It might just seem as if the Tokyo Summer Olympics ended in 2021, but already the 2024 Paris Olympics are in sight.
Wednesday marks exactly one year until the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris, France, which is set to host the games 100 years after last doing so in 1924.
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With that in mind, here are some things to know as the 1-year countdown begins.
How will the Paris Olympics be different?
It won’t take long for Paris to do something no other host city has. For the opening ceremony, the city will transport athletes by boat along the Seine River during the traditional Parade of Nations.
The general public will be able to line adjacent streets, quays and bridges to view the parade.
Boats will go by relics such as the Louvre and Notre-Dame before ending at the Trocadero, which is across from the Eiffel Tower.
It is there where the remaining elements of the opening ceremony — such as speeches, the arrival of the torch and lighting of the flame — will take place.
It will be the first time the opening ceremony won’t be held in a traditional stadium. The closing ceremony will be held at a traditional stadium.
What local athletes should we start keeping an eye on?
It’s difficult to full gauge what athletes from the state to hone in on now, given qualifying for most events won’t take place until the first portion of 2024.
However, based on what’s been taking place since Tokyo, here are two good bets as of this moment from Virginia.
- Grant Holloway — The Chesapeake native won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the 110 hurdles, and then won the world championship in that event in 2022. Holloway is still very much in his prime, given he’ll be 26 if he qualifies for the Olympic team in Paris.
- Torri Huske — A swimmer from Arlington County, Huske won the 2022 world championship in the 100 butterfly before finishing third at that event in the 2023 world championships. If she qualifies for Paris, Huske will be 21 and will be looking to improve on a fourth-place finish in the 100 butterfly at the Tokyo games.
How many athletes from Virginia competed at the Tokyo Olympics?
There were 13 Virginia natives who competed at the 2021 Tokyo Games. California had the most athletes competing with 126, followed by Florida (56) and Texas (32).