The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will feature 329 events across 35 sports. Of this, three sports that made their debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing – will return this year at the Paris Olympics.
On top of this, one new sport will debut, breaking, the street style of dance that originated in the United States in the 1970s. The Olympic Games will run from July 26 until August 11 and will see more than 10,000 athletes from across the globe compete against each other.
With so much going on over these two weeks, it can be very stressful and confusing to decide which games are actually worth watching.
This year, the 2024 Olympic Games will be broadcast in Australia on more than 40 free-to-air channels in which fans can watch every single sporting event. To help make your life that little bit easier, we have put together a quick guide to the best events to watch at the Paris Olympics.
Tennis
The Olympic tennis tournament is always one of the most anticipated events. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, the tournament will take place on the iconic courts of Roland Garros and will possibly see many of today’s top tennis stars compete such as Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Noami Osaka, and Emma Raducanu.
The first round for both the men and the women will begin on July 27 and will run until August 4. You can see the full schedule for singles and doubles here.
Men’s and Women’s Basketball
The men’s and women’s basketball always seems to be a fan favourite at the Olympics. This year, there are two versions of basketball to watch – the traditional 5×5 format and the shorter 3×3 format.
As well as the incredible men’s and women’s squads representing Australia at the Olympics this year, the 5×5 tournament will feature some of the world’s biggest basketball stars. NBA icons such as LeBron James. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant are expected to compete, making this one of the best events to watch at the Paris Olympics.
The 5×5 tournament kicks off on July 27 with the Men’s Group Phase followed by the Women’s Group Phase which will begin on July 28. The event will run until the men’s finals on August 10 and the women’s finals on August 11. You can see the full basketball schedule here.
As for the 3×3 tournament, the women’s and men’s pool rounds will begin on July 30 and will run until August 5. On this day, both the men’s and women’s teams will play their semifinal, bronze medal, and gold medal games. You can see the full schedule here.
Women’s Soccer
Unfortunately, the Olympic men’s soccer tournament is restricted to under-23 players, minus three slots for overage players, which means many of the best footballers don’t compete. However, the women’s soccer tournament does not follow these restrictions and we see some of the best female footballers out on the field.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Olympics are our best opportunities to see the best female players in the world compete in front of large audiences – the best thing about the Olympic tournament is that the winner is determined in almost two weeks rather than over a month.
The women’s game will kick off on July 25 with Spain against Japan – the Matildas will play their first match against Germany later in the day. The event will run until they play the gold medal match to determine the winner of the tournament on August 10. You can see the full schedule here.
Surfing
Surfing will take place on the picturesque waves of Teahupo’o, a fishing village on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti. It boasts some of the most powerful waves in the world and we can expect to see some incredible skills on display. The men’s and women’s rounds will start on July 27 with the event running for only five days and wrapping up with the finals on July 31. You can see the full schedule here.
Swimming
Swimming is definitely the most popular of the water-based sports, however, it’s good to keep in mind there are various other aquatic events such as diving, marathon swimming, artistic swimming and water polo. The swimming event is split into various swimming styles such as the 100m butterfly, 400m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, plus so many more.
The event will begin on July 27 and will run until August 4. You can see the full schedule here.
Cycling
Cycling at the Olympic Games covers various different events; BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing, Mountain Bike, Road, and Track. Each of these tournaments is very intriguing and overall makes it one of the best events to watch at the Paris Olympics! You can see the full schedule for each cycling event below:
Athletics
The athletics is a sport that everyone is bound to tune into at least once during the Olympic Games. The 100m race is often the most highly-anticipated, however, modern athletics is composed of various running, jumping, throwing, walking and combined events.
Athletics involves the most participants in a single sport at the Olympic Games and this year will run from August 1 to August 11. You can see the full schedule here.
Breaking
Making its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics is breaking, more commonly known as breakdancing. Part dance, part gymnastics, breaking is a sport like no other and it is definitely worth tuning into this event.
Their routines will be scored by a panel of judges, who will use six criteria to evaluate the performances – creativity, personality, technique, variety, stage presence and musicality. This event will only happen over two days, from August 9 and 10, so be sure to check it out! You can see the full schedule here.
