This photograph shows the Olympic Rings displayed at the construction site of the Eiffel Tower Stadium for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)
It’s almost time for the Paris Olympics 2024. Get ready for all the action — everything on the track, courts and fields, in the pools and all the other events — with a guide that tells you what you need to know about the competition in Paris and the Filipino athletes competing in the Summer Games.
How can I watch the Olympics?
Photos of the Philippine bets for the Paris Olympics 2024 on display during the Olympics send off hosted by POC and Cignal, the official broadcast partner for the Summer Games. –Cignal TV PHOTO
In the Philippines, Cignal TV is the official media and broadcast partner of the Paris Olympics.
Cignal has been covering the Philippines’ training camp in Metz, France and will also handle the coverage for the duration of the Summer Games.
Cignal TV will bring the Paris Olympics coverage through free TV channels One Sports, RPTV and TV5, pay-TV channel One Sports+ and three 24/7 channels dedicated to the Olympics broadcast exclusive to Cignal subscribers.
Livestreaming will be available via the Pilipinas Live app and Smart LiveStream for Smart subscribers.
In the United States, each day’s most popular events will air live on NBC in the morning and afternoon. USA Network, E!, CNBC and GOLF Channel also will show live action and Olympic programming. Peacock will serve as the US streaming home. It will stream every sport, including all 329 medal events.
When do the 2024 Olympics start and end?
The action begins on July 24 with eight men’s football matches and the preliminary phase for rugby sevens. The schedule for the following day includes archery, women’s football, women’s handball and rugby sevens.
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony is scheduled for July 26 (July 27 Philippine Time).
The closing ceremonies are on August 11.
Paris is six hours behind Manila, Philippines.
How are they doing the Paris Olympics opening ceremony?
A Seine river bus boat docks in front the Eiffel Tower adorned with Olympic rings ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in July 16, 2024 (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)
The bold, daring plan has about 10,000 athletes parading on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers for the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony. The open-air ceremony will be held during sunset and is expected to last nearly four hours, transforming Paris and its iconic landmarks into a giant stage.
Safety is a concern. French President Emmanuel Macron has said the ceremony could be shifted to the Stade de France if the security threat is deemed too high. But organizers are moving forward with their open-air plans.
About 45,000 security force members will be deployed, and the airspace and all airports within a 150-kilometer (90-mile) radius around Paris will be closed for the proceedings.
About 220,000 invited and security-screened spectators are expected to fill the upper tiers of the river’s banks, and another 100,000 paying spectators will watch from the lower riverside and around the Trocadéro plaza.
What’s the Olympics schedule for the Philippines?
The Philippines has 22 athletes entered in several events across nine sports for the Paris Olympics.
Gymnastics, where four Filipino bets are vying for medals including homegrown star Carlos Yulo along with Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo and Levi Ruvivar, begins on July 27 and the final day is August 5.
Swimming, where the Philippines has two entries–Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch– also starts on July 27 and ends on August 4.
Track and field, one of the main events of the Olympics where three Filipino athletes compete including the country’s top medal bet EJ Obiena in pole vault along with John Cabang Tolenito and Lauren Hoffman, runs from August 1 to 11.
READ: POC confident of better PH showing at Paris Olympics
The boxing competition opens on July 27 with the medal rounds beginning August 3 up to August 10. Five Filipino pugilists are vying for medals including Tokyo Olympians Nesthy Petecio, Eumir Marcial and Carlo Paalam along with first timers Hergie Bacdayan and Aira Villages.
Fencing runs from July 27 to August 5 and Samantha Catantan, the lone Filipino fencer in this year’s Summer Games, competes in women’s foil tournament set July 28.
Women’s golf is from August 7 to 10 with’ Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina carrying the banner for the Philippins, after the men’s competition from August 1 to 4.
Weightlifting, where the Philippines drew its first ever Olympic medal courtesy of Hidilyn Diaz in Tokyo, is from August 7 to 11 with three Filipino bets on tap–Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and John Ceniza.
Both rowing and judo competitions, where Filipinos’ Joanie Delgaco and Kiyomi Watanabe will compete, respectively, run from July 27 to August 3.
Other key Paris Olympics dates to note:
The men’s basketball and women’s final is on August 11 at Bercy Arena. The gold medal match for men’s and women’s football is on August 10 at Parc des Princes.
Roland Garros hosts the women’s singles final for tennis on Aug. 3, and the men’s singles championship on Aug. 4.
What are the new 2024 Olympics sports?
FILE – Victor Montalvo, also known as B-Boy Victor, of the United States, competes in the B-boy Red Bull BC One World Final at Hammerstein Ballroom, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in New York. “I’m really excited to represent a whole country, but I’m more excited to represent my dance, my artform and I’m super excited to bring the hip-hop culture to the Olympics,” Montalvo. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)
Breakdancing makes its Olympic debut at the Paris Games in another step in the International Olympic Committee’s pursuit of a younger audience.
Judges will score breakers using what’s known as the Trivium judging system. A panel of five judges scores each breaker on creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity and musicality.
Who to watch at the Paris Olympics?
Simone Biles smiles after competing in the floor exercise at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials on Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
It’s going to be a starry summer in the City of Lights.
Simone Biles is back, looking to add to her seven medals from two previous trips to the Olympics. The American gymnast won a team silver and a bronze in balance beam in Tokyo despite removing herself from multiple competitions to focus on her mental health. She returned to the sport last year, winning a record sixth world all-around title.
U.S. basketball star LeBron James is going for his third gold medal. The 39-year-old James averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 71 games for the Los Angeles Lakers in his 21st NBA season. He is the league’s career leading scorer.
Sha’Carri Richardson won the 100 meters at the U.S. track trials, booking her spot for what assuredly will be a loaded field for the race in Paris. Richardson also won the 100 meters at the trials in 2021, but the victory was erased because she tested positive for a chemical found in marijuana.
Noah Lyles, another American track star, will try to win gold in the men’s 100 meters, and Katie Ledecky is the face of the U.S. swim team as she competes in her fourth Olympics.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Spain’s Jon Rahm are set to compete at Le Golf National, and Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz — two Spanish tennis players who know a little something about winning at Roland Garros — plan to team up for doubles in Paris.
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Which country is expected to win the most gold medals?
The U.S. is -500 favorites to win the most Olympic gold medals, according to BetMGM sportsbook. The over/under is 39.5. The Americans are followed by China (+300, 33.5 over/under) and France (+8000, 26.5).
Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Paris Olympics 2024.
