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2024 Paris Olympics: How to watch every event and the opening ceremony

BBG News

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As a seasoned sports journalist with decades of experience under my belt, I’ve had the privilege of covering some of the most iconic moments in Olympic history. From Wilt Chamberlain’s dominance on the basketball court to Michael Phelps’ record-breaking swim collection, I’ve witnessed it all.

Amidst worries about protests, strikes, and other potential issues, Paris is preparing to take center stage for the upcoming Olympics after a long wait of nearly 19 days. Starting from this point, the City of Light will be under intense global scrutiny as over 10,000 athletes and countless fans gather in France for the Summer Games, marking the first time these events have been held with live audiences since eight years ago.

Approximately 600 athletes will represent Team USA in the upcoming games, with numerous contenders aiming for gold in the 329 scheduled events.

Here’s everything you need to know about how and who to watch during the Paris Olympic Games:

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When do the Paris Olympics begin?

The opening ceremony is set forFriday evening in Paris. however, the initial matches in men’s soccer begin as early as Wednesday at 6 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (3 p.m. Paris time). This means Argentina will play against Morocco, and Uzbekistan will go up against Spain.

These sports – rugby sevens, archery, and handball – will begin prior to the opening ceremony. The initial medals will be presented on Saturday.

The Women’s Basketball Gold Medal Game will conclude the Paris Olympics on August 11th.

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How to watch the Paris Olympics opening ceremony

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, which can also be watched live on NBC and Peacock. NBC will broadcast a replay of the ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on the same day.

For the first time, the opening ceremony won’t be held inside a stadium. Instead, it will take place beside the river Seine. The “Parade of Nations” will make its way there on boats, providing an unique view of the event from the iconic Eiffel Tower.

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How to watch and stream the Paris Olympics

At the Paris Olympics, the daily schedule for events spans from around midnight to 2 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, as Paris is nine hours ahead of Los Angeles. Networks such as USA, E!, CNBC, Golf Channel, Telemundo, and Universo will broadcast the Olympics live every day, with coverage ending around 2 p.m. PDT. Each evening, NBC will air “Paris Primetime” between 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., providing a summary of the most significant events and moments from the day.

Live events like gymnastics, swimming, and track and field will continue to air on NBCUniversal networks. however, a significant amount of the coverage for these events will only be available on streaming platforms.

At the Peacock platform, each event will be streamed live for your viewing pleasure. Furthermore, you’ll have the convenience of accessing replays and highlights whenever you desire, on-demand. For cable and satellite subscribers, logging into NBCOlympics.com comes at no extra cost to enjoy these Olympic delights.

Peacock’s programming will feature Gold Zone, a show resembling NFL RedZone, available for streaming between 4 a.m. and 2 p.m. PDT every day.

NBCUniversal introduced two short-lived Olympics stations: “Paris Extra 1” and “Paris Extra 2.” The former channel will broadcast a mix of live and delayed events, primarily focusing on team sports like basketball, handball, water polo, and field hockey. The latter station, “Paris Extra 2,” is dedicated to combat and racket sports such as boxing, judo, taekwondo, badminton, and table tennis. These channels can be accessed on DirecTV, Comcast, Cox, Dish/Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo, and Hulu Live.

Check out The Times’ Olympics page for the broadcast schedule of Thursday’s Olympic events. The schedules are released a day prior to the actual events taking place.

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Who will be competing for Team USA?

Approximately 592 American athletes will participate in the Paris Games, making up the largest contingent among them. California boasts the highest representation with a total of 119 athletes hailing from this state. Florida follows closely behind with 44 athletes, while Texas comes in third with 38. The number of US athletes has decreased to 592 due to baseball and softball not being included in the Paris event, as was the case for the Tokyo Games with a total of 613 competitors.

The United States will participate in 31 out of the 32 sports offered at the Olympics. Notably, U.S. handball teams are set to make their comeback in 2028. A new sport, breaking, will be introduced for the first time in the Olympics – please note that it should not be referred to as break dancing.

