The Paris Olympics are just days away, so what better way to plan ahead than with our day-by-day guide – all times BST.
Team GB has named a squad of 327 athletes and UK Sport has set a target of 50 to 70 medals at the Games.
There will be live coverage of Paris 2024 across the BBC on TV, radio and online.
The Games open on Friday, 26 July and close on Sunday, 11 August, although some of the sporting action starts on Wednesday, 24 July.
Highlights
There are always so many sports to cram into the Olympic Games that some events have to start days before the opening ceremony.
Football and rugby sevens group games get under way and there is an extraordinary double bill of France-USA action.
In men’s sevens, the hosts – whose team includes XVs captain Antoine Dupont – face the United States at 15:30. France’s men did not even take part in sevens at Tokyo 2020, although the women were silver medallists.
Then at 20:00, a French men’s football team coached by Thierry Henry take on the US in their opening group game in Marseille. The US men have not appeared at an Olympics since 2008 and have not won a medal since 1904.
Brit watch
None in action. Team GB do not play men’s football at the Olympics as the home nations cannot agree on how to combine – London 2012 being the only exception since 1960.
There is no GB men’s sevens team at Paris 2024 as they failed to qualify.
World watch
Uzbekistan face Spain in one of the two football group games (14:00) that open the entire Olympics. It is the first time an Uzbekistan team (or any central Asian nation) have qualified for the Games.
In men’s sevens, holders Fiji face debutants Uruguay at the Stade de France (16:00).
Expert knowledge
When we say the US have not won a men’s football medal since 1904, it is worth pointing out they did at least win two medals in the same competition that year. There were only three teams in the 1904 Olympic football tournament: one from a town in Canada and two from that year’s host city, St Louis. The St Louis teams finished second and third, results that count in the IOC’s record books as US medals. (The team that finished third got through the entire competition without scoring a goal. Least-earned bronze medal ever?)
Highlights
The women’s football group stage begins. GB did not qualify via England as the nominated home nation and neither did Sweden, losing finalists at the last two Olympics. Defending champions Canada begin against New Zealand (16:00). Hosts France play Colombia at 20:00.
The men’s sevens isn’t hanging around. A day before the opening ceremony, we’ll be into the quarter-finals by 20:00. Fiji have won both Olympic men’s titles so far. New Zealand, who were the losing finalists last time, play Ireland (15:30) in the day’s final pool game.
Brit watch
Team GB’s archers will take part in their sport’s ranking round for the individual events. This does not eliminate anyone, it is simply a preliminary stage that seeds the archers for the main competition.
World watch
Emma Hayes, who just left Chelsea after 12 years in charge, will coach the US women at Olympic level for the first time when they face Zambia at 20:00. The US won four of the first five Olympic women’s football titles but have only been on the podium once since 2012, a bronze medal in Tokyo.
Expert knowledge
The first handball games of Paris 2024 run throughout the day as the women’s event starts. France’s handball team have shown incredible progress, going from a nation that never qualified for this event to the silver medallists in Rio and champions in Tokyo. They are also the defending world champions after winning gold without losing any of their nine games last year.
Under handball’s rules, France as hosts got to choose their group having seen who had already been drawn. They wisely opted to avoid Norway, Denmark and South Korea, who have collectively won seven of the past nine Olympic titles and are all in the other group. France instead begin their campaign against Hungary, who came through a qualifying tournament to bag one of the remaining places, at 18:00.
https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.53.9/iframe.htmlMedia caption,
New United States head coach Emma Hayes ready for the ‘biggest job in women’s football’
Highlights
Opening ceremony – 18:30, with BBC TV coverage beginning at 17:45.
Around 300,000 people will watch from the banks of the River Seine as a parade of some 10,000 athletes takes place not in a stadium, but on boats for each team. The ceremony finale will take place at the Trocadero.
No Olympic Games has held an opening ceremony like this before, so expect something completely different.
The plan comes with logistical and security complications that have challenged organisers, who chose earlier this year to limit the number of spectators at the water’s edge.
There is no sport scheduled at the Games on Friday, clearing the path for the ceremony to be the centre of attention.
Brit watch
None in action.
World watch
None in action.
Expert knowledge
More than 90 boats will be in use for the opening ceremony, carrying not only the athletes but also a range of performers that you will see throughout the evening.
Theatre director Thomas Jolly, who is the show’s artistic director, has pointed out there is no way to fully rehearse the show on the river. Instead, parts of the ceremony have been practised inside giant hangars and the boat captains are reported to have been rehearsing at a sailing centre.
