As Paris prepares to host the 2024 Olympic Games, it is putting its identity as the “City of Love” on hold for a while.
Paris 2024 Olympics
Slogan: Games Wide Open
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games slogan is “Games Wide Open!” Even though these three words look basic, they carry important meanings. The slogan refers to inclusivity, as for the first time in Olympic Games history, 50 percent of the athletes will be women. It also refers to accessibility, as the games will be easy to watch from all over the world, and tolerance, as it embraces the social and cultural differences of athletes and audiences. Additionally, it emphasizes sustainability, as 95 percent of the venues are existing or temporary structures, and all facilities are operating on renewable energy. Lastly, it highlights innovation, with the opening ceremony being held in the city center for the first time.
When and Where Are the Olympic Games?
The Olympics will take place between July 26 and August 11. The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at the Stade de France, which has a capacity of 80,000. This stadium has hosted many significant events, including the 1998 FIFA World Cup final, the 2003 World Athletics Championships, the UEFA Euro 2016 finals, and numerous memorable concerts and events.
Gymnastics and swimming events will be held at Paris La Défense Arena. Tennis and boxing matches are set to take place at Roland Garros. Football games will be played at Parc des Princes, and road cycling races will be on the Champs-Élysées.
A temporary stadium next to the Eiffel Tower will host the beach volleyball events. Riding and modern pentathlon events will be at the Palace of Versailles. The Grand Palais will host sports like fencing and taekwondo, while Place de la Concorde will be the venue for youth sports. Badminton and judo matches will be in the Le Bourget area, while some sports, such as golf, will be in the Île-de-France region outside Paris.
Where Will Athletes Stay During the Olympic Games?
The 15,000 athletes participating in the quadrennial Olympic Games will stay in the 2024 Paris Olympic Village, which is sustainably built between Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, and Île Saint-Denis. After the Games, the village will be transformed into housing for local residents.
Which Sports Will Be Held?
This year, along with the 28 core sports, the program has added four new disciplines: breakdancing, surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing. The Olympics will feature classic sports such as athletics, basketball, football, tennis, and swimming, while breakdancing will bring an innovative touch aimed at engaging younger audiences. Surfing will connect nature with the Olympics, while skateboarding and sport climbing will bring the energy of street culture to the Olympic arena. These innovations will increase the diversity of the Olympic Games, appealing to audiences from every culture and expanding the boundaries of sports.
The Olympic Games Mascot: Phryge
“Phryge” takes its form from the famous Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom. In Rome, the Phrygian cap was worn by freed slaves, and it was used symbolically during the French Revolution of 1789. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, there will be two different Phrygian mascots. The first, Olympic Phryge, aims to encourage more integration of sports into daily life. It has a mathematical and methodical approach to thinking. The second mascot is Paralympic Phryge. This mascot promotes inclusivity in sports for people with disabilities and emphasizes that sports are for everyone. The Paris 2024 Olympics shows the values of inclusivity in sports through its mascots. The job of these two Phrygian mascots is to create a revolution with sports!
How Can We Get a Ticket?
There are various ticket packages available for the Olympics. As you might guess, most of the tickets are sold out. In fact, by the time you read this, they may be completely gone. For those who want to try their luck, tickets are available on the official website. Prices start at 24 euros and can go up to 2,900 euros, catering to all budgets. However, it’s important to remember that ticket registration is closely monitored at every stage of the event, and all tickets must be purchased through the official ticketing website!
How Can We Watch From Home?
Eurosport Turkey will broadcast the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics live. You can follow the broadcast of any event you wish on this channel.
Turkish Athletes Competing in the Olympic Games
In Athletics: Turkey will have 15 athletes: Alperen Acet, Ayşe Tekdal, Berke Akçam, Buse Savaşkan, Emel Dereli, Eda Tuğsuz, Kaan Kigen Özbilen, Kayhan Özer, Mazlum Demir, Meryem Bekmez, Necati Er, Özkan Baltacı, Salih Korkmaz, Tuğba Danışmaz, and Yasmani Copello Escobar. Yasmani Copello Escobar, who is of Cuban origin, will represent the Turkish national team for the first time.
In Shooting: İsmail Keleş, Oğuzhan Tüzün, Rümeysa Pelin Kaya, Sena Can, Şevval İlayda Tarhan, Şimal Yılmaz, Yusuf Dikeç
In Badminton: Neslihan Yiğit Arın
In Boxing: Turkey will have 8 athletes: Busenaz Sürmeneli, Buse Naz Çakıroğlu, Esra Yıldız Kahraman, Gizem Özer, Hatice Akbaş, Kaan Aykutsun, Samet Gümüş, and Tuğrulhan Erdemir. Busenaz Sürmeneli previously won a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The Men’s Gymnastics National Team: Adem Asil, Ahmet Önder, Emre Dodanlı, Ferhat Arıcan, and İbrahim Çolak. They made history by becoming the first Turkish team to qualify for the Olympics by placing among the top 12 countries at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.
In Fencing: Enver Yıldırım, Nisanur Erbil.
In Wrestling: Turkey will compete with 11 athletes: Ali Cengiz, Burhan Akbudak, Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu, Evin Demirhan Yavuz, Hamza Bakır, Enes Başar, İbrahim Çiftçi, Nesrin Baş, Taha Akgül, Zeynep Yetgil, and Yasemin Adar. Taha Akgül won a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Yasemin Adar won a gold medal at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships.
In Weightlifting: Muhammed Furkan Özbek
In Judo: Fidan Ögel, Hilal Öztürk, İbrahim Tataroğlu, Kayra Özdemir, Mihael Zgank, Muhammed Demirel, Salih Yıldız, Tuğçe Beder, Vedat Albayrak.
The Turkish Women’s National Volleyball Team: Known as the “Sultans of the Net,” has secured an Olympic spot for the second time and will proudly represent Turkey in Paris.
The Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Team: Ela Naz Özdemir, Ecem Dönmez, Gizem Güvenç, and Zehra Duru Bilgin.
In Rowing: Elis Özbay
In Table Tennis: Sibel Altınkaya
In Modern Pentathlon: Buğra Ünal, İlke Özyüksel
In Archery: Turkey’s four athletes are Elif Berra Gökkır, Mete Gazoz, Muhammed Abdullah Yıldırmış, and Ulaş Berkim Tümer. Mete Gazoz, who won a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, is once again a strong contender.
In Pole Vaulting: Ersu Şaşma
In Taekwondo: Emre Kutalmış Ateşli, Hakan Reçber, Hatice Kübra İlgün, Merve Dinçel, Nafia Kuş Aydın
In Sailing: Alican Kaynar, Beste Kaynakçı, Deniz Çınar, Derin Atakan, Ecem Güzel, Lara Nalbantoğlu, Merve Vatan, Yiğit Yalçın Çitak
In Swimming: Berke Saka, Berkay Ömer Öğretir, Emir Batur Albayrak, Kuzey Tunçelli
