FACTBOX - Summer edition of Olympic Games returns to Paris after 100 years

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) — The 2024 Summer Olympics will see the Games return to Paris after a century, with the French capital previously hosting the world’s biggest sporting event in 1900 and 1924.

The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympics will kick off on Friday, with an opening ceremony on the River Seine, and run until Aug. 11.

The closing ceremony will take place at the Stade de France.

Since 1896, the modern Games have been held every four years aside from 1916, 1940 and 1944, when they were canceled because of World Wars I and II.

Alongside 29 traditional sports, the Summer Olympics will feature breakdancing, sport climbing and wave surfing. Over 17 days, a total of 10,500 athletes will vie for medals in these events.

Athletes who win will take with them a part of the Eiffel Tower, as the medals feature fragments of iron sourced from the iconic structure.

The medalists will display an authentic segment of the Eiffel Tower on their chests, as each medal will feature a central piece of iron weighing 18 grams.

The metal comes from parts of the monument’s structure removed during renovation work during the 20th century.

- Candidacy process

On Sept. 13, 2015, France formally submitted its bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

The letter outlining the application highlighted that "the Olympic spirit and the Parisian identity are defined by unity in diversity, tolerance of differences, and a collective commitment to peace."

It was endorsed by Denis Masseglia, then-president of the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF), and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

At the time, Paris, which had set aside a budget of €6.2 billion ($6.7 billion), for the Games, was considered a more formidable contender in 2015 compared to its competitors.

Paris had last hosted the Olympics in 1924 and had bid for the Games in 1992, 2008 and 2012.

Alongside the French capital, other cities that declared their candidacy for the 2024 Summer Games included Los Angeles, Hamburg, Budapest and Rome. They announced their bids at various times throughout 2014 and 2015.

After Hamburg, Budapest and Rome withdrew their bids, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged Los Angeles and Paris to reach a compromise.

The Committee proposed that Los Angeles host the 2028 Olympic Games and offered $1.8 billion in support for their preparation.

With Los Angeles accepting this proposal, Paris then agreed to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.

- Paris 2024 Olympic mascot

The Organizing Committee unveiled the designs for the mascots of the Olympic and Paralympic Games on Nov. 14, 2022.

Named Olympic Phryge, the Paris 2024 mascot is based on the traditional small Phrygian hats that the mascots are shaped after.

Its name and design were chosen as symbols of freedom and to represent allegorical figures of the French Republic.

The mascot's eyes were designed to be both mischievous and expressive and were also compared to the cockade of France, the French national ornament.

Its features, attire and gestures reflect the mascot's passion for sports.

- Olympic torch

The Olympic torch relay, a central tradition of the event, was introduced at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games.

The Paris 2024 Games torch was designed by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur.

Unlike traditional designs, this year's Games feature a torch with a unique structure, composed of 10 distinct parts.

Carried by 10,000 people over thousands of miles, the torch, crafted from metal by steel giant Arcelor Mittal, resembles an oval iron pipe with a rounded center.

Upon its arrival, the torch will have been carried to more than 400 locations, including France's overseas territories, until the opening of the event on July 26.

- Russian, Belarussian athletes to compete as neutrals

According to the International Olympic Committee, athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete under neutral status and will not participate in the opening ceremony.

The flags, emblems and anthems of Russia and Belarus will not be used, and athletes from these countries must adhere to the same anti-doping regulations as all other participants.

No officials from the governments of either country will be invited or accredited as part of the games.

The closing ceremony will take place at the Stade de France national stadium on Sunday, Aug. 11.