Paris Olympics 2024, held from July 26 to August 11, 2024, will go down in the history of the games for its memorable and controversial moments at a cost of close to $10 billion (PHP586 billion).
The cost of Paris hosting the Summer Olympics and the Paralympics for facilities and operations is about $9.7 billion (PHP569,162,050,000).
This includes the ambitious opening ceremony, which sold tickets ranging from €90 Euros (PHP5,711) to €2,700 Euros (PHP171,334).
The opening ceremony broke tradition by being the first to be held outside of a stadium, right in the heart of the City of Love.
The Parade of Nations introducing the 10,500 athletes representing 206 countries in this most prestigious sporting event took place on the Seine River on July 26, 2024.
Paris 2024 is also the first Olympics to achieve numerical gender parity on the field of play.
This 2024, an equal number of female and male athletes participated in the largest sporting event in the world.
Out of the 10,500 athletes participating in the Games, 5,250 athletes were men and 5,250 were women.
As the boat carrying Team Philippines passed the Pont Neuf bridge, Pinoys from all over the world gathered at the banks of the river, and cheered the 22 athletes who qualified for the 33rd Summer Olympics, shouting "Go Philippines!"
The Philippine delegation shared the boat with the athletes from Poland and Puerto Rico.
As the world's best athletes cruised down the six-kilometer span of Seine River, they had a passing view of some of Paris' most iconic landmarks.
The nautical parade ended in front of the famous Trocadero viewing point, where the hosts called out the names of each country.
The highlight of the opening ceremony was the powerful performance of Celine Dion on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.
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The French-Canadian singer gave an epic rendition of the Edith Piaf song "Hymne a l'amour" (French for "Hymn to Love") that captivated the world.
People magazine cited Celine's Dior gown adorned with "thousands of pearls and more than 500 meters of fringing."
According to TMZ, the iconic singer was paid $2 million (PHP117.2 million) to perform the song.
Parisians living beside the Seine River stepped out onto their balconies to rally on their chosen teams.
PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) even spotted several spectators dancing on a hotel balcony where they had speakers blasting out loud music and encouraged people to dance on the street.
There was a big screen set up at the nearby Hotel de Ville to allow fans to watch the event for free.
The opening ceremony started at around 7:30 in the evening and lasted shortly before midnight.
THE OPENING CEREMONY
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024—which also featured a performance by Lady Gaga—was certainly extravagant, with estimates placing its cost at around $100 million (PHP5,724,000,000).
THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE
Constructing the Olympic Village, which could accommodate 14,250 athletes and officials, was a massive undertaking.
The project cost is estimated at approximately $1.5 billion (PHP85.8 billion).
The village is designed as a sustainable development, integrating eco-friendly practices and materials to benefit the local community long after the games conclude.
Read: Gold Medalist spotted napping in Olympic Village grounds
France's total cost for infrastructure projects—which includes upgrading existing and building new venues— is estimated to be around $3 billion (PHP171.7 billion).
These upgrades include the renovation of iconic sites like the Stade de France and the development of new facilities to meet the demands of various Olympic events.
The Paris Olympics 2024 has set a new benchmark for sustainability, positioning itself as one of the greenest editions in the history of the Games.
A significant source of carbon emissions for Olympic Games typically comes from the construction of new competition venues.
Paris 2024 reveals it addressed this issue by utilizing 95% of pre-existing or temporary venues.
The only new permanent structure is the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis.
It became the venue of the water polo, synchronised swimming, and diving events, and will be transformed into a multi-use sports and community centre for the area after the Games are over.
TEAM USA
Not everyone was pleased with the accommodations provided in the Olympic Village.
This year, some of the most popular National Basketball Association (NBA) stars—LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant—represented the United States in the Olympics.
Team USA has made significant investments to ensure its athletes have the best possible support and conditions in Paris.
According to Forbes, USA Basketball rented an entire hotel in the city center, totaling around 800 rooms, to accommodate its large traveling party, including players' families, support staff, executives, and NBA personnel.
This luxury comes at a steep cost, estimated at $15 million (PHP858.6 million) for the men's and women's basketball teams.
Team USA's expenses extend beyond just accommodation. They include security, charter flights, transportation to practices and games, and the shipment of team equipment to Paris.
SUSTAINABLE FOOD PRACTICES
With over 13 million meals expected to be served during the Olympic and Paralympic Games (which will run from August 28 to September 8, 2024), Paris 2024 has implemented comprehensive measures to promote sustainable and healthy eating habits.
France offers twice as many plant-based options compared to previous Games, and the Concorde venue features a fully plant-based menu.
Impressively, 80% of the food will be sourced within France, with 25% coming from less than 250 kilometers from the competition venues.
Moreover, no food will be imported by air, further reducing the carbon footprint.
PRICELESS MEDALS
A standout feature of the Paris Olympics 2024 is the innovative design of the medals.
Each of the 5,084 medals contains an embedded hexagon of iron sourced from the Eiffel Tower, using scrap metal from renovations and repairs since its construction in 1889.
Olympian athletes will get to carry a piece of the monument home as the Olympic medals are adorned with original iron metal from the Eiffel Tower.
The detailed composition of the medals is as follows:
- Gold Medal: Weighs 529 grams, containing 6 grams of gold, 505 grams of silver, and 18 grams of iron.
- Silver Medal: Weighs 525 grams, containing 507 grams of silver and 18 grams of iron.
- Bronze Medal: Weighs 455 grams, containing 415 grams of copper, 22 grams of zinc, and 18 grams of iron.
Read: Why do Olympic medalists bite their medals?
These medals not only symbolize athletic excellence but also celebrate Parisian history and innovation.
These medals are a fitting reminder of the fact that it has been 100 years since the city last hosted the Games in 1924.
Paris first hosted the Olympics in 1900 and then in 1924.
This makes the capital of France the second city to host the Olympics three times, after London (1908, 1948, and 2012).
MEDAL TALLY
As of August 11, 2024, China is leading in terms of the number of gold medals won. Out of 88—37 are gold, 27 are silver, 34 are bronze.
U.S. has 118 medals, 35 are gold, 42 are silver, and 41 are bronze.
Australia has 50—18 gold, 18 silver, 18 bronze.
In the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines, currently at rank 34, has 2 gold and 2 bronze.
Indonesia has 2 gold and 1 silver; Thailand has 1 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze.
THE CLOSING CEREMONY
How grand will the closing ceremony be?
Organizers said "world-renowned singers will complete the picture."
Freach media also reported that Tom Cruise, who is presently filming Mission: Impossible 8 in Europe, will do the closing stunt.
It will start at 9:00 p.m., Sunday, in Paris and 3 a.m., Monday, in the Philippines.
Ticket prices range from €45 (PHP2,814) and €1,600 (PHP100,069).