Secret Journeys’ Post

Tomorrow marks the official beginning to the Paris Summer Olympics. I've compiled the following statistics which will allow you to sound like an Olympic expert when talking to anyone about the summer games. Paris Olympic Games by the numbers. 1: For the first time, Breaking, also known as break dancing, and kayak cross will make their Olympic debuts. 3: Paris has now hosted the Olympics three times, in 1900, 1924, and 2024, making it one of only three cities to do so, along with London and Los Angeles. 6: France has hosted the Olympic games six times in total, including the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, and the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. 20: Mixed gender team events. 35: The number of venues that will be used. 45: The number of different sports at the Olympics. 152: Total number of events for women. 157: Total number of events for men. 206: The number of countries expected to participate in this summer’s games. 329: The number of medal events. 1,900: The 1900 Paris Olympic games were the first time women were allowed to compete 10,500: Approximate number of athletes who will compete in Paris. 20,000: Accredited journalists 45,000: volunteers who signed on. 

Paris 2024: Olympic Games Overshadowed by National Ego and Organizational Failures The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are passing by without much fanfare, overshadowed by the brilliance of previous editions like Barcelona 1992 and London 2012, which were celebrated for their modernity and elegance. The initial excitement of reviving Olympic grandeur has been eclipsed by what seems to be an excuse for the French national ego to flourish unchecked. From the very first day, the "woke culture" festival took over the event, shifting the focus from the real protagonists, the athletes, to the city, the River Seine, and other unrelated exhibitions. What should have been a celebration of sports turned into an excessive display of Parisian grandeur that only the French seem to appreciate. Throughout the event, we have witnessed a series of organizational blunders that highlight the difference between ambition and capability. France appears to be struggling with the challenge it set for itself. The desire to take on too much has resulted in a lackluster and poorly managed event, falling short in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. Hopes now rest on the United States for the next Olympic Games, with the expectation that they will host a more universal event, less centered on exaggerated patriotism. The international community looks forward to the next host restoring the Olympics' shine and significance, while Paris 2024 serves as a lesson in the dangers of prioritizing national ego over the true spirit of sportsmanship.

Five Fun Facts about the Paris Olympic Games As the opening ceremony is tonight (26 July), here are five fun facts about the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad to mark the occasion. 1) History Paris is no stranger to hosting the Olympics. The Games also took place in the French capital in 1900 and 1924. The only other city to host the Summer Olympics three times is London. 2) Different sports The Paris Games will feature 32 sports, including athletics, archery, wrestling, water polo, rugby sevens and 3x3 basketball. You won’t see karate, softball or baseball (they’ve been dropped), but you will see breaking (breakdancing). New to the Olympics, breaking is expected to appeal to younger audiences. However, it may also prompt some sports fans to raise an eyebrow and ask, “Is that really a sport?” 3) Competitors More than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries will compete this year, and, for the first time, there will be an equal ratio of male and female athletes. A Refugee Team comprising 36 athletes who cannot train in their own country due to conflict or persecution will also participate. 4) Venues Host cities always relish the chance to showcase themselves to the rest of the world, and Paris will be no exception. The imposing Palace of Versailles will host equestrian events, while the iconic Eiffel Tower will serve as a backdrop to beach volleyball. Unusually, one event will take place almost 10,000 miles away in Tahiti. The French Polynesian island will host the surfing. 5) Mascots Olympic mascots are always odd (remember weird Wenlock from the London Games?), and it seems French organisers are continuing the tradition. The Paris 2024 mascot is a red hat called Phryge. Why did the organisers choose an item of headwear for a mascot? It’s because the Phrygian cap is synonymous with liberty in France as it was worn by revolutionaries. Good luck to all the athletes. Go, Team GB! #edwardashdale #bromley #bromleyproperty #bromleyestateagents

With the start of the Olympics 2024 in Paris only two months away, we thought we'd share some details below. Will you be attending or guiding in host cities during this time? Apart from wishing all athletes and event organisers productive and positive final months of preparation, we also trust it will be a fantastic time for tourism in the region! 🇫🇷 Motto: Games wide open Number of Athletes: 10 500 Events: 329 in 32 sports Opening: 26 July 2024 Closing: 11 August 2024 "Paris was awarded the Games at the 131st IOC Session in Lima, Peru, on 13 September 2017. After multiple withdrawals that left only Paris and Los Angeles in contention, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved a process to concurrently award the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics to the two cities. Having previously hosted in 1900 and 1924, Paris will become the second city, after London (who were the hosts in 1908, 1948 and 2012) to host the Summer Olympics three times. Paris 2024 will mark the centenary of Paris 1924, and these Olympic Games will be the sixth hosted by France (three in summer and three in winter), and the first French Olympics since the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. The Summer Games will return to its traditional four-year Olympiad cycle, after the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paris 2024 will feature the debut of breakdancing as an Olympic event, and it will be the final Olympic Games held during the presidency of IOC President Thomas Bach. The Games will be the first to feature an identical number of men and women athletes. The Games are expected to cost €8.3 billion." www.olympics.com 🌍 #Paris #France #Olympics2024 #WFTGA

