Crowds of tourists flocking to the Eiffel Tower on a hot, humid afternoon can't help but notice that the 2024 Summer Olympics are just around the corner.
Much of the surrounding gardens have been cordoned off with wire fences and transformed into construction sites where large trucks drive in and out. Work crews in hard hats are finishing a temporary beach volleyball stadium and the stands surrounding a plaza where athletes will receive their medals each evening.
It makes sense that Paris has made use of this iconic monument: these Games will be postcard-worthy, to say the least.
Equestrian events at the Palace of Versailles, fencing at the Grand Palais, skaters on the Place de la Concorde.
“Every Olympics has to find a way to rise to the challenge,” says Michael Payne, a sports marketing specialist and former long-time Olympic executive. “Paris has that phenomenal backdrop.”
The venues themselves will be the stars over the coming weeks of competition as organisers hope to showcase the Games on a made-for-television stage unlike anywhere else in the world.
Palace of Versailles
Versailles will host the equestrian events at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Modern pentathlon has never been a fan favorite.
The event can be quirky and fun to watch, as athletes jump from one sport to another seemingly unrelated to each other, but it just doesn't attract much attention. U.S. team member Jess Davis is hoping to get a boost this summer.
At the beginning of August, the modern pentathlon will follow the equestrian event in the temporary facilities located in the grounds of this historic palace.
Horse-jumping between topiaries, fencing and pistol shooting among hundreds of statues, long-distance running along the Grand Canal and swimming.
Converting the 2,000-acre property, which dates back to the time of Louis XIII, into a playing field will help give these Games what International Olympic Committee chief executive Christophe Dubi has described as “a French touch, a French spirit.”
Which could impact Davis' sport.
“I can’t imagine a better place,” she says. “I’m so excited for people to see it and experience it.”
Grand palace
The Grand Palais in Paris, which will host the fencing and taekwondo events during the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The midday sun shines on the vaulted glass roof of this century-old exhibition hall in the heart of the city.
The Grand Palais was built in the late 1890s on a site between the River Seine and the Champs-Élysées. Designed by a team of architects, it combines elements of classicism with modernity.
In anticipation of fencing and taekwondo competitions, the French Ministry of Culture oversaw a three-year renovation that was completed in time for the Games. For American fencer Lee Kiefer, the defending gold medalist in women's foil, the venue has sentimental value.
When they were younger, she and her future husband, American fencer Gerek Meinhardt, competed in the 2010 world championships at the Grand Palais.
“I have very fond memories of it,” he says. “I am very curious to know what it will be like.”
Teahupo'o
Not all of this summer's spectacular places will be in Paris.
Surfing will take place in this isolated Tahitian village, nestled between a bright blue ocean and rugged green mountains, about 9,700 miles southwest.
Although the setting is serenely beautiful, when big sets form, Teahupo'o's waves transform into something American surfer Carissa Moore describes as “pretty scary.”
The spot is revered among surfers for the huge, heavy waves that form on a shallow reef, which means epic tube rides and very real danger.
The decision to host an Olympic event there was not without controversy. Local residents and environmentalists complained that erecting a tower offshore for judges and television cameras would damage the coral that makes the site special.
Construction methods were adjusted and preparations eventually resumed, with 48 of the world’s best surfers scheduled to compete at some point over the next few weeks, depending on conditions. Moore says he’s praying for waves, but not too many.
“It’s crazy,” he says. “I don’t know who thought of trying to ride that wave.”
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower in Paris will host the beach volleyball tournaments for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Kelly Cheng, an American beach volleyball player, believes her sport has hit the jackpot with this temporary stadium in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
“It’s one of the coolest, most iconic places,” she says. “I’m so grateful.”
The monument will also be visible, albeit a little further away, from the skaters on the Place de la Concorde. The organisers have transformed the public square into a complex that will also host BMX freestyle, breaking and 3-on-3 basketball competitions.
Archers will have their moment of glory on the Esplanade des Invalides. The Seine, despite its history of being polluted by sewage, will host an innovative opening ceremony, as well as triathlon and marathon swimming competitions.
Recently, Etienne Thobois, chief executive of the organizing committee, was asked to name his biggest advantage when planning the Games. He told Olympic News Service: “The easy answer would be ‘Paris’… because of the city.”
