Paris 2024

Games Summary

Games of the XXXIII Olympiad

Team Canada won 27 medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, making it the country’s second most-successful Olympic Summer Games ever (behind only the 44 medals won at Los Angeles 1984, which were boycotted by the Soviet Union and 13 other nations). The nine gold medals won in Paris are also the country’s second-most ever, behind only the 10 won at Los Angeles 1984.

Team Canada Paris 2024 Roster

Just about every medal won by Team Canada at Paris 2024 had significant historical context.

Eight medals were won in the swimming pool, which matched Canada’s second highest medal total in swimming at one Olympic Games. Half of those medals went home with Summer McIntosh.  

After starting with a silver in the women’s 400m freestyle for Canada’s first medal of Paris 2024, the 17-year-old phenom won three gold medals in the 400m individual medley, 200m butterfly, and 200m individual medley. She set Olympic records in the latter two events. McIntosh became the first Canadian to ever win three gold medals in one Olympic Games. She matched the Canadian record (set by fellow swimmer Penny Oleksiak at Rio 2016) for most medals won at one Olympic Summer Games.

Josh Liendo and Ilya Kharun won silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s 100m butterfly for Canada’s first double podium at an Olympic Summer Games since Montreal 1976. No Canadian had reached the Olympic podium in that event since Munich 1972. It followed Kharun’s bronze medal in the men’s 200m butterfly, which was Canada’s first ever Olympic medal in the event and made him the first Canadian man to win an Olympic swimming medal since London 2012.

Kylie Masse added a bronze in the women’s 200m backstroke for her fifth career Olympic medal. She became the first Canadian swimmer to win individual medals at three Olympic Games.

Five Canadian medals were won in athletics, including three gold medals. Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers both stood on the top step of the podium after winning the men’s and women’s hammer throw events, respectively. Only Poland had previously swept the hammer throw gold medals at one Olympic Games.

Katzberg started by claiming Canada’s first Olympic gold in any throwing event in 120 years. Rogers followed up by becoming Canada’s first Olympic champion in any women’s athletics event since Amsterdam 1928 and the country’s first ever Olympic medallist in women’s hammer throw.  

The quartet of Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney, and Andre De Grasse sprinted to a stunning victory in the men’s 4x100m relay. Canada had last won gold in the event at Atlanta 1996, but it was the country’s third straight Olympic medal in the men’s 4x100m relay. With the win, De Grasse claimed his seventh career Olympic medal, which tied him with Penny Oleksiak as Canada’s all-time most decorated Olympian.

Marco Arop won silver in the men’s 800m, missing out on the gold medal by just 0.01 of a second. He became the fourth-fastest man ever in the distance as he lowered his national record by a remarkable 1.65 seconds. It was Canada’s first Olympic medal in the event in 60 years.

Alysha Newman became Canada’s first ever Olympic medallist in women’s pole vault, clearing 4.85 metres for the Canadian record and the bronze medal. She was Canada’s first Olympic medallist in pole vault in 112 years.

Katie Vincent became Canada’s first ever Olympic champion any women’s canoe or kayak event when she won gold in the women’s C-1 200m in a world best time. That followed the bronze she claimed alongside Sloan MacKenzie in the women’s C-2 500m.

Christa Deguchi, already Canada’s most successful female judoka, became Canada’s first ever Olympic champion in judo when she won gold in the women’s 57kg event.

In the Olympic debut of breaking, Philip Kim (aka Phil Wizard) became the first b-boy to be crowned Olympic champion.

Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson won silver for Canada’s best ever Olympic result in beach volleyball. They were also the first Canadian duo to reach the Olympic podium in women’s beach volleyball.

A silver medal was also won by the women’s rugby sevens team for Canada’s best Olympic result in the sport.

Maude Charron conquered the challenge she was given when she had to drop down a weight class from the one in which she won gold at Tokyo 2020. She took silver in the women’s 59kg event.

For the second straight Games, Canada was on the podium in the women’s eight in rowing, taking the silver medal.

Eleanor Harvey won Canada’s first ever Olympic medal in one of the original Olympic sports: fencing. By staying cool, calm, and collected, Harvey won bronze in the women’s individual foil.

Félix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski won mixed doubles bronze for Canada’s second ever Olympic medal in tennis, but the first in 24 years. It was Canada’s first Olympic podium in the event.

Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray earned bronze for Canada’s first ever Olympic medal in the men’s 10m synchro event, which was the country’s first Olympic medal in any men’s diving event since Beijing 2008.

Wyatt Sanford won bronze in the men’s 63.5kg event for Canada’s first Olympic medal in boxing in 28 years.  

Skylar Park claimed bronze in the women’s 57kg event for Canada’s first Olympic medal in taekwondo since 2008.

The day before her 26^th birthday, Sophiane Méthot captured bronze in women’s trampoline.  

Paris 2024 Host City

In 2024, the capital city of France hosted the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.

This marked the third time that the Olympic Games took place in Paris, which previously welcomed the world in 1900 and 1924. Paris became the second city, following London, to host the Olympic Games three times.

