The Olympic torch was lit on Tuesday in Greece, after which it begins its journey to Paris, for the start of the Games on July 26.
Security has become a major concern for the French government, and plans for the opening ceremony are being reconsidered.
The torch will first travel more than 4.800 kilometers through Greece, and in May it will be transported by ship across the Mediterranean Sea to France.
It will then travel through France and its overseas territories before arriving in Paris for the start of the Olympic Games.
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When are the Olympic and Paralympic Games and who is participating?
The Summer Olympic Games last from July 26 to August 11.
They are attended by 10.500 competitors who will compete in 32 different sports, at events where they will fight for 329 gold medals.
The Paralympic Games will be held from August 28 to September 8, with the participation of 4.400 competitors in 22 sports and the fight for 549 gold medals.
Athletes from 206 countries will participate in these Olympic Games, and 184 in the Paralympic Games.
Paris had previously hosted the summer games twice - in 1900 and 1924.
The capital of France will be only the second city to do so three times.
They were organized in London in 1908, 1948 and 2012.
The last summer Olympic Games were held in Tokyo in 2021, postponed for a year due to the corona virus pandemic.
More than 15 million tourists are expected in Paris during the Games.
Where will the competitions take place?
There will be 15 Olympic and 11 Paralympic competition venues in the center of Paris.
Triathlon, marathon swimming and paratriathlon are scheduled to take place on the Seine River, while the main athletic events will take place at the Stade de France.
However, it is questionable whether there will be swimming competitions in the Seine because it was recently determined that the water quality is not safe due to the high presence of Escherichia coli bacteria.
Football matches will be organized in six regional cities.
Marseille, a city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, will host sailing, and Teahupo in Tahiti, a French overseas territory in the South Pacific, will host surfing.
Organizers say the Olympics will mostly use existing or temporary facilities to reduce costs and carbon emissions.
According to reports, the preparation of the field will cost around eight billion euros.
In July 2023, the president of the organizing committee said that the budget was "under control".
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How are French security forces preparing for the Olympics?
Worried about potential threats such as a drone attack, authorities have decided to reduce the number of spectators at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
It is expected that at that event, the national teams will parade in boats on a section of the Seine River, through the center of Paris, in a length of six kilometers.
The original plan was for around 600.000 members of the public to watch from the shore.
However, the government now says only 300.000 invited guests will be allowed.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the ceremony could be moved entirely from the Seine if the security risk is too great.
Instead, the entire event could be held at the Trocadero or the Stade de France.
"There is a plan B and a plan C," Macron said.
"We are preparing them in parallel, we will analyze everything in real time," he added.
The French government employs about 20.000 soldiers and more than 40.000 police officers for security.
It also counts on the support of around 2.000 soldiers and policemen from other countries.
Security services checked a million people in connection with the Games, including athletes, residents living near the Olympic facilities, medical staff and volunteers.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Atal said intelligence services had uncovered two plots by suspected Islamic militants against the country in early 2024.
"The terrorist threat is real, it is strong," he said.
What new sports will be introduced in Paris?
Breakdance or breaking, a gymnastic dance style that originated in New York in the 1970s, will make its debut as an Olympic sport in Paris.
Four competitions introduced in Tokyo - BMX cycling, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing, continue their Olympic life.
Karate and baseball were kicked out.
Watch a breakdancing video:
What is the mascot of Paris 2024?
The mascots of the games in Paris will be a duo called Friz.
They are modeled after the red "Phrygian" caps worn during the French Revolution in 1789, when the monarchy was overthrown and the first French republic was established.
The Paralympic Friz has a running prosthesis - the first mascot with a visible disability.
Will Russia compete in Paris 2024?
Neither Russia nor Belarus are allowed to send national teams to the competition due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Minsk's support.
However, athletes from those countries may compete as "individual neutral athletes".
They will not be allowed to parade during the opening ceremony and will not have their national anthems played or national flags raised if they win medals.
Russia said it was "outraged" by the treatment of its athletes and announced the "World Friendship Games" in Moscow and Yekaterinburg in September.
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The Soviet Union held a similar event in 1984, after boycotting the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Macron accused Russia of running a "propaganda campaign to undermine the Games in Paris", and by that he considers the publication of stories in which it is claimed that they were poorly organized.
Is Israel excluded?
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for not banning Israel from participating because of its military operation in Gaza.
IOC President Thomas Bach told the Reuters news agency that the comparison was wrong and confirmed Israel's participation.
How to get tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games?
Tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games are available to everyone and are sold worldwide on a first-come, first-served basis.
They can only be purchased on the "Paris 2024" website.
Many kits are already sold out, but new contingents are added regularly.
The lowest ticket prices are 24 euros for Olympic events and 15 euros for Paralympic events.
Are the Olympics popular in France?
One public opinion poll found that 44 percent of Parisians think that their city hosting the Olympics is a "bad thing."
Bus and metro fares will double in Paris during the Games, and some residents are worried about security measures.
The Olympic and Paralympic villages, as well as a new aquatics center, are being built in a region northeast of Paris called Seine-Saint-Denis, one of the poorest parts of mainland France.
Charities complained after hundreds of squatters were evicted from buildings near the new Olympic sites.
Where will the next Olympic Games be held?
- 2028 - Los Angeles (United States of America)
- 2032 - Brisbane (Australia)
- 2036 - yet to be decided, with India, Poland, Indonesia and Mexico interested.
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