Image credit: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024
Oooh la la! While most of us won’t make it to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the festivities at home. For two memorable weeks—beginning with the televised opening ceremony on July 26, through closing events on August 11—your family can cheer on Team USA and the world’s top athletes while embracing the magical spirit of the Olympics.
We’re sharing fun facts about the upcoming games, along with family-friendly ideas to make the most of them. It’s a perfect time to explore international cultures, don your red-white-and-blue, learn about French cuisine and traditions, try out new sports, and even discuss the impressive dedication and perseverance of Olympic athletes. Here are ways to go for gold this summer.
Fun Facts about the Paris 2024 Olympics
Mark your calendars! The opening ceremony on July 26 promises to be spectacular! It will be the first in Olympic history to occur outside of a stadium—taking place on the Seine River in the heart of Paris.
- An estimated 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in this summer’s games.
- The official mascots are anthropomorphized objects known as the Olympic Phryge and Paralympic Phryge. A phryge is a soft red cap, historically worn as a symbol of freedom in the French Republic.
- All Olympic and Paralympic medals will contain iron from the original Eiffel Tower.
Explore Summer Olympic Sports
With 32 sports on the roster, there should be plenty of action. Traditional summer sports include track and field, aquatics, gymnastics, basketball, cycling, tennis and volleyball. Plus, four new (and new-ish) sports:
- Breaking (aka breakdancing): A blend of urban street dance and improvisational athleticism. B-boys and b-girls will face off while incorporating “top rock” (moves while standing up), “down rock” (moves on the ground) and “freeze” (poses held in unusual positions). Athletes are scored on originality, vocabulary (selection of moves), technique, execution and musicality.
- Sport climbing: First seen in the 2020 Toyko Games, sport climbing features bouldering (climbing 4.5-meter walls without ropes in a limited time period), speed (racing up 15-meter walls in 6–7 seconds) and lead (in six minutes, climbing as high as possible up a previously unseen 15-meter wall).
- Skateboarding: As demonstrated in Tokyo 2020, the Paris 2024 skateboarding competitions will include park events (bowl and big air moves) and street events (featuring obstacles like rails, stairs and slopes).
- Surfing: San Diegans may be especially excited for the return of Olympic surfing, introduced in the 2020 Games. Since there’s no surf in Paris, surfers compete at Teahupo’o in Tahiti (part of French Polynesia) while being judged for degree of difficulty, speed, power and flow.
Summer Sports Camps in San Diego
Many local summer camps provide opportunities for kids to experience Olympic sports first-hand. kids can channel their inner Hawkeye at Archery House summer camp, learn to play table tennis during After School Learning Tree’s summer programs, and sail the ocean blue at the San Diego Yacht Club. Find options in our Summer Camps & Programs Guide.
How to Embrace French Culture in San Diego
From sweet croissants and steaming crepes to seafood bouillabaisse and beef bourguignon, French culture is often defined by its world-class cuisine. To explore the tastes of France in San Diego, visit a local French restaurant or bakery (we recommend The French Gourmet in Pacific Beach and The French Oven in Scripps Ranch), try your hand at preparing a French dish (quiche lorraine, perhaps?) or simply serve a baguette and brie for a French-themed picnic. Bon appetit!
The House of France in Balboa Park hosts public and members-only events throughout the year, including a Bastille Day Lawn Program with music and dance on Sunday, July 14. For more information, visit www.houseoffrance.org.
More Olympic-Sized Family Fun
- Plan prime-time viewing parties with friends to share your most anticipated events.
- Tour the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center to get an inside look at where Olympic athletes train and dine.
- Host a backyard Olympics competition with your favorite outdoor games. Find great ideas how in our article: www.sandiegofamily.com/resources/san-diego-party-planner/host-an-olympics-themed-party
- Study flags of the world through drawing and coloring activities.
- Download a language app like Duolingo to learn words and phrases from a country of interest.
Regardless of how your family experiences the Summer Olympics, be sure to point out that hard work can lead to success not only in sports, but also in school, career, interpersonal relationships and other aspects of life.
San Diego Athletes to Watch for in Paris
Image credit: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024
Olympic Skateboarder, Bryce Wettstein is 20, but she’s been skateboarding in (and out of) Encinitas since she was 5. Wettstein qualified for the Tokyo Games when she was still in high school, experiencing her first thrill of Olympic competition and earning sixth place in Women’s Park Skateboarding. She is participating in two World Skate qualifier events (Shanghai and Budapest) to (hopefully) secure her spot in Paris.
“It's such an honor to represent my country and have this opportunity to travel all over the world with Team USA support, (along with the support of many other sponsors and my parents), doing what I love,” says Wettstein. Learn more about Bryce in our February 2020 article: www.issuu.com/sandiegofamilymagazine/docs/san_diego_family_february_2020/26.
Image credit: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024
Paralympian Swimmer and World Champion Gold Medalist, Noah Jaffe is 20 and grew up in Carlsbad. Born with cerebral palsy, Jaffe has never let his disability stop him from anything. He started swimming competitively with North Coast Aquatics (NCA) at age 10, learned that he was eligible for para swimming after watching the 2016 Rio Games, and later swam for San Dieguito Academy (SDA). Also possessing an impressive academic record, Jaffe went to UC Berkeley to study biochemistry and prepare for medical school. He is currently on leave while training for the upcoming games.
At Jaffe’s first World Para Swimming Championship in 2023, he took home four medals in the S8 classification, including a gold (100m freestyle). He is the U.S. record holder in the 50m and 100m freestyle S8 men’s events. This summer, Jaffe hopes to compete in the 400m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly in Paris.
“Getting started with paralympic swimming not only grew my love for the sport, but also helped me see my disability as one of my greatest assets,” Jaffe says. “Sports are for everyone, regardless of ability, so I encourage anyone curious to give it a try!”
To follow Noah’s journey to Paris, tune in to the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials from June 27–29 in Minneapolis, MN. The 2024 Summer Paralympic Games (also in Paris) take place Aug. 28–Sept. 8.
To learn more about Team USA athletes, go to www.teamusa.com.
For more information on the upcoming Games, visit www.olympics.com.
Lisa Pawlak is an award-winning contributing writer who lives in Encinitas with her family.
