For football fans, the 2024 European Championship in Germany is the mega event of the summer. However, people tend to forget that the Olympic Games are also taking place this year. In view of the wealth and variety of sports at the Olympics, it is only fair, even as a football fan, to award the Games the title of Sports Event of the Year 2024 across all sports. And don’t forget – even at the Olympics, the round has to fit into the square.
Football, athletics, swimming and many other sports will take centre stage at the Olympic Games. So it’s time to take a closer look at the topic and take an in-depth look at the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics.
Olympics 2024: top athletes from all over the world gather in Paris
Once the Olympic flame has been officially lit, we can look forward to the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. The opening ceremony will take place on 26 July and the Games will finally begin shortly afterwards. Until 11 August, athletes from all over the world will be competing for their nation in a total of 329 competitions. The competitions will take place in 32 different sports and include men’s, women’s and mixed competitions.
The Games are held in the French capital Paris. A few competitions such as the football matches, water sports in the form of sailing or surfing and a few others are organised outside Paris. The third Summer Olympics in France will offer a diverse programme and, as always, the daily schedules will include some more exotic sports that the Olympics want to use to showcase themselves to the masses.
Which sports are included in the 2024 Summer Olympics?
The list of sports varies from Games to Games, as various factors determine whether a sport is part of the Olympics or not. There is criticism that those sports with good TV ratings are favoured. This contradicts the Olympic idea, which ideally favours a wide range of sports and also gives marginal sports a chance to present themselves to the world. Nevertheless, it is no secret that the following sports in particular enjoy great popularity:
- Swimming competitions
- Hockey
- Athletics competitions
- Weightlifting
- Show jumping
These competitions usually attract large numbers of spectators on site and also ensure that many people tune in via television or live streams. Of course, the Olympic Games in Paris also include numerous other sports that add variety to the entire event. Some of these can still be described as exotic even in this day and age. However, they are likely to attract the interest of some sports fans. These include, for example
- Walking
- Taekwondo
- Rhythmic gymnastics
- Breakdancing
- Synchronised swimming
These and other sports make it clear that there really is something for everyone at the 2024 Summer Olympics. And yes – football fans will also get their money’s worth at the Olympics, as two football tournaments will be held as part of the biggest sporting event of 2024.
Will there be a football tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games?
Football has been an Olympic sport since 1908 and is therefore an important part of the modern Games. A distinction is made between an U23 competition for men and a tournament without U restrictions for women. The women’s tournament has been held at the Olympic Games since 1996 and it is striking that Germany has often been in the running for medals. The greatest success came at the 2016 Olympics, where the German women secured the gold medal. In 2000, 2004 and 2008, Germany won the bronze medal in the women’s competition.
If you take all the men’s teams from Germany, the GDR and the whole of Germany together, you end up with 1 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals. Although Germany has always been a great footballing country, its sporting successes at the Olympics are indeed limited. One reason for this is that in the past Germany rarely sent the A team to the games. In any case, the selection of players for the men’s competition is severely limited due to the U-23 restriction that now applies.
What medal chances does Germany have at the 2024 Olympics?
Germany’s 26th participation in the Summer Olympics will once again feature worthy representatives of German sport for their own country. Not all participants have been finalised yet and therefore not all athletes who will be wearing the German jersey are known, especially in sports where Germany has a good chance of winning a medal. However, you should keep an eye on the following names that have already qualified, as they could play a major role in the Olympic competitions:
- Isabel Gose – various swimming competitions
- Lorena Brandl – Taekwondo
- Tim Hellwig – triathlon
- Sarah Voss – various gymnastics competitions
However, sports experts have one major fear for Germany’s appearance at the 2024 Olympics, and that is that German athletes will not be able to compete in many areas at the upcoming Olympic Games. The lack of investment in individual sports and the failure to promote young talent have meant that Germany has lost touch with the international elite in numerous sports.
Nevertheless, there are various sports in which Germany traditionally has a good chance of winning precious metals. In addition to the equestrian competitions, these include the women’s tournament in football, canoeing, athletics and triathlon. The German national anthem will certainly be played a few times, but it is still unclear where Germany will end up in the medals table.
Security risk: How safe are the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris?
One important question that has been raised time and again since Paris was awarded the Summer Games is that of security. The terrible events at the 1972 Olympics in Munich always hover over such major events and due to the current conflicts in the world, there are fears that the Olympic Games could be used for politically or religiously motivated attacks. For this reason, the security measures are correspondingly high, even though France naturally wants to avoid an excessive police presence during the peaceful games. It is important to find a good balance that guarantees a high level of security but at the same time does not feel too much like surveillance.
Conclusion: The Olympic Games are a highlight of the 2024 sporting year
All in all, the Olympic Games in 2024 are an absolute highlight event. For sports fans from Europe, it is advantageous that the games are taking place in France, as this means that it is not only relatively easy to travel to the sports competitions if you want to watch them live, but the broadcast times on TV and the internet are also very reasonable. Those who enjoy a wide variety of sports will certainly get their money’s worth at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and those who are particularly interested in the two football competitions will also be offered matches at a high level.