Approximately half of Team USA, which consists of 314 members, are women, making them the largest contingent of female athletes for any nation. There are 157 medal events reserved for men and 152 for women. Furthermore, 20 events will include both genders in the competition. The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that 28 out of the 32 total events will be gender-equal.

Here’s a look at the 2024 U.S. Olympic team:

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Must-watch U.S. athletes at the Paris Olympics

At the Paris Games, each athlete is certainly worth observing. However, here are some standout competitors with a high chance of winning the gold medal.

As a longtime fan of gymnastics, I have been in awe of Simone Biles’ extraordinary talent and achievements throughout her career. Her dominance in women’s gymnastics is undeniable, with an impressive seven Olympic medals under her belt, including four gold medals from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

Caeleb Dressel, men’s swimming — After winning five golds in Tokyo, Dressel nearly walked away from the sport in 2022. After rediscovering his passion for competitive swimming, he proved at the U.S. trials in June he is among the favorites to win gold in the 100-meter butterfly and 50 freestyle.

Katie Ledecky, known for women’s swimming: She holds the title of the most decorated athlete participating in the Paris Olympics with a total of 10 medals, among which are an impressive seven golds. Aiming to expand her collection further, she intends to compete in the events of the 1,500-meter freestyle, 800 freestyle, and 400 freestyle. Could this be her final Olympic performance, or will she grace us with her presence once more at SoFi Stadium in four years?

Noah Lyles, men’s 100 and 200 meters — Never camera shy, the Yu-Gi-Oh! card-carrying Lyles is the defending world champion in the men’s 100 and 200 meters. He set the world’s fastest time in the 200 at the U.S. trials last month and he’ll try to become the first man since Usain Bolt (2016) to win Olympic gold in the 100 and 200.

McLaughlin-Levrone, a strong contender for victory in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, set a new world record during the U.S. trials. At the Olympics in Tokyo, she claimed gold medals in both the 400-meter hurdles race and the 4×400 relay event.

Sha’Carri Richardson, the contender for the women’s 100 meters race, has come back strong after being disqualified three years ago due to a marijuana test. She triumphed in the U.S. trials in June and is now considered a front-runner for the gold medal. However, she will be up against formidable opponents like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson from Jamaica.

As a movie buff, I’d say: “I’m rooting for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. With four of its members having previous Olympic experience under their belts, they’re the ones to beat in the team competition. Suni Lee brought home the gold in the all-around, and Jade Carey did the same in the floor exercise. And let’s not forget Jordan Chiles, who played a pivotal role in helping us take the silver in the team championship last time around.”

As a movie buff might say it, “These are some other incredible athletes you don’t want to miss at the Olympics: Ryan Crouser in men’s shot put, Lilly King and Simone Manuel in women’s swimming, Carissa Moore in women’s surfing, Ryan Murphy in men’s swimming, Gabby Thomas in the women’s 200 meters, and both the U.S. women’s and men’s basketball teams.”

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From 16 to 59

At the upcoming Olympics, 16-year-old gymnast Hezly Rivera will make history as the youngest American athlete. She only barely qualified for the team at the US Olympic trials, making her the sole first-timer on the squad, excluding reserves. Joining her in Paris will be fellow teenagers Paige Heyn (skateboarding street) and Quincy Wilson (4×400 mixed relay). Notably, Wilson is now the youngest male athlete ever to represent the US in track and field.

In Paris, the U.S. team with the oldest member would be equestrian rider Steffen Peters, who is an impressive 59 years old. He’s set to compete both in the team and individual dressage events. With six Olympics under his belt, Peters first represented the USA at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Since the 2004 Olympics in Athens, basketball player Diana Taurasi and equestrian McLain Ward have represented their countries in a total of six consecutive Olympic Games.

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2024-07-26 14:23

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