As the countdown to the Paris Olympics enters its final days, ESPN has collated a list of fans’ FAQs.
Read on for information from where to watch, to team schedules to some of Australia’s best Olympic records.
The Paris Olympics schedule kicks-off with several events ahead of the Opening Ceremony, including the Australian men’s sevens team and the Matildas. The men’s football and sevens competitions will open the Olympics on Wednesday evening 24 July (AEST), with the Matildas opening their campaign early Friday July 26 (AEST).
The Opening Ceremony will take place at 4am Saturday 27 July (AEST). It’s set to be the most unique Opening Ceremony ever as it is being staged along Paris’ iconic Seine River, and not at the Olympic Stadium. Each country will travel along the river on individual boats along a 6km route with an estimated 200,000 people able to witness the event live, making it the largest Opening Ceremony ever.
Australians will be able to watch all the action live on Channel 9, Nine Now, or streaming service Stan Sport.
Australia’s flagbearers for the opening ceremony will be announced at 7.30pm [AEST] Wednesday July 24. The team will have both a men’s and women’s flagbearer, as was established at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Australia’s Olympic competition uniform featuring the iconic green and gold colour scheme, and incorporating an Indigenous print, was designed by Japanese sporting brand ASICS. Meanwhile, the team’s formal attire was designed by Australian brand Sportscraft.
Australia will compete in 33 of 35 sports at the Paris Olympics, with the team failing to qualify for Fencing and Handball.
The Swimming Olympic finals will begin on Sunday July 28 with the Men’s 400m Freestyle Final from 4:40am (AEST). Medal events will continue each day from 4:30am (AEST) until Monday August 5, when the closing medal programme starts at 2:30am (AEST) and concludes with the women’s 4x100m Medley Relay Final at 3:26am (AEST).
Australia’s swimming contingent is one of the best in the world a number of athletes set to start among the favourites for a variety of events. These include Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon, Kyle Chalmers, Mollie O’Callaghan, Elijiah Winnington and Sam Short. Australia will also be in the hunt for relay gold, particularly the women’s 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle events.
Australia has been light on medals through the athletics events, but the 2024 team is looking to change that narrative with a number of athletes in the frame for medals.
Claiming silver in Tokyo, Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers will look to add another alongside fellow high jumpers Eleanor Paterson and Brandon Starc. Kelsey-Lee Barber is in the frame to add to her Tokyo bronze in the javelin, while Jessica Hull is in excellent form heading into the 1500m event.
Nina Kennedy, meanwhile, won gold in the pole vault at last year’s Athletics World Championships and is right in the hunt for a medal once more.
Men’s discus thrower Matthew Denny is also riding a wave of momentum, having improved his world ranking to No. 4 on the eve of the Games.
Young gun Torrie Lewis is another athlete to keep an eye on, the 19-year-old sprinter having burst onto the scene with a shock victory over American star Sha’Carri Richardson earlier this year.
Australia will be strong gold medal chances in canoe/kayak slalom, skateboarding, BMX and sailing, with a number of competitors ranked inside the top five in their chosen sport.
Having won gold in Tokyo, Jess Fox is primed to defend her C1 title from Tokyo, while Keegan Palmer heads a strong skateboarding team as he seeks to defend his park gold from 2020.
The Boomers’ begin their pursuit of a medal from Saturday 27 July with round matches finishing 7 days later. Unlike many other events, Australia’s schedule is actually at a relatively friendly viewing time.
Australia vs. Spain, 7pm, Saturday 27 July.
Australia vs. Canada, 9:30pm, Tuesday 30 July.
Australia vs. Greece, 9:30pm, Friday 2 August.
Men’s quarterfinal, 7pm, Tuesday 6 August.
Men’s quarterfinal, 10:30pm, Tuesday 6 August.
Men’s quarterfinal, 2am, Wednesday 7 August.
Men’s quarterfinal, 5:30am, Wednesday 7 August.
Men’s semifinal, 1:30am, Friday 9 August.
Men’s semifinal, 5am, Friday 9 August.
Men’s Bronze Medal, 7pm, Saturday 10 August.
Men’s Gold Medal, 5:30am, Sunday 11 August.
The Opals also have will three pool games to contest before the quarterfinals begin.
Australia vs. Nigeria, 7pm, Monday 29 July
Australia vs. Canada, 9:30pm, Thursday 1 August
Australia vs. France, 5am, Monday 5 August
Women’s quarterfinal, 7pm, Wednesday 7 August
Women’s quarterfinal, 10:30pm, Wednesday 7 August
Women’s quarterfinal, 2am, Thursday 8 August
Women’s quarterfinal, 5:30am, Thursday 8 August
Women’s semifinal, 1:30am, Saturday 10 August
Women’s semifinal, 5am, Saturday 10 August
Women’s Bronze Medal, 7:30pm, Sunday 11 August
Women’s Gold Medal, 11:30pm, Saturday 10 August
The Matildas’ Olympic campaign kicks off early in the Games with their three round matches running across 12 days.
Australia vs. Germany, 3am, Friday 26 July
Australia vs. Zambia, 3am, Monday July 29
Australia vs. United States, 3am, Thursday Aug. 1
Women’s quarterfinal, 11pm, Saturday Aug. 3
Women’s quarterfinal, 1am, Sunday Aug. 4
Women’s quarterfinal, 3am, Sunday August 4
Women’s quarterfinal, 5am, Sunday August 4
Women’s semifinal, 2am, Wednesday August 7
Women’s semifinal, 5am, Wednesday August 7
Women’s Bronze Medal, 11pm, Friday August 9
Women’s Gold Medal, 1am, Sunday August 11
The women’s sevens team are the reigning World Series and World Cup champions, and they are a strong chance to take home gold in Paris, or certainly at least a medal.
Meanwhile, both the men’s and women’s hockey teams should be in the hunt at the business end of those events. The Australian women’s beach volleyball duo of Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy will also be aiming to go one better than their Tokyo silver. The Boomers and Opals will also be in the mix in hotly-contested basketball fields.
There are five sets of siblings competing for Australia at the Paris Games.
Minjee Lee, Min Woo Lee – Golf
Teagan Levi, Maddison Levi – Australian women’s sevens
Jessica Fox, Noemie Fox – Canoe Slalom
Blake Edwards, Lachlan Edwards – Water Polo
Jean van der Westhuyzen, Pierre van der Westhuyzen – Canoe/Kayaking
Australia have won 221 medals in the pool – 71 gold, 73 silver and 77 bronze. They sit second behind only the United States in the sport of swimming at the Olympics.
Australia’s best medal tally came at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 where they won 58 medals – 16 gold, 25 silver, 17 bronze
Swimmers Ian Thorpe and Emma McKeon have won five gold medals each making them the most successful Australian Olympians. McKeon will have the chance to become Australia’s outright best if she wins another gold in Paris.
Emma McKeon became our most successful Olympian at a single Games when she won four gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics.
With 11 medals (five gold, two silver and four bronze), Emma McKeon has secured the most Olympic medals for Australia.
Andrew Hoy has represented Australia a record eight times at the Olympics. Hoy represented Australia in the equestrian event from his debut at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 until the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Australia have sent 460 athletes to Paris, making it the third largest team for a Games held outside Australia behind Athens [2004] and Tokyo [2020].
256. That equates to 56% of the team.
Shane Rose, 51, equestrian
Arisa Trew, 14, skateboarding
11 Indigenous athletes will line up in the green and gold in Paris.