2024 Paris Olympics: Everything to know about this year's Summer Games

The Summer Olympics in Paris begin this week with what will be a historic opening ceremony that takes center stage on the Seine River Friday. 

This year’s Games marks a return to normalcy after the 2020 Games in Tokyo were delayed a year after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Some sports will be returning to Paris, while others will be making their debut on the biggest international stage. The 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) arriving in Paris will compete in 32 sports for a chance at winning gold.

Read below for information on the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

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On Sept. 14, 2017, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) met for a session in Lima, Peru, where it announced that Paris and Los Angeles had been awarded the 2024 Summer Games and the 2028 Summer Games, respectively. 

Several notable venues will play host to the Olympics this year. They include Roland Garros, home of the French Open; Eiffel Tower Stadium, where beach volleyball will be played; and the Palace of Versailles, which will be the site for all equestrian and modern pentathlon events. 

The action kicks off Wednesday with eight men's soccer matches and the preliminary phase for rugby sevens. The following day includes a lineup of archery, women's soccer, women's handball and rugby sevens. 

The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET. 

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NBC will air specific events on its cable networks and will stream all events live on Peacock. 

The United States is the favorite to win the overall medal count at this year’s Games, but China will challenge the U.S. in the gold medal count. In the 2020 Olympics, Team USA hauled in 113 medals, including 39 gold, 41 silver and 33 bronze. 

China followed with 89 medals, including 38 gold. 

Helping Team U.S. in pursuit of a similar outcome will be American gymnast Simone Biles, who is looking to add to her seven medals. Biles returned to the sport last year after withdrawing from several events in Tokyo to focus on her mental health. She did so in dominating fashion, winning a record sixth world all-around title. 

NBA star LeBron James, track stars Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles and Katie Ledecky and Scottie Scheffler are among the other top U.S. athletes favored to win gold. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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