Paris calling! Summer Olympic Games: July 26–August 11, 2024; Paralympics: August 28–September 8 in France.
The City of Lights will be on the global centre stage like never before.
Iconic landmarks will form a fascinating backdrop for some of the most watched and eagerly anticipated events.
Paris previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1900 and 1924.
Sports such as skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing made their Olympic stage debut in Tokyo. In Paris, urban dancing aka break dancing will debut.
There will be 32 different sports on display. Not all will be held in Paris. Golf and mountain biking will take place in the Ile-de-France region. Versailles will host the equestrian events.
Paris 2024 will be a game-changer for the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement. For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium. For the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, a flotilla of boats with the athletes will parade along the landmark River Seine ending at the Trocadero where the wrap-up part of the ceremony will take place.
Along the route, spectators will take in the procession for free, while athletes view historic landmarks such as the Notre Dame de Paris, the Louvre, and the Musee d’Orsay.
Quintessential French creativity is on display with the transformation of the Place de la Concorde into an urban park for BMX freestyle, 3x3 basketball, breaking and skateboarding; the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop for the beach volleyball competition at the Champ de Mars; the Grand Palais for fencing and taekwondo, and Archery at the Esplanade des Invalides.
The Aquatics Centre will stage artistic swimming, water polo and diving. Swimming events will be held at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre. Sailing in Marseille.
Triathlon will start and end at Pont Alexander III. The swim, cycle and run legs will be a visual spectacle.
Paris, a city like no other, is not perfect as there are many things that can be a cause for concern but the creativity and elegance that is the culture of Paris and France is a sight to behold and experience with many hidden gems of cultural history.
For Team TTO, Paris 2024 will signal the coming of age for the next generation of sporting icons who will inspire and motivate the young people of T&T. The battle isn’t lost. We may be down but not out for the count. There are challenges to be overcome. The current situation demands courage and out-of-the-box thinking.
That being said, Paris 2024 presents an opportunity to reset, re-imagine, rejuvenate and refocus not only on the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) and Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) but also the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Paris will be an incredible success. It will have an enduring impact and legacy. The athletes will lead the way.
The Olympics and Paralympics are about the athletes. Paris 2024 will celebrate their passion, creativity, dedication and talent like no other Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It will be one of the most exciting Games in recent memory and will reset the model for the modern Olympic and Paralympic Games.
T&T and the entire Caribbean region are looking forward to Paris 2024. Given geopolitical volatility there is, however, understandable trepidation and caution.
However, at the risk of sounding overly optimistic and unrealistic, my belief is Paris 2024 will be a positive game-changer—a defining moment for the IOC, the Olympic Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.
The 33rd Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 will be unforgettable events. A joyous celebration for athletes and spectators. The athletes of the world will rise and shine against all odds. Team TTO included.
The views expressed in the preceding article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any organisation in which he is a stakeholder.