Paris Olympic Games 2024 (Summer Olympics): History of Olympic Games

Paris Olympics Games 2024 will take place from July 26 to August 11, showcasing 329 events at iconic locations such as the Eiffel Tower and Versailles, along with notable sports and worldwide broadcasts, which will celebrate excellence, friendship, and respect.

Introduction

• The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and branded as Paris 2024, is an upcoming global multi-sport event set to occur from July 26 (opening ceremony) to August 11, 2024, in France.
• Some competitions will begin on July 24. Paris will be the main host city, with events also taking place in 16 other cities across Metropolitan France and one additional location in Tahiti, an island in the French overseas territory of French Polynesia.

Details and Historical Significance (Paris Olympics Games 2024)

• Paris was granted the Games at the 131st IOC Session in Lima, Peru, on September 13, 2017. Following several withdrawals, only Paris and Los Angeles remained in the running.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to award the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics simultaneously to these two cities. Both bids were commended for their advanced technical plans and innovative use of a record number of existing and temporary facilities.
• Paris, having previously hosted in 1900 and 1924, will become the second city to host the Summer Olympics three times, after London, which hosted in 1908, 1948, and
• The Paris 2024 Games will mark the centenary of both Paris 1924 and Chamonix 1924 (the latter marking the centenary of the Winter Olympics).
  • This will be the sixth Olympic Games hosted by France (three Summer and three Winter) and the first since the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville.
• The Summer Games will resume the traditional four-year cycle, following the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Paris 2024 will introduce breakdancing as an Olympic event and could be the last Olympics under IOC President Thomas Bach. The 2024 Games are projected to cost €9

Motto

• The motto for Paris 2024 is “Games wide open”, reflecting the inclusive and welcoming nature of the event.
• These Games will be the first to feature an equal number of male and female athletes, emphasizing the commitment to gender equality in sports.

About Olympic Games

• The Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event held every four years, featuring summer and winter sports competitions. Athletes from around the world represent their countries, competing for medals in various disciplines.
• The Games promote peace, unity, and sportsmanship, inspired by the ancient Greek Olympics.
• Modern Olympics began in 1896, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) oversees their organization. The Games are renowned for their opening and closing ceremonies, iconic moments, and world records.
  • They rotate host cities, bringing global attention and fostering international collaboration.
• The Olympic motto, “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” means “Faster, Higher, Stronger.”

History of the Olympic Games:

• The ancient Olympic Games took place in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC until the 4th century AD. These games were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were a significant part of ancient Greek culture.
• In the late 19th century, Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator, revived the modern Olympic Games with the aim of promoting peace and international understanding through sport.
• The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, featuring athletes from 14 countries competing in 43
  • Since then, the Olympic Games have expanded considerably, now featuring thousands of athletes from over 200 countries competing in a diverse range of sports.

Organization and Governance:

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) serves as the highest authority within the Olympic Movement, responsible for organizing and overseeing the Olympic Games.
• The IOC consists of representatives from various National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and international sports federations.
• Host cities for each Olympic Games are chosen through a competitive bidding process, where cities submit their proposals to the IOC several years in advance.
• The selected host city is then tasked with constructing and maintaining the necessary infrastructure, such as venues, transportation, and accommodation, to facilitate the Games.

Summer and Winter Olympics:

• The Summer Olympics include a broad spectrum of sports, such as athletics, swimming, gymnastics, and cycling, and are held in various cities worldwide during the summer months.
• The Winter Olympics, on the other hand, focus on cold-weather sports like skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, and figure skating, and take place in cities with appropriate winter conditions during the winter months.
• The Olympic Movement has evolved significantly throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, bringing many changes to the Olympic Games.
• Key developments include the introduction of the Winter Olympic Games for snow and ice sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities, the Youth Olympic Games for athletes aged 14 to 18, the five Continental Games (Pan American, African, Asian, European, and Pacific), and the World Games for sports not featured in the Olympic Games. Additionally, the IOC supports the Deaflympics and the Special Olympics.
• The IOC has had to adapt to various economic, political, and technological changes. The manipulation of amateur rules by Eastern Bloc countries led the IOC to transition from Coubertin’s ideal of pure amateurism to allowing professional athletes to compete.
• The rise of mass media has brought about challenges with corporate sponsorship and commercialization of the Games.
• World Wars I and II caused the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Olympics; significant boycotts during the Cold War affected the 1980 and 1984 Olympics; and the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the 2020 Olympics to

Olympic Symbols/Rings:

• The Olympic Movement uses symbols to represent the ideals embodied in the Olympic Charter. The Olympic symbol, better known as the Olympic rings, consists of five intertwined rings and represents the unity of the five inhabited continents (Africa, The Americas (considered one continent), Asia, Europe, and Oceania).
• The coloured version of the rings—blue, yellow, black, green, and red—over a white field forms the Olympic flag. These colours were chosen because every nation had at least one of them on its national flag.
• The flag was adopted in 1914 but flown for the first time only at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. It has since been hoisted during each celebration of the Games.

