2024 Paris Olympics Preview, Schedule, Athletes to Watch and More!

All eyes are on the City of Light as the Summer Olympics return to Paris for the first time in 100 years. From its unique opening ceremony on the Seine to its displays of incredible strength, speed and skill, we look ahead to an Olympics that will be nothing short of magnifique.

“GOAT” Goes To Paris

Gymnast Simone Biles is back in full force after withdrawing from most events in Tokyo and taking time off from the sport. She can become the most decorated American Olympic gymnast with one medal of any color in Paris, and she can break the all-time record for most Olympic golds for an American gymnast if she can win two. Suni Lee, all-around gold medalist at the Tokyo Games, is hopeful for a repeat after battling kidney-related health issues. Jade Carey extended the USA’s streak of gold medals in the floor exercise to three with a win in Tokyo. Rounding out the team is 16-year-old newcomer Hezly Rivera.

Talent Pool

Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky is the fifth American female swimmer to ever qualify for four Games. She’s expected to compete in four individual events, including the 800-meter freestyle, where she’s three-time reigning Olympic champ. If Ledecky wins three medals in Paris, she would become the second-most decorated American Olympic swimmer, trailing only Michael Phelps. Abbey Weitzeil, Lilly King, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Simone Manuel and Regan Smith will likely be among the other top U.S. women’s swimmers to watch. On the men’s side, look for Bobby Finke, Tokyo Games gold medalist in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle, to defend his titles in Paris. Ryan Murphy, the former world-record holder in the 100-meter backstroke, hopes to add to his tally of four Olympic golds. After taking time off, seven-time Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel returned to competition last year and is poised to make another splash in his third Games.

Fleet Afoot

USA Track & Field boasts some elite athletes expected to haul in the medals in Paris. Noah Lyles enters the Games with the title of “World’s Fastest Man” after winning three golds at the 2023 World Championships. Lyles took the bronze in the 200-meter sprint in Tokyo, and he’s expected to run in the 100- and 200-meter sprints, and the 4×100-meter relay (and possibly the 4×400 relay). Other U.S. speedsters on the men’s team include Tokyo 100-meter silver medalist Fred Kerley, reigning 200-meter silver medalist Kenny Bednarek and 110-meter hurdles silver medalist Grant Holloway. On the women’s side, Sha’Carri Richardson missed the Tokyo Games due to a suspension, but she’ll aim to become the first American woman to win the marquee 100-meter dash since Gail Devers in 1996. She’s also the best hope of breaking Jamaica’s streak of four straight golds in the event. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone looks to become the first ever repeat winner in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.

Slam Dunk

There is probably no safer bet in the world of sports than Team USA winning Olympic basketball gold. Since the 1992 men’s Dream Team took the floor in Barcelona, the lone hiccup was bronze in Athens 2004. Steve Kerr coaches this squad, which is an incredible collection of NBA talent: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Joel Embiid, Derrick White, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton. The women’s team has won gold in seven straight Olympic tournaments. Head coach Cheryl Reeve’s roster features Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Sabrina Ionescu. Star WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark, controversially, did not make the team.

Breaking?

Remember the early 1980s when breakdancing emerged from the burgeoning hip-hop culture of New York City to spend a couple years in the mainstream? Well, it’s an Olympic sport now. Olympic breaking consists of 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls competing in solo battles to impress the nine judges. American B-Boy Victor Montalvo, 2023 World Champion, is a gold-medal favorite in Paris. Lithuanian B-Girl Dominika “Nicka” Banevič, age 17, is also a top contender for gold.

Paris & Beyond

The opening ceremony will be held outside an Olympic stadium for the first time, as the Seine River banks and the Jardins du Trocadéro, a green space across the river from the Eiffel Tower, will attract roughly 500,000 spectators. Nearly 180 boats and barges will carry the 10,500 athletes down the Seine in the Parade of Nations. Other key locations are:
Aquatics Centre is a new permanent facility that will host artistic swimming, diving and water polo.
Bercy Arena, with its iconic pyramidal shape, will hold gymnastics events and the basketball playoff rounds.
Eiffel Tower Stadium is a temporary arena for beach volleyball on the Champ de Mars.
Marseille Marina on the Mediterranean coast will hold sailing events.
Parc des Princes, home of the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, is one of seven stadiums across France that will host soccer matches.
Paris La Défense Arena will host aquatics for the first time, with a 50-meter, 660,0000-gallon swimming pool installed in the floor.
Roland-Garros Stadium, site of the French Open, will hold tennis matches and boxing finals.
Stade de France will hold track and field events, rugby matches, and the closing ceremony.
Tahiti, the South Pacific island 9,800 miles away from Paris, will have surfing competitions.
Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, located east of Paris, is a new facility for rowing, kayaking and canoeing events.

Where To Watch

The TV and streaming networks of NBCUniversal present more than 5,000 hours of live coverage, including all 329 medal events. At least nine hours daily on NBC are dedicated to the Games’ most exciting events, including live finals in swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and more. NBC weaves together the best of the day’s action over three primetime hours every night. Peacock streams live coverage of every event, including all NBC programming, plus replays, clips, enhanced interactive features, multiview experiences and more. Additional Olympic programming airs on USA Network, E!, CNBC, Golf Channel, Telemundo and Universo.

Future Games

The 2026 Winter Games will take place Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The Olympic flame will burn again in the States when Los Angeles hosts the Summer Games in 2028, and then head Down Under for the 2032 Summer Games in Brisbane, Australia (where it will be meteorological winter). The 2030 Winter Games will be held in the French Alps and then the Olympics come back to the U.S. for the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Games.