Thread: 2024 Paris Olympic Games

Dressel’s goal is to regain his form in time to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics

• Dressel Returns to the Pool

A Champion Swimmer Returns, Slowly but Determinedly, to Competition

During the eight months Caeleb Dressel spent not swimming, he was surprised by the things he came to miss. Some were simple, like blowing bubbles in the water or the feel of his toes on the grip tape of the starting blocks. But he also missed the chlorine — a swimmer’s nemesis — and the dry skin that comes with hours spent in the pool.

“I missed every part of it,” Dressel, 26, said. “And that’s how I knew I was ready to get back. Because I didn’t need to — I wanted to.”

For several years, Dressel, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, reigned as the best sprinter in the world. But last June, he abruptly withdrew from the world championships because of an undisclosed health issue and disappeared from the sport and the spotlight. Outside of a social media post last September, he hadn’t discussed his absence publicly until this week, when he returned to elite swimming competition at the U.S. national championships.

Dressel’s performance reflected his long hiatus from the pool. His preliminary swims in the 50-meter and the 100-meter freestyle, events he won at the Tokyo Olympics and in which he holds the American record, were too slow to make the championship final. His best finish in four events was third place in the 50-meter butterfly, not good enough to qualify for the upcoming world championships.

Originally Posted by DrWilly

Do you bookmark posts, spreadsheet them, save them to a content calendar database, or are you just autistic?

Needs answering.

^Hi climate denier

by the way,....read the date the article was posted above

• Paris 2024 reveals routes of Olympic road cycling events

On Tuesday, 4 July, Paris 2024 revealed the routes of the road race and time trial cycling events for the Olympic Games. For the first time in Olympic history, women and men will share the same course for the time trial.

From the sidelines of Stage 4 of the Tour de France, Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet revealed that the cycling routes for the next Olympic Games are aligned to the Paris 2024 Games philosophy of spectacular, challenging and open to all.

Distinctive in length – 273km for the men and 158km for the women – the road race courses will be challenging for their rolling profile, a final climb up Montmartre and their technical nature, with cobbled streets and tightly winding sections to negotiate on the last part of the course before returning to the Trocadéro.

The courses are also special for bringing the Games to the more undiscovered areas of Ile-de-France, the region that encompasses Paris, with the Val-de-Marne département hosting the time trials and the Essonne département, the road races.

“Road cycling races in cities are exceptional, and they are free access events for the fans," commented Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet. "We’ll have a combination of a great show and great sporting event. It’s also the longest race in the history of the Olympic Games. It will be a difficult race with a very exciting final.”

Paris 2024 marathon route revealed

The 42.195km Olympic marathon route will pass by many of the most iconic monuments in the French capital. Beginning at the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) and ending at Les Invalides, it will visit well-known sites such as the Opéra Garnier, Place Vendôme, Jardin des Tuileries, Pyramides du Louvre, Place de la Concorde, Grand Palais, Jardins du Trocadéro, Château de Versailles, Tour Eiffel, and more.

Many of the sites on the marathon course are Olympic venues. BMX freestyle, Breaking, skateboarding, and Basketball 3x3 will take place in the Place de Concorde, modern pentathlon and equestrian in the Château de Versailles, the archery competition at Les Invalides while beach volleyball is scheduled to take place under the Eiffel Tower.

Eliza McCartney qualifies for Paris Olympics

New Zealand pole vaulter Eliza McCartney has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist cleared 4.73m at a meet in Barcelona to automatically qualify for Paris in her first competition within the qualification window.

McCartney posted on Instagram that she achieved the qualifying mark despite her poles arriving after the competition started.

She easily won her event and also achieved a meet record in what she described as perfect conditions.

"I'm so happy with how my jump is coming along and I know the next level is just around the corner," McCartney said.

McCartney has been plagued by injuries and was unable to qualify for the last Olympics in Tokyo as she battled with an achilles injury.

Last weekend the 26-year-old claimed a first international podium finish in five years at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne.

