You NEED to watch these Olympic events! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best possible highlights at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
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00:00La Ville Lumiere, the city of light, will become the city of tights, cleats, swimming,
00:08skateboarding, boxing, even breaking.
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best possible highlights
00:14at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
00:17We'll explore potential world records being smashed, athletes' last outings, and history-defining
00:22moments.
00:2510.
00:28Olympic Breakings Debut To keep things fresh, the International Olympic
00:31Committee, or IOC, likes to add new sports and events, hoping to grab the attention of
00:35young viewers.
00:36For 2024, they decided to add breaking.
00:45First added at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, the best breakdancers will battle it out in
00:49the men's and women's categories to become its first medal winners.
00:53Over in canoeing, a new event will make its inaugural appearance with the men's and women's
00:56kayak cross.
00:58Four brand new events to check out are in the sailing department.
01:00They're introducing the Formula Kite event, which features kiteboarding and the IQ Foil,
01:04a windsurfing class.
01:17Both sailing introductions will be for men and women.
01:209.
01:21Sha'Carri Richardson's Redemption At the 2020 Summer Olympics, U.S. track and
01:25field prospect Richardson was set to debut in the competition after finishing first in
01:29qualifications.
01:30However, THC was found in her system.
01:40While the sprinter agreed to a counseling program, she was banned from competing for
01:43a month, ruling her out of most of her events.
01:45Finally, Richardson was not selected for the women's 4x100 relay, taking her out of the
01:49Olympics completely.
02:01When Richardson returned to the track in 2021, her performance at the Prix Fontaine Classic
02:05was below par as she finished last.
02:07However, in 2023, she came back with a bang by taking two golds and a bronze at the World
02:11Championships, readying herself for Paris 2024 to take the world by storm.
02:268.
02:28Mijain Lopez – The Wrestling Legend From 2008 to the rescheduled event in 2021,
02:33Lopez has been undefeated at the Summer Olympics.
02:36During this time, the Cuban wrestling legend has taken gold in each of his events.
02:40For the first two, it was the men's Greco-Roman 120kg.
02:43The others were for the 130kg class.
02:46As a result, Lopez is tied with several other iconic athletes for the record of the most
02:50consecutive wins in the same individual event.
02:57The wrestling juggernaut has the opportunity in 2024 to be the first to achieve this sensational
03:02feat five times.
03:04On top of that, at the age of 41, Lopez would edge out the previous record holder, Finland's
03:08Adolf Lindfors, and become the oldest wrestler to win an Olympic medal.
03:167.
03:17Nine Time Record Breaker?
03:19Every so often, a sport produces a generational athlete whose talents appear to be seemingly
03:23unbeatable.
03:24For the realm of pole vaulting, that's Sweden's Arman Duplantis.
03:27After making his Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020, he reached the final and, on his first
03:32try, took gold by clearing 6.02 meters.
03:35Away from medals, another big part of the Olympics is seeing world records smashed.
03:38And with Duplantis, there's a good chance that could happen.
03:41After all, so far in his career, he's broken the world record eight times, mostly defeating
03:45himself.
03:56Duplantis most recently reached 6.24 meters at the 2024 Diamond League meet.
04:00In the Olympics, we could witness the springing Swede set it for the ninth time.
04:056.
04:06Final Dive of Tom Daley?
04:07In 2020 Tokyo, the British diver captured our hearts as he showcased his knitting skills
04:12alongside adding gold and bronze medals to his collection.
04:21Yet afterward, he disappeared from the sport and appeared to have retired, something which
04:24has been rumored for years.
04:25The four-time Olympian used platform diving and his deep pool of influence to bring awareness
04:30to other platforms, including the fight for LGBTQ rights.
04:34In 2023, Daley announced his return to diving for 2024 after his son's encouragement.
04:39However, this could be the last time we see the pop culture icon compete.
04:43Another British legend leaving athletics behind is gymnast Max Whitlock.
04:46The three-time gold and bronze winner said 2024 will be his last Olympics.
04:53Finally, we could see the possible retirement of France's legendary judoka, Teddy Riener.
05:02With three Olympic golds and bronzes alongside many world championships, this could be the
05:0635-year-old's last appearance.
05:135.