These were the sixth Olympic Games to take place in France, behind only the eight Olympic Games (nine after 2028) which have been hosted by the United States. France has also hosted three editions of the Olympic Winter Games at Chamonix 1924, Grenoble 1968 and Albertville 1992.

The Games officially opened on July 26, 2024, continuing through to August 11, 2024.

Paris was confirmed as the host city of the 2024 Olympic Games at the 130^th IOC Session in Lima, Peru on September 13, 2017. Paris was the only candidate after an agreement was reached for Los Angeles to host the 2028 Olympic Games after having initially expressed interest in 2024. Twelve years earlier, Paris had finished second to London by four votes for the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Prior to that, Paris had been third behind Toronto and Beijing in the voting for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Paris 2024 Host Country

One of the most modern countries in the world, France is a leader among European nations. Its global influence can be felt through its role as a permanent member of the United Nations’ Security Council as well as its positions in NATO, the G-7, G-20 and the European Union.

Although the largest portion of France (551,500km²) is located in western Europe, five overseas entities – French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion – also became part of France proper in the early 21^st century. Paris is located in the north of the country.

With a population of more than 67 million (62 million in western Europe), France is the 21^st most populous country in the world. Paris itself has a population of 10.843 million, making it the country’s largest city by more than 9 million people. France is a semi-presidential republic divided into 13 metropolitan regions along with the five overseas regions. The president is the head of state while the prime minister is the head of government.

The official language of the country is French. The national anthem, “La Marseillaise”, was first adopted in 1795 and restored in 1870. It was made famous when the National Guard of Marseille sang it while heading into Paris in 1792 during the French Revolutionary Wars. The French flag, featuring three equal vertical bands of blue, white and red, is known as “le drapeau tricolore” and dates back to 1790.

Paris runs on Central European Time, which is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

Paris 2024 Medals

Paris 2024 chose France’s iconic symbol–the Eiffel Tower–as the design touchpoint for the Olympic and Paralympic medals. But the Eiffel Tower is not only the inspiration for the design, but also a physical part of it–each medal features original iron from the Eiffel Tower. Winning athletes took a piece of French history home with them. 

The original iron from the Eiffel Tower is featured in a hexagon shape in the centre of each medal that represents mainland France. The flip side of the medals features the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, who has been a traditional figure depicted on Olympic medals since 1928.

READ: Paris 2024 medals revealed

Paris 2024 Mascot

Though many recent Olympic mascots have taken the form of animals, the Paris 2024 mascot represents an ideal. It is the Olympic Phryge (pronounced “freejh”). The mascot is designed to resemble the Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom that appears on French stamps and coins, in French art, and in town halls across the country. Marianne–the personification of the French Revolution–wears a Phrygian cap and served as one of the influences on the Games emblem. The Olympic Phryge is described as having a “methodical mind and alluring charm.”

READ: Meet the Paris 2024 mascots

Paris 2024 Torch Relay

Before every edition of the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit by the sun’s rays during a ceremony that takes place within Olympia. This ceremonial lighting connects each edition of the Games to their ancient Olympic roots. For each Games, the flame travels from Greece to the host nation where it embarks on a torch relay. 

In the case of Paris 2024, the flame was lit on April 16, 2024 and then travelled from Greece to Marseille, France by boat in order to align with the Paris organizing committee’s principles of sustainability.

Before the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony in Paris, the Olympic flame wound its way across France, spreading the Olympic spirit. The flame arrived in Marseille on May 8, 2024. From there it made a 68-day journey across the country, visiting 65 French territories along the way – including those overseas – with the help of approximately 10,000 torch bearers.

Paris 2024 Torch

The Paris 2024 torch, created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, has three main conceptual influences: equality, water, and peacefulness. Equality between the Olympics and Paralympics, as well as gender parity between athletes is reflected in the torch’s vertical and horizontal symmetry. The Olympic symbolism of peace and unity is captured in the torch’s smooth curves and rounded lines. Paris 2024’s respect for water (the torch travelled across the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans on the relay, and the Opening Ceremony took place on the Seine) is incorporated in the way the torch reflects light like the water’s surface. In keeping with the Paris 2024 sustainability goals, the torches were fashioned of recycled steel and only 2000 torches were created (approximately five times fewer than previous Olympic Games).

READ: Paris 2024 torch design revealed

Paris 2024 Poster

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic posters were designed by French illustrator Ugo Gattoni. The posters function independently, or together as a diptych. All the major markers of Paris 2024 are symbolized with incredible detail–there are around 40,000 characters in the works, and the design took over 2,000 hours to create!

Venues

Some of Paris’ best known landmarks became Olympic venues in 2024. Beach volleyball was played at the Parc du Champs de Mars while the Eiffel Tower and nearby Seine were the site for marathon swimming, triathlon, and the marathons. Equestrian and modern pentathlon took over the Château de Versailles while road cycling headed down the Champs-Élysées. There was also fencing and taekwondo at the Grand Palais and Roland-Garros hosted both tennis and boxing.

Paris 2024 Venue Guide: In Paris
Paris 2024 Venue Guide: ÎIe-de-France Region
Paris 2024 Venue Guide: Elsewhere in France