• Turkish taekwondo phenom Nafia Kuş eyes Paris 2024 Olympic gold

Nafia Kuş, the Turkish taekwondo sensation, has set her sights on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games after her glorious triumph at the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships in Azerbaijan and the 3rd European Games in Poland, where she secured the gold medal.

Determined to replicate her success on the grand Olympic stage, the 28-year-old athlete is tirelessly working toward achieving her ultimate goal.

With a strategic plan to secure the Olympic quota through exceptional performances in upcoming tournaments running until December, she aims to ascend the podium's highest step at the anticipated Paris Games in July next year.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Nafia shared her humble beginnings, recounting how she stumbled upon the world of taekwondo at the tender age of 9 while visiting a local gym to cheer on her friends. It was there that her towering stature caught the attention of the coach, who recognized her potential.

In 2009, Nafia earned her place in the national team and quickly made her mark by securing the second spot in the European Championship, her debut on the international stage.

Drawing inspiration from the iconic Servet Tazegül, who secured a historic gold medal in men's taekwondo at the 2012 London Olympics, Nafia aims to etch her name in the annals of women's taekwondo history as the first Turkish athlete to bag Olympic gold.

She acknowledged the arduous path she must tread, noting three pivotal tournaments on her journey.

These events, featuring the world's top 32 athletes, will determine the Olympic quota in December.

In preparation for the grand stage, Nafia and her teammates are undergoing rigorous training at the national team camp, driven by a collective belief in their potential for greatness.

She expressed heartfelt gratitude to the president, the Minister of Youth and Sports, the federation, her club Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and her family for their unwavering support throughout her remarkable journey.

Their unyielding encouragement has propelled her forward, instilling a burning desire to proudly wave the Turkish flag in every arena along with the resonant notes of Türkiye's national anthem.

Good story.

• Olympic gold medalist Martin Kirketerp struck by lightning, attacked by killer whales in 2023

Danish sailor Martin Kirketerp has already had a whale of a year in 2023, and some of the things he has experienced are rather shocking. Between January and June, Kirketerp got struck by lightning and had his boat attacked by a family of killer whales.

In an interview with Olympics.com, Kirketerp went in-depth on his eventful year so far, and it began with some foul weather following January's SailGP event in Singapore. Kirketerp's ROCKWOOL Denmark team finished in second place, and he decided to do a good deed by helping to sail the New Zealand team's boat back to the harbor while they celebrated with the winner's trophy.

During that process, a storm rolled in and lightning struck the boat. Kirketerp felt a jolt of electricity run through his body, and he just hoped it would end quickly.

"It was a very, very unpleasant experience, because it goes from zero to 100 in a split second," Kirketerp said. "You just hope that it is ending soon and doesn't accelerate further. You start asking yourself, where you will be in a few seconds. I was scared while it was on, I'd like to admit that."

Once it was over, Kirketerp said he checked his "ticker," which was still working normally. The main issue was that he couldn't feel his arm right away and had to spend the night in the hospital for evaluation.

Kirketerp survived his brush with 300 million bolts, but his year was just getting started. In June, Kirketerp was part of Team JAJO as it raced through the Strait of Gibraltar when a family of orcas swam up to the boat. Kirketerp told Olympics.com the whales were just trying to play, but the boat had to stop for 30 minutes while they smacked up against it.

"They came over to lay next to the rudder and gave it a good beating once in a while," Kirketerp said. "They didn't come with full force and smash into it, because then it would break right away. But it is still a very large and heavy animal, so when they give a slap with the head to the rudder, the entire boat shakes. I was very afraid that the rudder would crack, but I wasn't afraid of sinking."

After all he has been through, Kirketerp never gave serious thought to ending his career. Kirketerp knows there are risks involved with sailing, but he feels that is no reason to stop doing something he loves.

"I continue to do the things I do," Kirketerp said. "We can all agree that the things we do at sea and in extreme sports involve some risk. But the two episodes I have experienced here are outliers. None of this is standard. It's not something that happens at every race."

