The Summer Olympic Games, or the Games of the Olympiad as they’re officially known, are an international, multi-sporting event which only officially began on a regular basis since the 1896 games in Athens, Greece. But the games actually date back to the days of the Ancient Greek city states and Rome thousands of years ago. 

The upcoming games are set to be hosted in Paris, France and in French Polynesia and Tahiti in the Pacific in July and August of 2024. The Olympic schedule includes 28 long-time Olympic disciplines, sports, and categories, as well as four newly rolled out disciplines such as break-dancing, sports climbing, skateboarding, and surfing. Some of these four new disciplines were originally introduced in the Rio or Tokyo Olympics as unofficial or demonstration sports rather than medaling events.

The French Olympic Committee and the Parisian municipal government launched and introduced a brand new mascot for the Paris games, dubbed the Olympic Phryge, or Phrygian hats, inspired and based on in large part based off the traditionally French associated symbol of the Phrygian (also known as the Liberty or Jacobin) cap, an important piece of symbolism used extensively by French revolutionaries. 

The Russian and Belarusian national teams, for the time being, are indefinitely banned from not only the Olympics by the IOC (International Olympic Committee), but practically all sporting events due to their involvement in the invasion of Ukraine. Those athletes can compete either neutrally with no flag, anthem or symbols, or switch residencies to another country. The Russian national team was also banned for doping partially since 2016, and completely since 2018.

The U.S. national team has had one of the longest streaks of top medalings (gold, silver, and bronze) since the 1996 Olympic games hosted in Atlanta, Georgia. The U.S. also has won the most gold medals in each game since the 2012 games in London.

The Olympic roster isn’t completed and airtight yet; there are still trials with more than half of the disciplines having slots to fill. Historically, Maryland has had one of the lowest per capita (per every million) rates of Olympians sent internationally, according to Census.gov. Of the six who have called Maryland home and who participated in the Tokyo Games, four of them contended in competitive men’s and women’s swimming. Michael Phelps is probably Maryland’s greatest claim to fame. 

Americans, or really just about anyone who is overjoyed about rooting for their national team, should keep their eyes peeled and eager next summer. Be sure to tune in to the hopefully fantastic and remarkable effort on the part of the City of Lights that’ll be unleashed to all of us during the opening and closing ceremonies. And if you’re traveling to Paris in person, mind the bed bugs!