What to expect from the 2024 Paris Olympics and where you can watch it
The excitement for the 2024 Paris Olympics is reaching its peak as the prestigious sports event is dawning just around the corner.
This year, several Filipino athletes were able to qualify for their respective sports and are vying for medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is set from July 26 to Aug. 11 in France.
If you haven’t been keeping up but are eager to know more about what will take place during the event, here are some of the things you can expect at the games as well as where to watch them.
Twenty-two Filipinos will vie for the gold
A testament that Filipinos are not to be underestimated when it comes to sports, at least 22 athletes from the country have secured their spot at this year’s Olympics and are now training at their hardest to bring home the gold.
Those who have qualified so far include pole-vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena, boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Aira Villegas and Hergie Bacyadan, gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo, weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and John Ceniza, rower Joanie Delgaco, fencer Sam Catantan, golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina, swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, and hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang.
If you want to learn more about them individually, check out our article to Get to know the Filipino athletes who qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam will be the country’s flagbearers
Petecio and Paalam will serve as the Philippines' flagbearers during the event.
Both boxers achieved silver in their respective divisions during the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
With their significant responsibility as flagbearers, Petecio and Paalam will be wearing a Francis Libiran-designed barong bearing the stunning details of Philippine culture.
The attire features embroidered sun rays and Pintados-inspired warrior patterns on its collar, while its bodice is adorned with a detachable silk organdy sling that carries the colors of the Philippine flag with another Pintados-inspired warrior pattern on top.
The so-called “Sinag” barong is made out of piña-jusi fabric.
BTS’ Jin will be a torchbearer
This year, you can expect to see South Korean singer-songwriter Jin from the boy band BTS participating in the Olympics as a torchbearer.
According to reports, the eldest member of the K-pop powerhouse "will travel to France in the near future to take part in the torch relay."
However, the exact location and schedule of his participation have yet to be detailed.
What are the sporting events?
The Paris Olympics will be composed of 32 sports with around 10,500 athletes from all over the world competing. Of the events, 28 are returning while four are new, namely, sport climbing, skateboarding, surfing, and breaking.
Below are the competition dates for each sport.
- Archery: July 25 to August 4
- Artistic gymnastics: July 27 to August 5
- Artistic swimming: August 5 to 10
- Athletics: August 1 to 11
- Badminton: July 27 to August 5
- Basketball: July 27 to August 11
- Basketball 3x3: July 30 to August 5
- Beach volleyball: July 27 to August 10
- Boxing: July 27 to August 10
- Breaking: August 9 to 10
- Canoe slalom: July 27 to August 5
- Canoe sprint: August 6 to 10
- Cycling BMX freestyle: July 30 to 31
- Cycling BMX racing: August 1 to 2
- Cycling mountain bike: July 28 to 29
- Cycling road: July 27 to August 4
- Cycling track: August 5 to 11
- Diving: July 27 to August 10
- Equestrian: July 27 to August 6
- Fencing: July 27 to August 4
- Football (Soccer): July 24 to August 10
- Golf: August 1 to 10
- Handball: July 25 to August 11
- Hockey: July 27 to August 9
- Judo: July 27 to August 3
- Marathon swimming: August 8 to 9
- Modern pentathlon: August 8 to 11
- Rhythmic gymnastics: August 8 to 10
- Rowing: July 27 to August 3
- Rugby sevens: July 24 to 30
- Sailing: July 28 to August 8
- Shooting: July 27 to August 5
- Skateboarding: July 27 to August 7
- Sport climbing: August 5 to 10
- Surfing: July 27 to 31 (pending weather conditions)
- Swimming: July 27 to August 4
- Table tennis: July 27 to August 10
- Taekwondo: August 7 to 10
- Tennis: July 27 to August 4
- Trampoline: August 2
- Triathlon: July 30 to August 5
- Volleyball: July 27 to August 11
- Water polo: July 27 to August 11
- Weightlifting: August 7 to 11
- Wrestling: August 5 to 11
Where to watch
If you want to witness our local athletes as they strive for the gold, you can watch the 2024 Paris Olympics through Cignal TV. The Philippine Olympic Committee has partnered with Cignal TV to provide extensive coverage of the event.
Through the campaign “Isang Daang Taon Laban Para sa Bayan: Celebrating 100 Years of Filipino Excellence in the Olympics,” the cable television provider will broadcast the journey of Filipino athletes in their respective games on different MediaQuest platforms.
These include Cignal TV’s free-to-air and pay-per-view television, while digital broadcasts can be watched on OneSports, One News, and News5.
Additionally, it has launched a dedicated website for the Paris 2024 Olympics. For the complete schedule, check this link.