3 times when Paris hosted the Olympic Games ft. Paris Olympics 2024

Paris is set to make Olympic history, as it prepares to host the Summer Games for the third time in 2024. This puts the city of love in an elite group of cities that have hosted the Olympics on multiple occasions.

Having hosted the Summer Olympics twice before, the French capital is welcoming the world's top athletes after a hiatus of 100 years. With the 2024 edition about to begin on July 26, let's take a deep dive into the three times Paris has hosted the Olympic Games before.

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1. 1900 Summer Olympics

The 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was the first time the French capital hosted this sporting event. The games were held from May 14 to October 28, 1900.

The 1900 Paris Olympics were groundbreaking in terms of inclusivity. They marked the first time women participated in the Olympic Games, with Hélène de Pourtalès, a Swiss sailor born in New York, becoming the first female Olympic champion. Charlotte Cooper of the UK became the first woman to win an individual Olympic event in tennis.

The games featured 19 sports and saw 1,226 athletes from various nations compete. Interestingly, France dominated the participant list, fielding 720 out of 997 athletes. This home advantage invariably helped France win the most gold, silver, and bronze medals. The United States and Great Britain followed in medal counts.

The 1900 Olympics also showcased several sports that have never again appeared in the Olympic program. These included angling, motor racing, ballooning, cricket, croquet, Basque pelota, and unusual swimming events like the 200-meter obstacle race and underwater swimming.

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2. 1924 Summer Olympics

The 1924 Summer Olympics, historically known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were the second time Paris hosted the Olympics. Also, Paris became the first city to host the Olympics twice, and the games were held from July 5 to July 27, 1924.

The Games also saw the introduction of the 50-meter pool, and the marathon distance was standardized at 42.195 kilometers, a distance that remains unchanged to this day.

Some of the highlights of the event include Uruguay winning the gold medal at the 1924 Olympics, which was recognized as a World Championship by FIFA. American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller won three gold medals in swimming and one in water polo, paving the way for modern swimming greats like Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps.

Despite the sporting successes, the 1924 Olympics faced financial challenges. The Games cost an estimated 10 million francs but only generated receipts of about 5.5 million francs, resulting in a significant loss. However, the games weren't a flop from the spectator's perspective, with crowds reaching up to 60,000 daily.

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3. 2024 Summer Olympics

Scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, the 2024 Summer Olympics make Paris the second city ever to host the Summer Olympics thrice, after London.

The 2024 Olympics will be spread across metropolitan France, with Paris as the main host with some competitions to be held in Tahiti. It will also mark the return to the traditional four-year Olympiad cycle after the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the most exciting and unconventional additions to the Paris 2024 program is the debut of breakdancing as an Olympic sport. The Games are expected to cost a record-breaking €9 billion.

The 2024 edition will be the sixth Olympic Games hosted by France, including three Summer Olympics (1900, 1924, and 2024) and three Winter Olympics (1924, 1968, and 1992).