Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony to be held Friday

French capital to host Summer Olympics from July 26 to Aug. 11 as 10,500 athletes to compete for medals

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will officially start with an exceptional opening ceremony across the River Seine on Friday evening. It will be the first time that an opening ceremony of the Olympics will not be held at a stadium. "Paris 2024 is breaking new ground by bringing sports into the city and the same will be true of the Opening Ceremony, set to be held in the heart of the city along its main artery: the Seine," the Paris 2024 statement read. "The river parade will follow the course of the Seine, from east to west over 6 kilometers (3.7 miles)," it said and adding that nearly 100 boats will carry 10,500 athletes, who will go for medals at Paris 2024. It will be open to the general public. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to open the games. The athletes, who will represent 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and nearly 120 heads of state, sovereigns and heads of government will attend the games.   329 medal events across 32 sports A number of 329 events will be held during the 2024 Summer Olympics from July 26 to Aug. 11. During the 19 days of competition, handball, football and rugby matches took place from July 24, a couple of days before the opening ceremony. At Paris 2024, there are 32 sports disciplines including four additional sports; surfing, climbing, skateboarding, and breaking, which is a dancesport discipline. In addition to the countries, there is a IOC (International Olympic Committee) Refugee Olympic Team. In May, the IOC named the largest-ever IOC Refugee Olympic Team Paris 2024, which has 36 athletes. The Refugee Olympic Team will compete in the Olympics for a third time, as it was introduced at Rio 2016. It consisted of 10 athletes for the Summer Games in Brazil. There were 29 displaced athletes, who made the Tokyo 2020 team previously. The 36 athletes from 11 different countries of origin will compete in 12 sporting disciplines at Paris 2024 such as swimming, athletics, boxing, road cycling, judo, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling. Billions will watch the Paris 2024 on TV, and millions of spectators will do the same at 35 venues. There are 754 sessions (competitions and ceremonies) during the sporting events in the French capital. In addition 45,000 volunteers, and 20,000 accredited journalists will work during the Paris games.   35 venues to host events The Paris Games will be held at 35 venues including Stade de France, Parc des Princes and Stade Roland-Garros throughout the country. The athletes will not only compete in Paris, but also at the sports venues around France and its territories. Bordeaux Stadium, Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, La Beaujoire Stadium in Nantes, Lyon Stadium, Marseille Stadium, Nice Stadium, Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille are among the 35 venues but they are all outside Paris. Separately Tahiti's Teahupo'o will host the summer games' surfing competitions as the athletes will vie for medals in the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Tahiti is the largest island of French Polynesia.   Eiffel Tower's metal chunks at center of Paris 2024 medals The Paris 2024 Olympic medals feature an hexagonal piece of iron from the city's famous Eiffel Tower, and it is placed at the center of a large round radiant medal. The other side of the 2024 medal shows the ancient Greek goddess of victory Nike. In addition, Nike emerges from Athens' Panathenaic Stadium, which was an 2004 Olympic venue and the home to the first modern Games in 1896. At the Paris 2024 design, the Acropolis of Athens, the Eiffel Tower and the Olympic rings are placed around Nike.