Even prior to 2023, Kirketerp had lived a pretty exciting life. In 2008, he and Jonas Warrer of the Danish team won gold in the 49er class.

Paris gets a facelift as it prepares to host the 2024 Olympic Games

It's a little over a year until the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the city is buzzing with extensive construction projects. However, the city council is looking beyond the Games as it seeks to make the city more climate-friendly.

Creation of cycle paths, greening of school playgrounds, insulation of public buildings...To tackle climate change, the Paris city council plans to speed up work on adapting its buildings and roads over the summer, the city's deputy construction manager announced on Wednesday.

During the summer period, the French capital will be carrying out 1,700 projects in its public buildings at a cost of around €180 million, with the main aim of "speeding up environmental operations" (building insulation, energy performance, ventilation, etc).

Maintenance and improvement projects are also planned, including work on school toilets and 22 accessibility projects.

"These projects are not more numerous, but they are more substantial because we are greening the city, making it easier to cycle, and renovating buildings to a much higher standard than before", explained Communist deputy Jacques Baudrier.

Tackling the climate crisis with infrastructure

As part of its climate plan; the Paris city council is committed to reducing the energy consumption of its 3,600 public buildings by 30% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

School buildings are particularly concerned, with work underway in 466 of the city's 638 schools.

Also on the agenda is the creation of 32 'oasis' school grounds featuring greenery, fountains and shaded areas.

The city council also plans to change 3,200 windows in its public buildings. "These are figures we've never achieved before", commented Mr Baudrier.

Among the most emblematic projects that will continue this summer, the councillor cited the James Baldwin multimedia library, which will open at the beginning of 2024.

"This is our flagship building, demonstrating the very best we can do regarding using bio- or geo-sourced materials and natural ventilation. It will certainly earn us international recognition", he said.

AFC women’s Olympics qualifiers: India to open vs Japan - Round 2 full schedule

AFC’s Paris 2024 Olympics women’s football qualifiers round 2: India’s schedule

• October 26, Thursday: Japan vs India - 3:30 PM IST
• October 29, Sunday: India vs Vietnam - 3:30 PM IST
• Wednesday, November 1: Uzbekistan vs India - 5:30 PM IST

AFC’s Paris 2024 Olympics women’s football qualifiers second round groups

Group A: Australia (hosts), Chinese Taipei, Philippines, Iran
Group B: People’s Republic of China (hosts), The Republic of Korea, Thailand, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Group C: Japan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan (hosts), India

• Days After Simone Biles’ Historic Return, Best Friend Hops on the Paris Olympic Train

From the moment the gymnast steps onto the mat, hushed anticipation fills the air. The arena is charged with energy, with bated breath, ready to witness moments of pure magic. In this world Simone Biles has always outshined, making the Olympian a living legend. After 3 years of prioritizing her mental well-being and taking a hiatus from the sport, Biles is ready to overcome setbacks and shine once again.

Her decision to compete in the upcoming US Classics in August 2023 has ignited a fire of excitement among fans and gymnastics enthusiasts worldwide. Now behind every great athlete, there is often an equally remarkable counterpart, whose brilliance shines in its own right. Such is the story of Jordan Chile.

As a young girl from Tualatin, Oregon, destiny whispered in Chile’s ear, guiding her toward the sport she would soon master. Unlike many of her peers, she didn’t discover gymnastics until the age of seven, considered a tad late in the world of leotards and vaults. However now she is taking the gymnastics world by storm. On her recent podcast called Q&A with Chicks Unfiltered, Jordan Chiles was asked the question, “What are your plans for the summer?”. She replied by saying, “I’m currently back in Texas. And I will be training for 2024, Paris Olympics.”

Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey, both Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalists, have excelled in their sophomore campaigns. Their remarkable performances at the Pac-12 Championships demonstrated their unwavering commitment to excellence. With their sights set on Paris 2024, they aim to secure a return trip to the Olympic Games. Carey, the Olympic floor exercise gold medalist, expressed her plans to evaluate her training approach, while Chiles will be training in Texas, deferring her studies at UCLA for another year.