05:17Iconic Scenery
05:18As well as the world-class athleticism on display, 2024 Paris will also showcase the
05:23city and France's most historic locations for us to enjoy as a backdrop.
05:26For example, beach volleyball will be taking place with the iconic Eiffel Tower in view.
05:30The Chateau de Versailles, also known as the Palace of Versailles, will be surrounded by
05:34equestrian and five modern pentathlon events.
05:37The beautiful bridge Pont Alexandre III will be involved in the triathlon, cycling, and
05:41marathon swimming events.
05:42The country's largest stadium, the Stade de France, will host rugby sevens in track
05:46and field.
05:47Other prestigious venues include the Grand Palais and the Marseille Marina.
05:51To top it off, the French overseas country, Tahiti, will be running the surfing events.
06:084.
06:09The Legend of Katie Ledecky
06:10The 2024 Olympics could be the setting for ending the 60-year-long record of the legendary
06:14gymnast Larissa Latynina.
06:17Back in 1964, she won her final gold medal, bringing her total to nine, becoming the most
06:21gold medals won by a woman.
06:23Coming into the 2024 event, the USA's swimming sensation Ledecky is sitting on seven golds.
06:28Katie Ledecky of the USA reigns supreme yet again.
06:33On top of this, should she win three more medals and she took four in Tokyo, she would
06:37become the most successful woman in aquatics history.
06:39However, hot on Ledecky's heels for the second record is Australia's Emma McKeon in her last
06:44Olympic outing.
06:45She's nervous, she doubts herself, but she just got in there and went, hey, I'm still
06:49here to be counted for and won that 100 meters butterfly last night.
06:53She only needs two medals to take that aquatic crown.
06:56As such, Ledecky McKeon could be the rivalry of the summer to watch out for.
07:003.
07:01U.S. Consecutive Gold
07:02Team sports can be overlooked at the Summer Olympics in favor of individual success.
07:06Yet they shouldn't be snoozed on, especially when it comes to the USA women's basketball
07:09team.
07:10The biggest thing is, and I know the U.S. women's national team, they want players
07:13that they feel like, again, it's a committee decision, that they feel like can contribute.
07:18Since the event's debut in 1976, the team has won nine Olympic golds.
07:23They've won seven consecutively since 1996.
07:26Winning by 101 points to 72.
07:33Diana Taurasi was recently announced for the squad, becoming the first women's basketball
07:37player to play in six Olympics and the oldest player to play the sport in the tournament
07:41at 42.
07:42Moving over to the men, the USA's basketball player, Kevin Durant, is battling France's
07:46handballer Nikola Karabatic.
07:48If either of their sides takes the top prize, they'll become the first individual to achieve
07:52four golds in men's team sports.
07:542.
07:55The Return of Simone Biles
08:05At Tokyo 2020, the USA's Biles struggled with her mental health and made the tough and brave
08:10decision to withdraw from competing.
08:21One of the best gymnasts of all time, even with the weight of expectations burdening
08:25her, Biles still picked up two medals at the event, adding to her collection of four golds
08:29and one bronze.
08:30After taking time to recover, Biles has come back fiercely.
08:32At the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, she picked up multiple gold medals and a silver
08:38to become the most decorated gymnast in history.
08:47After highlighting the mental health struggles of athletes and taking a courageous stand,
08:50we're super excited to see Biles return to the Olympics and showcase her phenomenal skills.
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09:191.
09:20The Opening Ceremony
09:21At every Summer Olympics, the Opening Ceremony sets the stage for what's to come.
09:34Filled with pageantry, cultural nods, and art, this is always a must-see.
09:38And this time, it might be the biggest yet, with Thomas Jolie as its Artistic Director.
09:49For the first time ever, the ceremony will be conducted outside a stadium.
09:52Instead, the River Seine will be the theater, giving even more people the opportunity to
09:56witness it in person.
09:57Around 10,500 athletes will be on board boats designated to their nations.
10:01They'll travel about 3.7 miles along the winding Paris River, taking in the spectacular
10:06sights.
10:07The procession will finish in the Trocadero for the final touches, ushering in the summer's
10:10sporting spectacle.
10:11Who is the greatest athlete to have taken part in the Summer Olympics?
10:15Usain Bolt?
10:16Michael Phelps?
10:17Larissa Latinina?
10:18Or someone else?
10:19Let us know below!