Everything You Need to Know About the 2024 Paris Olympics 

By Phaedra Fernflores

November 28, 2023

The 2024 Summer Olympics are to be held in Paris and this has sparked some controversy. Some nations such as Ukraine are even announcing that they might boycott the event. The reason for this potential boycott is the debate on whether Russian and Belarussian athletes should be allowed to compete in this summer’s Olympics due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The decision has not yet been made on whether they will be allowed to compete in the games although both countries are banned from hosting the event and have already had their soccer teams banned from competing in FIFA and UEFA games. There is a possibility these countries could have their individual athletes compete under a neutral flag which is what Russia has been doing since 2019. 

Russia already has some controversial history when it comes to the Olympic games, in years past they have not one but multiple scandals with allegedly doping some of  their athletes. At the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, there was controversy surrounding the fifteen year old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, after she tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing medication known as trimetazidine. 

While the participating countries of this summer’s Olympics may be up in the air, the sports are definitely not. Karate and softball will not be part of the Summer Olympics in 2024 as they have been in years past. In addition to this, four new sports have been added to the games this year; sport climbing, skateboarding, surfing, and break dancing. The Olympic Qualifiers Series for these sports are taking place in both Shanghai and Budapest. Thomas Bach, the president of IOC, says, “This series of Olympic qualification events represents a key milestone in enhancing and promoting the road to the Olympic Games. By bringing together the best athletes from these four sports in iconic urban environments, we aim to give them more visibility and highlight their remarkable achievements on the road to Paris.” 

Despite the various controversies, the excitement for the 2024 Paris Olympics is building with qualifying matches still happening and new sports being added. Regardless of which teams compete in this summer’s games, the Olympics will continue to be an event that brings people together from all over the world.