This year’s upcoming Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Paris, France from July 26 to Aug. 11; the Paralympic Games will be held shortly after, starting on Aug. 28 and ending on Sept. 8.

The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece in 1896 and the games continue to be an event that garners an enormous amount of viewers. Four years ago approximately 3.05 billion people watched the Tokyo Olympics on television.

The Olympics hold value and purpose that go beyond the competition for medals. The three official values of the Olympics are excellence, respect and friendship. The Olympic Charter outlines the “fundamental principles of Olympism, as well as the rules of the games.” According to the Olympics’ official website, “Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.” 

The Olympic Rings, the symbol of the games, are also meant as a sign of unity. The five ring symbol “represents the union of the five continents,” and how the entire world comes together for the games. The rings were first envisioned by Pierre de Coubertin and revealed to the public in 1913. For the 2024 Olympics, the iconic rings will be displayed on the Eiffel Tower. They have also been recently revealed at the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. 

Every four years, the Olympics attract the best athletes from around the globe, with as many as 10,500 slated to compete in Paris, representing 206 National Olympic Committees.  NOCs organize and facilitate each of their countries’ participation in the games. Women began competing in the games in 1928 when the Olympics were held in Amsterdam. In Paris, there is estimated to be an equal number of male and female athletes, which is said to be a “monumental achievement.” 

In the 2024 Paris Games there will be 329 events, 19 days of competition and 32 sports. Four additional sports will also be represented — breaking, sports climbing, skateboarding and surfing. The most viewed sports are swimming, track and field and football, called soccer in America. 

With so many events and athletes, Paris is working to build new infrastructure and transform the city while being environmentally conscious. According to organizers, “we have looked to reduce everything that can be reduced, for Games that emit less carbon and consume less resources.”

Much like the city of Paris is getting ready for the games, athletes are training and preparing to compete in July. There are a couple of ways that athletes can book their tickets to Paris. For some sports, such as shooting or taekwondo, NOCs are given a quota and then athletes are picked based on their achievements in their sports. There are Olympic trials as well where individuals can qualify.  

For team sports, they must perform well in World Championships or continental competitions to qualify. However, even if athletes perform well enough to qualify, there are limited spots on each team, meaning that many will not have the opportunity to compete. In fact, athletes may not know until just weeks before the games whether they are going or not. 

With less than 90 days until the Olympics start, the U.S. team is slowly forming. There are estimated to be around 800 athletes competing in the Olympics and Paralympics. However, the team is far from filled as only around 90 athletes have qualified.  

Olympic trials have been held for rowers, sailors and shooters, so those sports have the majority of the qualified athletes. To name a few, Nevin Harrison, who won the gold medal in canoeing, has qualified, Carissa Moore has qualified in surfing and Sunny Choi has qualified as a breaker. 

Expanding beyond the U.S., 42 athletes from India have qualified, including Dhiraj Bommadevara for archery, Neeraj Chopra has met the qualifying standards in javelin and Chirag Shetty will compete in badminton. 

Moving to Europe, Penny Healey from Great Britain has won a spot in Archery. In Italy, Irma Testa has qualified for boxing. Germany’s Moritz Wesemann has qualified in diving. 

These athletes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the individuals who will attend the games, but as the games get closer, more competitors will continue to work hard to land a spot in the prestigious events.