• What's new at Paris 2024? The revolution in the artistic swimming team event

Paris 2024 will witness an almost brand-new event in artistic swimming with the acrobatic team routine added to the programme, enabling men to compete in the sport for the first time in Olympic history.

Artistic swimming has a long-tradition on the Olympic programme, debuting at Los Angeles 1984. Since Sydney 2000, the format hasn't changed – even though the name has, from synchronised swimming to its current iteration in 2017 – with artistic swimmers competing in two different events, women’s duet and women’s team, with a set of medals on offer in each.

Both were judged based on scores earned from a technical and a free routine.

While the women’s duet will remain the same at Paris 2024, the team event will see a revolution based on two main changes:

• Men are eligible to compete
• The introduction of the acrobatic routine

Being a trailblazer is something intrinsic when it comes to men and artistic swimming. As the French swimmer Quentin Rakotomalala, the bronze medallist at the first men’s solo event at the European Championships, in 2022, explains, the aim is to "change people's mentalities, change these stereotypes that we have of the synchro swimmer full of glitter to show a sport that can be inclusive and mixed”.

And now, the Olympics will be the ultimate showcase of the changes.

• Wagner rowing for 2024 Olympic return

With each stroke, Kristi Wagner is making incremental gains. That’s what the Olympian looks for every morning on Saratoga Lake.

“It’s funny like, coming in fifth sounds really great, and I feel like in a lot of ways, I was pleased with that,” she said. “But you’re so close to a medal, so it’s definitely driving me.”

While coming up just short of the podium in the double sculls at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Wagner sees the progress. After not qualifying for the 2016 Olympics, the Yale graduate joined Arion – an elite rowing program of the Saratoga Rowing Association.

“I just think it’s really cool to push yourself to be as good as you possibly can be,” Wagner said. “I don’t think that’s something that people get the chance to do very often.”

Recently, Wagner pushed herself to a silver medal in the double at the World Rowing Cup II. It’s a good check point as she now prepares for the World Rowing Championships in Serbia in September with teammate Lauren O’Connor and head coach Eric Catalano.

“It’s definitely been a step up in intensity of training and definitely every day, you got to bring your A game,” O’Connor said.

She, Wagner and potentially a few other Arion rowers will be tasked with qualifying for Team USA boat classes at the World Champions for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

“One of the sayings we like to use around here is the rising tide rises all boats,” said Catalano, who is also the executive director of the Saratoga Rowing Association. “So as the whole program continues to get better, everybody rises up with it.”

As the morning’s workout wrapped up, Wagner heads off to Princeton next and then Italy to train with the national team. It's a strenuous road back to the Olympics, but another opportunity of a lifetime.

“Little me would never of dreamed of that. So I just feel like it’s really awesome,” Wagner said. “And it would be awesome to get an Olympic medal.”

• Russia, Belarus not invited to Paris Olympics: IOC

Russia and Belarus will not receive formal invitations to the 2024 Paris Olympics amid the war in Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Thursday.

The remaining 203 countries set to participate in the Summer Games will receive their invitations later this month, one year out from the start of the Games.


While the Russian and Belarusian teams will not receive invitations, their athletes could still compete next year.

The IOC Ethics Commission issued recommendations for international sports competitions in late March, suggesting those with Russian or Belarusian passports be allowed to compete as neutral athletes.

It also recommended that those who actively support the war in Ukraine or who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian militaries or national security agencies be barred from entering international competitions.

However, the IOC emphasized on Thursday these recommendations “do not concern” the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in the 2024 Paris Olympics or the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

“The IOC will take this decision at the appropriate time, at its full discretion, and without being bound by the results of previous Olympic qualification competitions,” the committee said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously blasted the IOC’s recommendation that Russians be allowed to compete as neutral athletes, accusing the organization of attempting to “bring representatives of the terrorist state into world sports.”

