This summer, the world’s biggest sporting event takes place just across the English Channel. The Paris 2024 Olympics kick off with the highly anticipated opening ceremony on Friday July 26, with all the excitement of the Games’ 32 sports beginning the very next day.
From BMX to boxing, gymnastics to skateboarding, the BBC will be giving us access to every moment that matters. With coverage across BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Sport, BBC Radio 5 Live, and more, all the excitement from the “City of Love” will be brought straight to our living rooms in the UK.
With more than 250 hours of live coverage across the entire 16-day event broadcast on BBC One and BBC Two, and curated livestream Olympics Extra on BBC iPlayer, you needn’t miss a second of the sporting action.
Here to tell us all about what we’ve got to look forward to from this summer’s Olympic Games are former rhythmic gymnast and presenter Gabby Logan, 51, Scottish television presenter and Invictus Games medallist JJ Chalmers, 37, retired track and field athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, 38, former England cricketer Isa Guha, 39, broadcaster Clare Balding, 53, and First Dates maitre d’ Fred Sirieix, whose daughter is professional British diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix.
WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE BE MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR PARIS 2024?
GL: Paris has got exceptional venues. In a city which loves to show off its spectacular beauty, it’s going to be a visually stunning Games, and for the tourist an amazing experience. For us in the UK, being only an hour ahead will feel like a home Games.
JJC: When the greatest show on earth arrives, everyone will be very aware of it, from Jeanette and my morning show to Isha and Chappers shutting down the night. Team GB has huge potential, especially our swimming team, which will perform really well again. I’m particularly excited to see Tom Dean and Duncan Scott – the Scottish lad who went to the same school as me – hopefully bringing home more medals.
JE-H: The track and field is going to be electric with some great head to heads in the sprints. The women’s 800m with Keely, women’s pole vault with Molly with the seasons she’s had so far, and the heptathlon, the battle of the American (Anna Hall), reigning world champ KJT and reigning double Olympic champ Nafi.
IG: We’ve got a lot of medal contenders for this Games. I’m looking forward to seeing Tom Daley diving again as well as the rest of the team. We’ve got some world-class gymnasts and I love watching Jake Jarman do his thing. I’m looking forward to seeing the athletics team excel after some disappointments in Tokyo as well as catching up on the tennis in the Roland Garros, which will be epic.
FS: The Games and the competition. The very best athletes in the world going head-to-head, and French hospitality!
WHO CAN YOU SEE COMING AWAY WITH A MEDAL?
GL: As the athletics presenter I am so excited about Keely Hodgkinson (800m) Josh Kerr (1500m) and Molly Caudery (pole vault) for Great Britain. I fancy them all for medals. But I’m also excited about the breakdancing!
JJC: One of the most exciting sports from Tokyo was skateboarding, a brilliant addition to the Olympics. It’s like grungy gymnastics, spectacular to watch, with seemingly impossible feats from the competitors. The atmosphere was electric, especially considering the age of some participants. Sky Brown, who was 13 last time, is now 16 and has all the skill and temperament to bring home the gold.
FS: I would be lying if I did not say my daughter Andrea! But many other athletes come to mind. Emily Campbell, Kye Whyte, Adam Peaty and many more.
IG: How cool would it be for Sky Brown to medal in both the surfing and the skateboarding?
WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST OLYMPICS MEMORY?
CB: London 2012 from the start of the Olympics to the end of the Paralympics was an utterly joyful, uplifting and thrilling event. I loved every second of it but particularly when Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins won gold on super Saturday. My standouts from Tokyo were the mixed team events – whether it was the eventing team, the mixed relay swimming team or the mixed triathlon team. I love the concept of mixed teams and we’re good at it!
JJC: My first Olympic memory is from Barcelona 1992. My kids are now the same age I was then, not knowing much about the Olympics until it appeared on our screens day and night. I remember Chris Boardman’s moment, Sally Gunnell’s win and the excitement of the 4 x 400 relay – the sense of occasion, the pomp and ceremony. It seemed magical. I felt so sad about having to wait another four years for it to come around again.
One reason it was so special was because it was in our time zone. The TV was switched on as soon as I came back from school, and I was glued to the screen. It felt so special to watch everything happening live. I also remember being allowed to stay up late to watch the athletics finals – it was just so exciting. Now, my kids are experiencing their first Olympics in our European time zone since London 2012. The immediacy of this moment in history is happening right now, rather than waking up in the morning to hear about medals won in the wee hours.
JE-H: Obviously my own Olympic moment crossing the line after the 800m at London 2012! But really celebrating with all the heptathletes, thanking the incredible crowd on our lap of honour after, was something I’ll never forget.
IG: My favourite Olympics memory was Dame Kelly Holmes achieving the double-gold in Athens 2004. I remember I was training for England cricket at the time and she gave me the inspiration to do the 400m sprints we used to have to do for speed endurance. I imagined I was Kelly Holmes sprinting round the track!
Live coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics commences at 8am on Saturday July 27 on BBC One.
