2024 Paris Olympics: How to watch, medal count and top contenders for gold
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As a seasoned sports journalist who has covered multiple Olympic Games, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the incredible journeys and transformative stories of countless athletes. The 2024 Paris Olympics are no exception, with an impressive roster of American contenders poised to make history.
Amidst worries about protests, strikes, and other potential issues, Paris is preparing to take center stage for the upcoming 15-day span of the Summer Olympics. With over 10,000 athletes and an enormous number of fans expected to attend, the City of Light will be under the international spotlight as the first Summer Games with live audiences in nearly a decade unfold.
Approximately 600 athletes will represent Team USA, with numerous contenders for gold in the 329 scheduled events, making them strong candidates for winning.
Here’s everything you need to know about how and who to watch during the Paris Olympic Games.
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How to watch and stream the Paris Olympics
At the Paris Olympics, the daily schedule for events spans approximately from midnight to 2 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, considering 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 until around 2 p.m. PDT. NBC’s “Primetime in Paris” show airs nightly, typically at either 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., providing a summary of the most significant events and moments from each 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 you. Plus, you’ll have access to replays and highlights whenever you want. If you’re a cable or satellite subscriber, logging into NBCOlympics.com won’t cost you extra fees to enjoy any event.
During Peacock’s broadcast, you’ll find Gold Zone – a program similar to NFL RedZone that streams from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific Time every day.
NBCUniversal introduced two short-lived Olympics channels: “Paris Extra 1” and “Paris Extra 2.” The former channel (“Paris Extra 1”) primarily showcases a mix of live and delayed events, with an emphasis on team sports like basketball, handball, water polo, and field hockey. In contrast, “Paris Extra 2” mainly broadcasts combat and racket sports such as boxing, judo, taekwondo, badminton, and table tennis. These channels can be accessed via DirecTV, Comcast, Cox, Dish/Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo, and Hulu Live.
Check out The Times’ Olympics page for the TV broadcast schedule of Saturday’s events. Every day, The Times releases new schedules right before the events occur.
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Medal count
Here’s where things stand in the medal count for the Paris Olympics:
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Who will be competing for Team USA?
Approximately 594 American athletes will participate in the Paris Games, making up the largest contingent. California contributes the most with a delegation of 121 athletes. Florida follows closely behind with 43 athletes, and Texas comes in third with 41. The athlete count is lower than the previous Tokyo Games, which hosted 613 U.S. representatives, due to baseball and softball not being included in this year’s event.
In natural and easy to read language: The United States will participate in 31 out of the 32 sports offered at the Olympics. (The American handball teams are set to return in 2028 after a long absence.) A new sport will be introduced for the first time – breaking, though please avoid referring to it as break dancing.
Approximately two-thirds (53%) of Team USA, totaling 314 athletes, will be women. This is the largest number of women representing any nation. There are 157 medal events designated for male competitors and 152 for females. Additionally, there are 20 mixed-gender competitions. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that 28 out of the 32 events will have equal gender representation.
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, every athlete is certainly worth observing. However, here are some standout competitors with high chances of winning the gold medals.
Simone Biles, women’s gymnastics — The favorite in the women’s all-around competition and considered one of the greatest in the history of her sport, Biles has won seven Olympic medals, including four at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. After her shocking withdrawal from the team and all-around competitions in Tokyo, Biles is out to win gold in what could be the final chapter of her storied career.
Caeleb Dressel, the men’s swimming sensation, came close to leaving the sport behind in the year 2022. However, after rekindling his love for competitive swimming, he demonstrated at the U.S. trials held in June that he is a strong contender for winning gold in both the 100-meter butterfly and 50-freestyle events.
Katie Ledecky, in 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 7 golds. As she prepares for the 1,500-meter freestyle, 800 freestyle, and 400 freestyle events, we wonder if this will be her final Olympic performance or if she’ll still be gracing the pool at SoFi Stadium in four years.
At the men’s 100 and 200 meter events, Noah Lyles, who isn’t shy of the spotlight and carries collectible Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, defends his world title. He set a new record for the fastest 200-meter time at the U.S. trials recently. His goal is to make history by being the first athlete since Usain Bolt (in 2016) to win Olympic gold medals in both the 100 and 200 meters.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is the clear front-runner for victory in the women’s 400-meter hurdles competition. At the US trials, she shattered the world record in this event. In the Olympics held in Tokyo, she secured a gold medal not only in the 400 hurdles but also in the 4×400 relay.
Sha’Carri Richardson, the contender in the women’s 100 meters race, has come back from a controversial disqualification three years ago due to a positive marijuana test. Now, she has triumphantly won the U.S. trials in June and is viewed as a strong candidate for winning gold. However, she will encounter formidable opponents in Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson from Jamaica.
The U.S. women’s gymnastics team is the top contender to clinch the team title, boasting four members with prior Olympic participation. Among them, Suni Lee claimed the all-around gold and Jade Carey triumphed on the floor exercise in last year’s Tokyo Games. Jordan Chiles was instrumental in securing the silver medal for the Americans in the team competition.
As a seasoned sports enthusiast and someone who has followed the Olympic Games for decades, I can’t help but be excited about the upcoming competition and the incredible athletes set to represent their countries. Having grown up watching legendary figures like Michael Phelps and Serena Williams, I can’t wait to see the new generation of talent take center stage.
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From 16 to 59
At the upcoming Olympics, the youngest American athlete will be 16-year-old gymnast Hezly Rivera. She became eligible to compete just before participating in the US Olympic gymnastics trials, making her the sole first-timer on the team, aside from reserves. Joining her as young US Olympians are skateboarder Paige Heyn and track and field athlete Quincy Wilson, who are also 16 years old. Notably, Wilson is the youngest man ever to qualify for the US Olympic team in track and field.
In Paris, the U.S. Olympian with the most experience under his belt is equestrian rider Steffen Peters. At the age of 59, he will participate in both team and individual dressage events. Having made his first appearance in the Olympics at the 1996 Atlanta Games, this will be Peters’ sixth time competing in this prestigious event.
Since the 2004 Olympics in Athens, basketball player Diana Taurasi and equestrian McLain Ward have represented their countries in a total of six consecutive Summer Olympic Games.
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2024-07-27 23:06