“There is no such thing as neutrality when a war like this is going on,” Zelensky said in a speech in January. “And we know how often tyrannies try to use sports for their ideological interests. It is obvious that any neutral flag of Russian athletes is stained with blood.”

However, IOC President Thomas Bach pushed back on Zelensky’s accusations, arguing the games should remain open to all athletes.

“It is not up to governments to decide who can take part in which sports competitions, because this would be the end of international sports competitions and world championships and the Olympic Games as we know it,” Bach said in February.

Olympics felt in the wind of Marseille at sailing test event, the first rehearsal for Paris 2024

The first Paris 2024 test event is taking place in Marseille in the south of France from 9 to 16 July. Ten sailing events are being held at Marseille Marina as athletes, organisers, volunteers and locals experience the Olympic atmosphere a little over a year before the next Games.

French flags are floating in the air of Prado Beach, one of the most iconic locations of Marseille. Dozens of containers, here to house sailing equipment, with team colours set next to the Olympic rings are lined up beside sailors heading to Marseille Marina in the summer heat.

The atmosphere of the next Olympics is in the air.

From 9 to 16 July, the first event of the Paris 2024 testing programme is being held in Marseille, the second largest city in France.

The venue is located on the edge of Marseille, 5km from the Vieux-Port, where the Olympic flame will arrive on 8 May from Olympia in Greece. From land you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Frioul archipelago.

It is in this holiday landscape that the Olympic sailing competitions will be hosted from 28 July to 8 August 2024, where 330 athletes will attempt to win medals in one of the 10 events.

This Monday 10 July, races are being hosted for kitesurfing, mixed events and dinghy. A lack of morning wind delays the competition start and athletes along with their personnel are waiting in the shade, as competitors discuss wind orientation.

All of them are waiting for an indication they can begin, which eventually arrives at around 1pm. A wind of around 10 marine knots (19km/h) allows the show to start.

Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event at Marseille, France - Day 3

Gabby Douglas aims a comeback at the Paris 2024 Olympics

A legendary coach applauds Gabby Douglas as she aims for the Paris 2024 Olympics

When Gabby Douglas took the London Olympics by storm in 2012, she noted that an elite gymnast's career usually spans two Olympics. But now Douglas wants to upend those norms, and vie for a spot at the Olympics in 2024.

Douglas announced her plan via Instagram, saying she wants to find the joy again in a sport that she still loves, and compete in Paris.

"There's so much to be said but for now," she wrote as she posted images of herself soaring above a balance beam, "let's do this."

As the announcement rippled through gymnastics, high-profile figures said they're excited to watch Douglas compete again.

Former gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field told NPR she was "thrilled" to hear the news that Douglas is returning.

"You see this in a lot of other sports, but it is unprecedented in gymnastics," said Kondos Field, known to generations of gymnasts as "Miss Val" from her decades as the head coach at UCLA, where she won national championships and produced Olympic stars.

Beck Wins 10km World Title, Grimes Becomes 1st American to Qualify for Paris 2024

After missing the women’s 10-kilometer world title by just half a second last year in Budapest, Hungary, German open water standout Leonie Beck earned redemption with a 10km victory Saturday morning in Japan to kick off the swimming portion of the 2023 World Championships.

The 26-year-old Beck touched in 2: 34.00, beating Australia’s Chelsea Gubecka (2: 38.10) by four seconds.

“Today’s race was really hard and it was a fight,” Beck said. “The first half was okay and I tried to conserve my energy. The last lap was a fight to be in the right place for the finish. I knew that I was racing against the best swimmers in the world. They were all very fast with excellent tactics. I found my way to the front of the pack. I am training in Italy now with my new coach and these training partners are my family now.”

Sandpipers of Nevada star Katie Grimes led for the first four laps before reaching the wall in 2: 42.30, edging defending world champion Sharon van Rouwendaal (2: 02: 42.40) of the Netherlands and reigning Olympic gold medalist Ana Marcela Cunha (2: 02: 42.50) of Brazil in a photo finish for the bronze medal — and the last qualifying berth for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The top 3 finishers in this race all automatically qualify for the Olympic Games.

