However, some events have already started, unofficially kicking off on July 24 with football and rugby sevens competitions, followed by women's handball and archery individual ranking rounds on July 25.
The Paris 2024 Olympics are officially set to begin today, July 26, with an elaborate opening ceremony along the Seine River in France.
Starting events before the official opening ceremony is a common practice, especially for sports like football, which are physically demanding. Teams cannot play matches daily to accommodate the need for recovery time. Scheduling matches in advance ensures at least 48 hours of recovery between games. Benjamin Ceugnart, Competitions Calendar Project Manager at Paris 2024, explained that since the Barcelona 1992 Games, football has started ahead of the opening ceremony to meet the recovery period requirements for players.
Archery, handball, and rugby also started early for specific reasons. Archery's ranking rounds were scheduled a day before the opening ceremony due to security concerns at the Invalides venue, located next to the Seine River where the ceremony will be held. The early starts for rugby sevens and handball are new this year and were implemented to ensure smoother logistics. These events share venues with athletics and weightlifting in Paris, necessitating an early start to avoid scheduling conflicts.
It's important to note that no elimination rounds or medals will be awarded before the official opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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