France to host the Rugby World Cup 2023 - 6 reasons to play at France's Golf National - Paris' top art exhibitions 2021-22
By The editor
The editorial staff of France.fr follows the trends and news of destinations to bring you stories from France that reveal its innovations and traditions that make you long to (re) discover its territories.