In the process, the 17-year-old Grimes became the first American athlete in any sport to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics and just the fourth American woman ever to qualify for the Olympic 10km. She was the youngest member of U.S.’s Tokyo Olympic team two summers ago at just 15 years old. At last year’s World Championships, Grimes placed 5th in the 10km while picking up silver medals in the 1500 freestyle and 400 IM.

Asian Athletics Championships 2023: Murali Sreeshankar qualifies for Paris 2024 Olympics

Murali Sreeshankar wins silver medal in long jump, qualifies for Paris 2024 Olympics

India’s Murali Sresshankar won the silver medal in the men’s long jump event at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday and in the process, qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Murali Sreeshankar managed an 8.37m jump - just 0.4m short of his personal best logged in Bhubaneswar last month - with his final attempt of the day but failed to pip Chinese Taipei’s Yu Tang-Lin’s 8.40m attempt, which took the gold.

Though Murali Sreeshankar’s final attempt fell short of the gold medal in Bangkok, it was well above the men’s long jump entry standard of 8.27m for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The men’s long jump competition at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 turned out to be a battle between Lin and Sreeshankar from the start with both athletes setting the tone with identical 8.10m efforts with their opening jumps.

Sreeshankar sneaked into the lead with an 8.12m jump with his third try but Lin, the reigning Asian Indoor long jump champion, came up with a mammoth 8.40m, a new championship record, with his fourth attempt.

Saudi Arabia’s Hussein Taher Al-Sabee was the previous meet record holder, courtesy an 8.33m jump which won him the gold in Jakarta 2000.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

The olympics are just a fucking joke these days.

Apparently Break Dancing is now an Olympic sport FFS and the surfing will be held in Tahiti which is almost 10,000 miles from Paris.

• Seine-sational? Paris rehearses waterborne opening ceremony for 2024 Olympics

Around 40 boats took part in a practice run of the hugely ambitious opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on the river Seine on Monday, almost exactly a year until the sporting extravaganza begins.

All circulation was stopped on the river through the centre of the City of Light on Monday morning as the vessels sailed the six-kilometre (3.7 mile) route which is set to be taken next July by delegations of competitors, as well as TV crews and emergency services.

For the first time in Olympics history, the opening ceremony is set to take place outside the main athletics stadium, with competitors and officials set to travel through Paris on a flotilla of more than 100 vessels.

Guaranteeing security for participants as well as a crowd of several hundred thousand people on the banks of the Seine is an enormous challenge for organisers.

Around 40 boats simulating the arrival of delegations sailed on Monday, with another 18 vessels being used by emergency services, organisers and the host broadcaster.

"We need to test a new way of filming of the ceremony," event director Thierry Reboul said in advance.

The choreography is being done by French theatre director Thomas Jolly, 41, whose plans remain a secret.

Tickets for around 100,000 prize spots along the river have been sold by organisers, with several hundred thousand people set to be authorised to watch for free from the banks of the river.

The traditional torch relay leading up to the games has also been hailed as "unbelievable" by chief organiser Tony Estanguet.

The 80-day relay will see the torch carried from Greece by boat to the southern port of Marseille before featuring at the famed Mont Saint Michel in northern France, the Chateau de Versailles and the French Caribbean.

• Steph Curry Speaks on His Plans To Join Team USA in the 2024 Olympics

“That’s one piece to my resume that I don’t have.”

While Steph Curry is soaking in the off-season with rounds of golf and even an hole-in-one at the American Century Golf Tournament. But despite all the fun had off the court, Curry continues to have basketball as a forethought.

With an extensive list of accolades that includes him being a nine-time All-Star, two-time MVP and a four-time NBA champion, Steph Curry has almost done everything he could possibly do in the league. However, when it comes to the sport, there is one thing that he is missing. While he has done more in basketball than many have had in their single careers, Steph is missing an Olympic hold medal and till this date, has yet to suit up to play for Team USA.