Three Times Lucky? Could Chengdu Be the Charm Germany Needs for Olympic and Paralympic Dreams? Exciting times! As someone who has closely followed and cherished international sports events, I'm thrilled to see #Karlsruhe, Germany, is set to host the The World Games in 2029—becoming the first city ever to organize this major event twice. Congratulations to the team that worked on the bid! This isn't just a win for Karlsruhe; it's a great opportunity for Germany to showcase our capability to host sustainable and impactful events that draw local and global audiences. Hosting around 3,000 athletes from more than 100 countries in about 35 sports, the event promises to be more than just a competition; it's a celebration of global unity and athletic excellence. With a budget planned to cap at €100 million, it plays in a simiar league as the European Championships Munich 2022, Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 and the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. The comments from the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB) and the major of Karlsruhe suggest that the stage is set for a festival that invigorates the entire community—underscoring Germany's commitment to sustainable sports development. On a curious note, as we gear up for 2029, I can't help but look further ahead and ponder the role of fate in Germany's #Olympic and #Paralympic aspirations. With Chengdu, China also aiming to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it's fascinating to think about the parallels and possibly auspicious ties between the city and Germany. Chengdu hosted the FISU World University Games prior to Rhine-Ruhr in 2025 and will precede us now in hosting the World Games. Could this sequence of events spell a lucky charm for Germany's bid for the 2040 Olympics? While the competition is fierce with many cities vying for the honor to host the Games, the idea of 'three times lucky' with Chengdu's precedents offers a playful nudge to the thought that perhaps fortune is setting the stage for Germany to shine in 2040. Let's watch as these events unfold and keep our fingers crossed that this streak of luck continues leading us to a monumental celebration of sportsmanship on our home turf. #Karlsruhe2029 #WorldGames #OlympicAndParalympicDreams #SportsDiplomacy

Paris Olympics: 5 Interesting Facts About Paris Olympics 2024. Dive into the article to know more. #ParisOlympics2024 #FactsToKnow Olympics Paris 2024 Rishi Sutrave 1Connect Events & Publishing Sports For All (SFA)

The wait is finally over! 10,500 athletes, 329 medals Lights Camera Olympics!! The battle for supremacy begins between the best in the business. Often called the grandest celebration of sport around the globe, the Olympics is also a platform for 200-plus countries to showcase their soft power as well. As the athletes will be seen in action till August 11, did you know that Paris is hosting the Summer Olympics after exactly 100 years? Got intrigued with this crazy fun fact right? Here is not one… Not two… Not even three… But five interesting facts that you would not have known until now: 1). Bangladesh: I am pretty sure you all might be puzzled when you saw the country 'Bangladesh' on this list, but unfortunately, they have an unwanted record to their name. They are the most populous country in the world without an Olympic medal. With more than 60 countries never having tasted Olympic glory, will Bangladesh exit the medal-less club in Paris? 2). 1960: The year not only marked the beginning of a new decade, but it was also the first time when the Summer Olympics held in Rome were televised internationally. 3). Symbol of unity: The design of the Olympic flag was nothing short of genius as it brilliantly showcases unity and inclusivity. There are six colours in the flag namely - Blue, Yellow, Black, Green, Red and White. The interesting part is at least one colour from the Olympic flag is visible on every national flag in the world. 4). 1972: The first thing that will strike your mind will be the terrorist attack during the Munich Olympics when a Palestinian group Black September killed 11 Israeli athletes. But the Munich Olympics was an event where an official mascot debuted (Waldi the Dachshund). 5). Gold isn't Gold: Yes! You heard that right. The Gold medal winners wear silverware with Gold plating. But that doesn't steal the winner's glory. The last time athletes received pure Gold medals was during the 1912 Olympics held in Stockholm. #olympics #parisolympics #paris2024 #paris

As the Paris 2024 Olympics approach, our analysis reveals France, the host nation, leads in DNS traffic to official Olympic sites, followed by the UK, the US, and Australia. https://lnkd.in/dTC5rH_C #Olympics #Paris2024

Before thinking about Paris 2024's opening ceremonies being one week from today, let's flash back to Paris 1924, in many ways the first modern Olympic Games. The Paris Games of 1924 fit historically in the window of five enormously significant Olympic Games sandwiched between the first and second World Wars- Antwerp 1920, Paris 1924, Amsterdam 1928, Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936. That the Olympics simply returned in Antwerp in 1920, after WWI caused the cancelation of the 1916 Games is probably significant enough. No Olympic truce for us 20th Century types. Amsterdam saw women on the track for the first time, Los Angeles marked a return to America and all that LA symbolizes in Olympic history, and Berlin is the culmination of the Olympics and political and social spectacle as Jesse Owens defied Hitler's ideals on supremacy as sport was a surrogate for statecraft. It is in these "sandwiched Games," the Olympics first began addressing the issues that defined the next one hundred years, gender, race, inclusion, opportunity and global politics of society not just sport. There is probably no better lens to see the modern Olympics coming of age than that of Paris 1924. Professional coaches, if not athletes. Yes, even tennis players like Rene Lacoste were amateurs, yes that Lacoste. It was the Olympics of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell made famous in "Chariots of Fire," of Johnny Weissmuller and Duke Kahanamoku who remain famous even today anywhere there is water, and of Jackson Scholz and the incomparable Paavo Nurmi. 1924 was also the year that Coca-Cola began the longest continuously running sports sponsorship in history with the Olympics that will celebrate its centennial in Paris this year. These Games would mark Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s, the father of the revived Olympics, last as President of the IOC. The folks at The Atlantic have compiled an amazing photographic history of the 1924 Paris Games to help us get ready for the 2024 Paris Games. #Olympics, #HistoryofSports #GlobalSports #SportsSponsorship