NYU - New York University
07/22/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/22/2024 09:05
Paris 2024: A Guide to Olympic Venues, Firsts, and More
Official posters of the Paris 2024 Games. Photo courtesy of Paris 2024.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will be historic for several reasons. The City of Light will join London as the only site to ever host the modern Summer Games three times, with this year's Opening Ceremony on July 26 held almost exactly 100 years after the 1924 Closing Ceremony on July 27. The Opening Ceremony will also be the first to be held outside a stadium, taking place instead on the river Seine that runs through the heart of the city.
And that's just one of the ways Paris will be playing up its longtime reputation as the world's top travel destination. It has lined up an array of iconic venues for the sporting competitions, and even included iron from the Eiffel Tower in the medals that will be given out to the winners. This year also marks the first time the Olympics has achieved gender parity, with an equal number of men and women-5,250 each-competing in Paris. The last time the Summer Games were in Paris, in 1924, only 135 women competed.
Paris medals. Photo by Cyril Masson.
To get a firsthand account of all the excitement, NYU News checked in with SPS instructor and Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA author Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff, an expert on international sports and diplomacy who is currently in Paris lecturing at universities ahead of the Olympics. Below, Krasnoff shares insights on the significance of some key Paris venues as well as her take on the Games' highly anticipated basketball tournaments and other hot tickets.
Courtesy of Paris 2024
Venues
Esplanade des Invalides (Archery)
Courtesy of Paris 2024
After hosting generations of political duels, the lawns streaming out from the imposing Hôtel des Invalides will welcome this year's Olympic archery events. The building, the final resting place of Napoleon I, has evolved as a symbol over the centuries, from its ancien regime (pre-1789) role as a church to its Revolutionary-era function as a temple honoring Mars. Today, it's a museum devoted to France's military past. The Invalides esplanade was also home to archery at the 1900 Paris Games.
Chateau de Versailles (Equestrian, Modern Pentathalon)
Courtesy of Paris 2024
Located in the western suburbs of Paris, Versailles was the traditional seat of the Bourbon kings. Its opulence was one of the original soft power tools deployed by the French state to awe visitors. This summer, equestrian makes its first return to Versailles since the 1900 Games. The sport is also notable for being the first mixed-gender Olympic discipline, with female riders competing in all equestrian events since 1964.
Place de la Concorde (BMX Freestyle, Skateboarding, Breaking, 3x3 Basketball)
Courtesy of Paris 2024
The large plaza in the heart of central Paris, Place de la Concorde, is synonymous with revolution. Known for its blood-stained role as the place where King Louis XVI was guillotined in 1793, it now plays host to a youth revolution as a stage for BMX Freestyle, Skateboarding, 3x3 Basketball, and Breaking at the 2024 Games. Breakdancing-or le breaking-makes its Olympic debut at Paris this year. While the genre originated in the 1970s United States, it has since gone global, with competitors from around the world qualifying for the 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls slots. The sport's glam- and wow-factor is expected to inject a strongly needed dose of youth culture into the events.
Porte de la Chapelle Arena (Badminton, Rhythmic Gymnastics)
Courtesy of Paris 2024
Adidas Arena at Porte de la Chapelle, inaugurated in February 2024, will host this summer's badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events. This new home of Paris Basketball-the professional club co-owned by David Kahn, who has taught at SPS-is a lynchpin that is driving revitalization of this north Parisian neighborhood.
Grand Palais (Fencing, Tae Kwon Do)
Courtesy of Paris 2024
The glass rooftop of the Grand Palais exhibit hall, built for the 1900 World Exposition (and Games), is once again an international stage as it hosts fencing and taekwondo events. Fencing has been part of the Olympic program since 1896, and its deep history and traditions in France prompted NYU and USA Fencing alumnus Justin Tausig to study the craft in Paris with the historic multi-sport Racing Club de France.
Paris Loves Basketball
Some of the hottest tickets in town are to the Olympic basketball tournaments. The men's and women's competitions will begin in the northern city of Lille, a city known for its famed football (soccer) team, before moving to the AccorArena in Paris for the final knockout rounds. The City of Light sports a deep hoops tradition, which spans from its famed playground streetball courts at Stalingrad, Pigalle, Champ de Mars, and Quai 54 (home to the world's largest streetball tourney) to the world's oldest original basketball court on the Rue de Trévise. The passion was revived recently by EuroCup winner Paris Basketball, which will compete in the elite EuroLeague next season.
And while yes, everyone is keen to see the new United States "Dream Team," what makes the men's tournament so attractive is that it will be very competitive. Canada, Australia, FIBA World Cup Champion Germany, and host France are all podium contenders. While the US women's team is still expected to dominate, possibly adding an eighth consecutive gold medal to their accomplishments, other teams to watch include European Champions Belgium, France, and Canada.
Can't get enough hoops? Krasnoff shares additional historical background on this year's matchups on her Instagram-links below.