In a recent conversation with Malika Andrews, she asked the sharp shooter if he is planning on playing for Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics, teasing that he is considering it. When asked, Curry tells Andrews,

“That’s the one piece of the resume [Steve Kerr] always likes to joke that I don’t have, so he’s already recruiting for next summer. I’m rooting the guys on in the world cup this year, I know they will represent the USA well and take him gold. I have no idea what next summer looks like and it’s obviously an extra bonus that coach Kerr is leading that charge. I’d love to play for him any day of the week, so we’ll see how it goes come summer 2024.”

• Paris 2024: French towns say 'non merci' to Olympic torch relay over cost concerns

Citing costs, departments across France have turned down the chance to be in the world's spotlight. So, how much are they being asked to pay and is it worth it?

The eyes of the world will turn to France in July 2024, as the summer Olympic Games begins with a spectacular opening ceremony on the River Seine.

Before that, the Olympic torch embarks on a two-month journey around the country, after criss-crossing the globe on its way from Mount Olympus in Greece, to the French capital.

But this Olympic tradition is turning into a headache for organisers, with towns and cities saying a polite 'no merci' to a visit from the Olympic flame torch relay, citing the high costs involved.

Departments have been asked to fork out €150,000 - amounting to €180,000 with taxes included.

At least 10 of France's 96 mainland departments - the administrative rung below the regional level - have formerly declared that they won't be hosting the torch.

Citizens of the Rhône department in southeastern France - where the country's third largest city Lyon is located - will not be catching a glimpse of the torch.

It's a cause for frustration for some.

In a statement released by the Rhône branch of Emmanuel Macron's youth supporters, 'Les Jeunes avec Macron', the department garnered criticism for a decision supposedly made on environmental grounds.

"The narrow-mindedness of environmentalists who confuse the fight against global warming with an environmentalist puritanism that would ban all forms of festive spirit".

However, these are not the reasons that the department and city stated.

"Asking for 180,000 euros from each department does not make any sense. Some departments are smaller and others are less robust. It would have been more logical for regions to organise financing of the torches at the regional level in order to ensure territorial equity", stated Bruno Bernard, President of the Lyon Metropole.

“We would naturally have liked to host the flame, however the economic conditions required by the Olympic Committee - 180 000 euros for an activity which lasts only one day, seem unreasonable in terms of public action”, he added.

France au Cambodge - For this #OlympicDay, @Paris2024 revealed the Olympic Torch relay travel

The Olympic flame will go through 64 territories from May 8th, before its arrival in Paris on July 26th!

https://twitter.com/FranceCambodge/s...90955493945345

Panam Sports MEXICO’S ALEJANDRA OROZCO SECURES PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION - Panam Sports

The Team Panam Sports Ambassador earned her ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the individual 10m platform event alongside her teammate Gabriela Agundez at the World Aquatics Championships underway in Fukuoka, Japan.

Mexico continues its great start to the 2023 World Aquatics Championships with two more qualifiers to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in diving.

Both Gabriela Agundez and Alejandra Orozco — recently announced as an ambassador of Team Panam Sports for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games — secured their spots to the next Olympic Games in the 10m platform event in the semifinal round by qualifying to the final that will take place on Wednesday, July 19.

Gabriela finished with the third highest score in the semifinal with her dives totaling an outstanding 345.45 points, while Alejandra qualified in sixth place with 315.50 points.

Three other athletes of the Americas also earned their Olympic qualification in the 10m event, with Delaney Schnell of the United States qualifying in fourth, Canada’s Caeli McKay placing fifth and Brazil’s Ingrid Oliveira finishing eighth to reach the final at the world championships.

Three more pairs of athletes from the Americas have also already qualified to Paris 2024 during the World Aquatics Championships in the synchronized events. Tyler Downs and Greg Duncan of Team USA qualified in the men’s 3m synchronized springboard competition, followed by their teammates Delaney Schnell and Jessica Parratto in the women’s 10m synchronized platform event. For Mexico, Kevin Berlin and Randal Willars qualified in the men’s 10m synchronized platform competition.