About the Medals

• The Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals awarded to competitors at the Olympics and Paralympics represent the highest levels of athletic achievement at the Games. The design of the medals is the responsibility of the host city’s organizing committee, and varies with each edition of the Games.

The Olympic Torch Relay

• The Olympic Torch Relay is a tradition where the Olympic flame is carried from Olympia, Greece, to the host city of the upcoming Olympic Games.
• This relay began in 1936 for the Berlin Games, symbolizing the link between the ancient and modern Games.
  • The flame is lit at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, using a parabolic mirror to focus sunlight. It then travels through various countries, carried by thousands of torchbearers, covering thousands of kilometers.
• The relay culminates with the lighting of the cauldron at the Olympic Stadium during the Opening Ceremony, marking the official start of the Games.

Paris Olympic Games 2024 w.r.t. India

• The Olympic Games Paris 2024 commence with the opening ceremony on July 26, followed by the closing ceremony on August 11.
• Competitions kick off on July 24, two days before the opening ceremony, featuring preliminary rounds in archery, football, handball, and rugby sevens.
• Swimming events are scheduled during the first week of the Games, running from July 27 to August 4, while track and field athletics spans the second week, starting on July 31 and culminating on August 11 with the marathon, traditionally the final event of the athletics program.

Participation of Indian athletes

• In recent editions, the number of Indian athletes participating in the Summer Olympics has consistently risen.
• At Tokyo 2020, India sent its largest contingent ever with 124 athletes, securing seven medals, the highest in a single Olympics, including Neeraj Chopra’s historic gold in the men’s javelin throw.
• For Paris 2024, India anticipates a higher number of qualifying athletes and aims to surpass its Tokyo medal tally.
• Trap shooter Bhowneesh Mendiratta earned India’s first Paris 2024 quota at the 2022 ISSF World Championships but didn’t make the final team after national trials. Prithviraj Tondaiman replaced him in the men’s trap event.
• Remarkably, Indian shooters secured quotas in every Olympic shooting category for the first time.
• The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) exchanged a pistol quota for a women’s trap shooter after Manu Bhaker topped national trials in the women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol events, freeing a quota for shotgun. Shreyasi Singh will compete in the women’s trap event as a result.
• Rudrankksh Patil, who secured a men’s 10m air rifle quota, didn’t make the final team either. Sandeep Singh replaced him following trials. Similarly, Tilottama Sen, Akhil Sheoran, Mehuli Ghosh, Shriyanka Sadangi, Varun Tomar, and Palak Gulia, who all earned quotas in their events, also missed out.
• In sports like shooting and wrestling, quotas are awarded to countries, not individual athletes, allowing replacements before the Games.
• National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have the exclusive authority to select athletes for the Olympic Games, determining their participation in Paris
• Race walkers Priyanka Goswami and Akshdeep Singh were the first Indians to qualify for athletics events at Paris
• In the men’s 20km race walk, four Indian athletes met the Olympic qualifying standard, with one qualifying via world rankings. However, each national federation can send only three athletes per event. Akshdeep Singh, Vikash Singh, and Paramjeet Singh Bisht were selected, while Ram Baboo and Suraj Panwar missed out.
• Although Priyanka and Akshdeep secured a quota for India in the marathon race walk mixed relay event, Suraj will partner Priyanka in Paris.
• Achieving the entry standard or securing a quota is just part of the qualification process. NOCs have the final say on team selections for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
• Murali Sreeshankar met the qualifying standard in the men’s long jump but won’t compete due to a knee injury ruling him out for the 2024.
• India reclaimed the boxing quota in the women’s 57kg through Jaismine Lamboria at the Olympic qualifiers in Bangkok after the original quota-holder Parveen Hooda, who secured the slot at the 2023 Asian Games, was suspended for whereabouts failures.

India’s Flagbearers of Triumph and Hope at Paris 2024

• The 2024 Paris Olympics, one of the world’s largest sporting events, is fast approaching. The event will begin on July 26th and conclude on August 11
• Sports fans worldwide are eagerly anticipating this grand occasion, where athletes will vie for gold medals and demonstrate their remarkable skills.
• India is ready to make a significant impact, with the renowned PV Sindhu chosen as the flag-bearer for the Indian contingent in the 33rd edition of this major sporting spectacle, and seasoned Table Tennis player Sharath leading the men’s team. They have been selected for their exceptional performances in their respective fields and the confidence other athletes have in them.

List of Indian athletes who qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics

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