Watching the Olympics on TV and while streaming if we missed something has been particularly enjoyable. We are less interested in games and sports, preferring team and individual challenges, especially swimming and diving, track events, and most often, women’s and men’s gymnastics.
What do the Olympics have to do with world travel? For us, traveling to many countries and acquiring a certain degree of understanding of the culture has an impact. We often stay in a country for two to three months, not enough for a vast understanding but ample for gathering some knowledge of its people.
This knowledge, although minimal, has given us interest in the athletes from many other countries participating in various challenges. In years past, we were only focused on the athletes from the USA. Our interest has expanded exponentially, although our main focus is USA.
Here are a few facts about the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics:
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, taking place from July 26 to August 11, features a wide array of sports and competitions. Here are some of the key highlights and statistics so far:
- Medal Count: As of July 30, the leading countries in the medal tally include the United States, China, and Japan. The detailed and up-to-date medal table can be found on various sports news websites like NBC Olympics and AS USA (NBC Olympics).
- New Sports: The 2024 Olympics have introduced four new sports: breaking (a competitive form of breakdancing), sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing. These additions are part of an effort to make the Games more inclusive and appealing to younger audiences (NBC Olympics).
- Athlete Participation: Approximately 10,500 athletes from over 200 countries compete in the Games. This diverse group is participating in 32 sports, encompassing 306 events.
- Notable Events:
- Football: The USA Under-23 team, featuring players from various top clubs, performs well and aims to advance past the group stages.
- Gymnastics: The women’s gymnastics events have seen intense competition, with top performances from countries like the USA and China (NBC Olympics).
- Venue and Historical Significance: Paris is hosting the Olympics for the first time since 1924, marking the 100th anniversary of the last time the city held the Games. The events are spread across 16 cities in France, with some surfing events taking place in Tahiti (NBC Olympics).
For live updates, schedules, and detailed results, you can visit the official Olympics website or follow coverage on major sports news outlets like NBC Olympics and USA.
Because of our enthusiasm, we’ll continue to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics, enjoying every moment. We hope you are doing the same.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago, July 30, 2014:
