Olympic Games 2024 guide: Key dates and where to watch it

Every four years, the Olympics rolls around, and we’re all glued to our screens. We love the judo, can’t get enough of the hockey and the entire nation is on the edge of their seats for the 100m final. But when and where are the Olympic Games 2024? And where can you watch the action? This is what you need to know. 

A little Olympics history

The Olympic Games originated in Greece with the first written evidence of the games dating back to 776 BC. They were held every four years in honour of the Greek god Zeus. The first modern Olympics were again held in Greece in 1896, but faced a few difficult years to really get the event off the ground. The first successful and notable games were held in 1924 in Paris, with more than 3,000 athletes – including 100 women – from 44 nations. 
The games as we know them today are held every four years, although Tokyo 2020 was a year late due to the pandemic.

Famous Summer Olympic Games moments down the years include: 
-        Jesse Owens smashing records in Berlin, 1936 
-        Victoria Manalo Draves winning two gold medals in London, 1948 
-        Cassius Clay’s gold medal in Rome before he became known as Muhammad Ali, 1960 
-        Abebe Bikila winning the marathon barefoot in Rome, 1960 
-        Mark Spitz winning seven gold medals in the pool in Munich, 1972 
-        Florence Griffith Joyner becoming the fastest women in the world and winning three gold medals in Seoul, 1988 
-        Michael Johnson breaking records in Atlanta, 1996 
-        Michael Phelps beating Spitz’s record and taking home eight gold medals in the pool in Beijing, 2008 
-        Usain Bolt breaking both 100m and 200m world records in Beijing, 2008 
-        Team GB in London 2012, plus the Queen skydiving with James Bond in the opening ceremony

Everything you need to know about the 2024 Olympics

The 2024 Olympic Games will be held in Paris this summer, officially from 26th July to 11th August, although football, rugby and handball start on 24th July. 
There are 329 events across 32 sports, with 10,500 athletes competing. The events will be held over 41 different venues in the city and beyond, with the most famous being the Stade de France, where the athletics are taking place.

In terms of events, we can expect all the old favourites – including track and field, rowing, boxing, cycling, fencing, equestrian, field hockey, badminton, gymnastics, sailing and more. Skateboarding is back after its debut at Tokyo 2020, while the most notable new sport this time around is breaking, and for the uninitiated among you, that’s breakdancing. Yes, you’ll be able to watch breakdancing at the Olympic Games this summer.

The main events on the track with the athletics begin on 1st August and run until the end of the Olympics on the 11th. The men’s 100m final is on 4th August, with the women’s the previous night. The men’s and women’s 4x400m relay finals are both held on the evening of 10th August. 
Before the athletics begin you can catch events like the beach volleyball, hockey, handball, rugby sevens and more. The action in the pool with the swimming begins on 27th July and runs until 4th August. While the surfing starts on 27thJuly with the big medals on 31st July – with the drama on the waves coming from Teahupo'o in Tahiti rather than Paris.

Team GB medal hopes for the 2024 Olympics

When it comes to the medal hopes for Team GB at the 2024 Olympics, here’s a selection of our athletes to look out for: 
-        Delicious Orie: Boxing 
-        Josh Tarling: Cycling 
-        Anthony Harding: Diving 
-        Beth Potter: Triathlon 
-        Ros Canter: Equestrian 
-        Lucy Renshall: Judo 
-        Imogen Grant: Rowing 
-        Sky Brown: Skateboarding 
-        Jessica Gadirova: Gymnastics