MANILA — The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will officially commence with a groundbreaking opening ceremony on the River Seine this Friday (26 July 2024) evening.

This marks the first time in Olympic history that the opening ceremony will not be held in a stadium.

The country has high hopes to its 22-strong Team Philippines delegation that will compete in the quadrennial meet from July 26 to August 11 in Paris, France.

The 22 athletes will be competing across nine sports—athletics, boxing, fencing, gymnastics, golf, judo, rowing, swimming, and weightlifting—on the world’s grandest sporting stage.

The Paris Olympics’ Team Philippines delegation is the largest the country has sent to the Summer Games since Barcelona 1992. The best-performing Tokyo 2020 contingent, led by first-ever gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, had 19 athletes.

Here is the list of Filipino athletes to watch out for in Paris 2024:

Athletics

EJ Obiena (pole vault)
Lauren Hoffman (400m hurdles)
John Cabang Tolentino (110m hurdles)

Boxing

Carlo Paalam
Nesthy Petecio
Eumir Marcial
Hergie Bacyadan
Aira Villegas

Gymnastics

Carlos Yulo
Emma Malabuyo
Aleah Finnegan
Levi Ruivivar

Golf

Bianca Pagdanganan
Dottie Ardina
Fencing
Samantha Catantan

Judo

Kiyomi Watanabe

Swimming

Jarod Hatch
Kayla Noelle Sanchez

Rowing

Joanie Delgaco

Weightlifting

Elreen Ando
John Ceniza
Vanessa Sarno

“Paris 2024 is breaking new ground by bringing sports into the city and the same will be true of the Opening Ceremony, set to be held in the heart of the city along its main artery: the Seine,” the Paris 2024 statement read.

A river parade will traverse 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from east to west, featuring nearly 100 boats carrying 10,500 athletes. The ceremony will be open to the public, with French President Emmanuel Macron expected to inaugurate the games.

Athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), along with nearly 120 heads of state and government, will attend.

329 Medal Events Across 32 Sports

The 2024 Summer Olympics will host 329 events in 32 sports from July 26 to August 11. Handball, football, and rugby matches began on July 24, ahead of the opening ceremony. The event will introduce four new sports: surfing, climbing, skateboarding, and breaking.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Olympic Team, consisting of 36 athletes from 11 countries, will compete in 12 disciplines.

Billions of viewers will watch the Paris 2024 Games on TV, while millions of spectators will attend events at 35 venues across France. Over 45,000 volunteers and 20,000 accredited journalists will support the games.

35 Venues to Host Events

Competitions will take place at 35 venues, including Stade de France, Parc des Princes, and Stade Roland-Garros. Some events will be held outside Paris, such as surfing in Tahiti’s Teahupo’o.

Eiffel Tower’s Metal Chunks in Paris 2024 Medals

The Paris 2024 medals feature a hexagonal piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower at their center, symbolizing the city’s iconic landmark. The reverse side showcases Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, emerging from Athens’ Panathenaic Stadium, surrounded by the Acropolis of Athens, the Eiffel Tower, and the Olympic rings.

(el Amigo/With reports from PNA & Anadulo)