NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Olympics

Olympics 2024: 14 facts about the Olympics, from when it was first held to what the Olympics rings represent

NZ Herald
23 Jul, 2024 10:35 PM6 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Michael Burgess arrives in Paris ahead of the Olympics. Video / Michael Burgess
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Paris Olympics starts this week with New Zealand sending a team of 195 athletes as they try to improve on the 20 medals won in 2021.

Here are 14 key facts about the Olympics.

When is the Paris Olympics 2024?

The Paris Olympics will run from Saturday, July 27, to Monday, August 12 NZT, but the first action begins on July 25 with archery, football, handball and rugby sevens all starting early.

When is the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The opening ceremony starts from 5.30am, July 27, NZT.

When was the first Olympics held?

The first modern Olympics was held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.

What is the meaning of the Olympics torch?

The Olympic torch is a modern invention inspired by practices from ancient Greece. The torch was first used at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It starts from being lit in Athens and travels around the world before arriving at the opening ceremony. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it heralds the start of the Olympic Games and transmits a message of peace and friendship along its route.

What do the Olympics rings represent?

The Olympics symbol consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions that are, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green and red. According to the IOC they “express the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games”.

A common misconception is that each of the colours corresponds to a continent. Pierre de Coubertin created the rings in 1913, and used the five colours with the white background to represent the colours of the flags of all nations at that time.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

How many sports are in Olympics 2024?

Paris will feature 329 events in 33 sports, including the 28 “core” Olympic sports contested in 2016 and 2020. There will also be four optional sports that were proposed by the Paris Organising Committee: breaking will make its Olympic debut as an optional sport, while skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing will return from 2020.

The sports in alphabetical order: Aquatics (artistic swimming, diving, marathon swimming, swimming, water polo), archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, 3×3 basketball, boxing, breaking, canoeing (slalom and sprint), cycling (BMX freestyle, BMX racing, mountain biking, road, track), equestrian (dressage, eventing, jumping), fencing, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic, trampoline), handball, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, rugby sevens, sailing, shooting, skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, beach volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling (freestyle, Greco-Roman)

Which sports are New Zealand competing in at the Paris Olympics 2024?

New Zealand Olympic Committee has finalised its full team and has named athletes in the following sports:

Artistic swimming, athletics, canoeing, cycling, diving, equestrian, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, judo, rowing, rugby sevens, sailing, shooting, sport climbing, surfing, swimming, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling

Discover more

Olympics

Cash for gold! How much Olympic champions will be awarded

10 Apr 07:18 PM
Olympics

'Hardest time in my life': Kiwi taekwondo champ denied Olympic chance

11 Apr 05:00 AM
Football Ferns

Football Ferns left frustrated in Thai stalemate

09 Apr 06:40 AM
Olympics

Russian prank callers trick IOC president before Paris Olympics

21 Mar 09:30 PM

What does the Paris Olympics 2024 schedule look like?

The Herald has a full schedule of Kiwis in action in Paris.

Is Russia participating in Olympics 2024?

No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Paris Olympics, according to the IOC. Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs), athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport, can compete under strict conditions.

Teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport will not be considered, and athletes who actively support the war will not be eligible.

What is the Olympics 2024 mascot?

Look out Minions! The Paris Olympics mascots are the Phryges — red characters based on the famous Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom.

The Phrygian tribe are the mascots of the Paris Olympics.
The Phrygian tribe are the mascots of the Paris Olympics.

What does the Paris Olympics logo look like?

The logo for Paris 2024 combines three symbols — the gold medal, the flame and Marianne, the personification of the French Republic.

“Marianne is the personification of the bold spirit of creativity that inspires our Games,” the official site says. “Marianne, symbol of the French Republic, represents the same values we find in sport, the Olympics and the Paralympics — humanism, fraternity, generosity and sharing. Marianne is a familiar face in French culture that is omnipresent in day-to-day life, appearing on stamps and outside every town hall for example. She reflects our desire to organise the Games for the people, in close collaboration with the people.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
The Paris 2024 logo.
The Paris 2024 logo.

What new sports are making their Paris Olympic 2024 debuts?

Breaking (breakdancing) is the only sport appearing at the Olympics for the first time. There will be two events, one each for men and women. There will be 16 “b-boys” and “b-girls” competing.

What do the Paris Olympics 2024 medals look like?

An Olympic medal inlaid with a piece of the Eiffel Tower. How’s that for a monumental prize? Games organisers revealed their revolutionary design in February.

A hexagonal, polished chunk of iron taken from the iconic landmark is being embedded in each gold, silver and bronze medal that will be hung around athletes’ necks at the Paris Games and Paralympics that follow.

The Goddess Nike, the Acropolis of Athens... and the Eiffel Tower.

Gold, silver or bronze, the Olympic Games medals at Paris 2024 will have a little bit of France in them.#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Dxz2dTt870

— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) February 8, 2024

The Paris Mint is manufacturing 5084 medals — about 2600 for the Olympics and 2400 for the Paralympics. That is probably more than will be required. Some will be stored in case medals need to be reassigned after the Games — this can happen when medal winners are subsequently stripped of the prizes for doping. Some go to museums. Any other spares could be destroyed.

The gold medals weigh 529g and are not pure gold. They are made of silver and plated with 6g of gold.

The silvers weigh 525g.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The bronzes weigh 455g and are a copper, tin and zinc alloy.

The medals are 85mm across and 9.2mm thick.

They’ll come in a dark-blue box from Chaumet and a certificate from the Eiffel Tower Operating Co that the iron pieces came from the monument. Paris organisers didn’t give a monetary value for the medals.

Hier, on vous a révélé l’un, si ce n’est LE plus beau symbole des Jeux 🥇#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/tsF5sJSbgJ

— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) February 9, 2024


Where is the next Olympics in 2028?

The 2028 Olympics will be hosted by Los Angeles. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium will be the main stadiums as LA plays host for the second time following the 1984 Games.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Olympics

Olympics

Olympic champion Butcher wins kayak cross World Cup gold

29 Jun 10:44 PM
Olympics

The staggering figure the Paris Olympics cost French taxpayers

23 Jun 06:29 PM
Olympics

'It was different': Dame Lisa Carrington on end of remarkable 16-year streak

07 Jun 10:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Olympics

Olympic champion Butcher wins kayak cross World Cup gold

Olympic champion Butcher wins kayak cross World Cup gold

29 Jun 10:44 PM

The Kiwi won his first World Cup gold in Czechia.

The staggering figure the Paris Olympics cost French taxpayers

The staggering figure the Paris Olympics cost French taxpayers

23 Jun 06:29 PM
'It was different': Dame Lisa Carrington on end of remarkable 16-year streak

'It was different': Dame Lisa Carrington on end of remarkable 16-year streak

07 Jun 10:00 PM
Premium
Woodman-Wickliffe on babies, books, broadcasting and King’s Birthday honour

Woodman-Wickliffe on babies, books, broadcasting and King’s Birthday honour

02 Jun 03:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP