By Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times

Amid concerns about protests, strikes, security and whatever might be floating in the Seine, the City of Light is about to strike a pose on its yearslong Olympics runway. For the next 19 days, Paris will be in front of the international lens as more than 10,000 athletes and seemingly countless fans converge on France to witness and revel in the first Summer Games held in front of crowds in eight years.

That group will include the nearly 600 athletes competing for Team USA, many of whom are favorites for gold across the 329 events slated to be held.

Here’s everything you need to know about how and who to watch during the Paris Olympic Games:

When do the Paris Olympics begin?

The opening ceremony takes place Friday night in Paris, but the first events start Wednesday at 9 a.m. EDT (3 p.m. Paris time) when Argentina plays Morocco and Uzbekistan faces Spain in men’s soccer.

Rugby sevens, archery and handball also will start before the opening ceremony. The first medals will be awarded Saturday.

The Paris Olympics will end Sunday, Aug. 11, with the women’s basketball gold medal game slated to be the final event.

How to watch the Paris Olympics opening ceremony

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. EDT and will be shown live on NBC and Peacock. NBC will reair the ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The opening ceremony is scheduled to occur outside a stadium for the first time, with the “Parade of Nations” scheduled to take part on boats floating down the Seine River in front of the Eiffel Tower.

How to watch and stream the Paris Olympics

The daily window for events at the Paris Olympics runs from roughly 3 a.m. EDT until about 5 p.m. (Paris is six hours ahead of New York). Linear networks USA, E!, CNBC, Golf Channel, Telemundo and Universo will have coverage every day of the Olympics, with all live coverage ending around 5 p.m. EDT. “Paris Primetime” will air each night on NBC, usually at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., offering a recap of the day’s biggest events and moments.

Though NBCUniversal networks will broadcast many live events, including viewer favorites such as gymnastics, swimming and track and field, a large portion of coverage will be exclusively on streaming platforms.

Peacock will broadcast every event live and will have replays and highlights on demand. Cable and satellite subscribers can log into NBCOlympics.com at no additional charge to watch any event.

Part of Peacock’s coverage will include Gold Zone, an NFL Red Zone-like show streaming from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. EDT each day.

NBCUniversal also launched two temporary Olympics channels. “Paris Extra 1” will show a range of live and delayed events, with a focus on team sports such as basketball, handball, water polo and field hockey. “Paris Extra 2” will feature mostly combat and racket sports such as boxing, judo, taekwondo, badminton and table tennis. Both channels are available on DirecTV, Comcast, Cox, Dish/Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo and Hulu Live.

Who will be competing for Team USA?

There will be 592 athletes representing the United States in Paris, with 119 from California — the most of any state (Florida is next with 44 athletes and Texas third with 38). With baseball and softball not being played, the total number is down from the 613 U.S. athletes who competed in Tokyo.

Team USA’s Noah Lyles celebrates after winning the men’s 200 meter final during the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 25, 2023. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

The U.S. will compete in 31 of the 32 sports (U.S. handball teams will make their long-awaited return in 2028). There is one sport making its Olympic debut — breaking (don’t call it break dancing, though).

Women will comprise the majority of athletes competing for the U.S., with 314 (53% of Team USA) — the most women for any nation. There will be 157 medal events for men, 152 for women and 20 mixed-gender. Twenty-eight of the 32 events will be “fully gender equal,” the IOC said.

Here’s a look at the 2024 U.S. Olympic team:

Must-watch US athletes at the Paris Olympics

Every athlete at the Paris Games is probably worth watching, but here are some of the top contenders for gold.

Simone Biles, women’s gymnastics — The favorite in the women’s all-around competition and considered one of the greatest in the history of her sport, Biles has won seven Olympic medals, including four at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. After her shocking withdrawal from the team and all-around competitions in Tokyo, Biles is out to win gold in what could be the final chapter of her storied career.

Caeleb Dressel, men’s swimming — After winning five golds in Tokyo, Dressel nearly walked away from the sport in 2022. After rediscovering his passion for competitive swimming, he proved at the U.S. trials in June he is among the favorites to win gold in the 100-meter butterfly and 50 freestyle.

Katie Ledecky, women’s swimming — She is the most-decorated athlete competing at the Paris Olympics. Ledecky has 10 Olympic medals, including seven golds. She will be looking to add to her medal count in the 1,500-meter freestyle, 800 freestyle and 400 freestyle. Will this be her Olympic swansong, or will she be swimming at SoFi Stadium in four years?

Team USA’s Katie Ledecky reacts after winning gold in the final of the women’s 800 meter freestyle swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 31, 2021. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

Noah Lyles, men’s 100 and 200 meters — Never camera shy, the Yu-Gi-Oh! card-carrying Lyles is the defending world champion in the men’s 100 and 200 meters. He set the world’s fastest time in the 200 at the U.S. trials last month and he’ll try to become the first man since Usain Bolt (2016) to win Olympic gold in the 100 and 200.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, women’s 400-meter hurdles —The overwhelming favorite for gold, McLaughlin-Levrone broke her world record in the event at the U.S. trials. She won gold in the 400 hurdles and 4×400 relay in Tokyo.

Sha’Carri Richardson, women’s 100 meters — After her controversial disqualification three years ago because of a positive marijuana test, Richardson won the U.S. trials in June and is considered a favorite for gold. She’ll face tough competition in Jamaican sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.

U.S. women’s gymnastics team — They’re the favorite to win the team competition, with four of the five having previous Olympic experience. Suni Lee won gold in the all-around and Jade Carey took gold in floor exercise in Tokyo. Jordan Chiles played a critical role in helping the Americans take silver in the team championship then.

Other gold contenders worth watching: Ryan Crouser (men’s shot put), Lilly King (women’s swimming), Simone Manuel (women’s swimming), Carissa Moore (women’s surfing), Ryan Murphy (men’s swimming), Gabby Thomas (women’s 200 meters), U.S. women’s basketball team, U.S. men’s basketball team.

From 16 to 59

The youngest athlete at the Olympics will be gymnast Hezly Rivera. She turned 16 just before competing in the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials and is the only first timer on the squad (other than the reserves). While she is the youngest, 16-year-olds Paige Heyn (skateboarding street) and Quincy Wilson (4×400 mixed relay) will also be in Paris. Wilson is the youngest man to ever qualify for the U.S. in track and field.

The oldest U.S. Olympian in Paris? That goes to equestrian rider Steffen Peters, who will compete in team and individual dressage at age 59. Peters is appearing in his sixth Olympics after making his debut at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Basketball star Diana Taurasi and equestrian competitor McLain Ward have appeared in six consecutive Olympics dating to the 2004 Athens Games.

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Jocelyn Noveck, AP National Writer

PARIS (AP) — Sure, they call it the City of Light. But Paris is also the City of Fashion, one of most influential fashion capitals of the world for decades, no, centuries (remember Louis XIV?)

So it’s no surprise that fashion designers across the globe are busy getting their national team uniforms ready for their unique spotlight. When it comes to high-end Olympic fashion — be it for festive opening ceremonies, or for competition — all runways lead to Paris.

Stella Jean will be there, styling each of Haiti’s dozen or so athletes herself. Jean, an Italian-Haitian designer based in Rome, figures she has exactly two seconds, on opening ceremony night, to make an impression on the world — an impression that may reverberate for years. “For these athletes, it’s a victory just to be here,” says Jean, whose vivid, colorful design is intended to highlight the cultural vitality of the Caribbean nation.

On the other end of the size (and budget) spectrum is Ralph Lauren, who will outfit hundreds of athletes of the US team at opening and closing ceremonies, for the ninth time. Lauren, who’s presenting a casual look of blue jeans and blazers, is of course one of the world’s richest designers, along with Giorgio Armani, who has been designing Italy’s uniforms since 2012.

Countless other designers have gotten involved — including, this year, more young, “indie” labels eager to make a splash. It’s also a chance to emphasize qualities such as sustainability in fashion and adaptability, too, as in designs for the Paralympics.

“Designers and manufacturers now realize this can be a huge platform for them, for many things,” says Alison Brown, who co-hosts a podcast on all things Olympics, “Keep the Flame Alive.” For example: “Sustainability is a huge buzzword now for this whole Olympics,” she says.

And so is style — because, well, Paris.

“You always want to represent your country, and you want to represent the athletes. But it seems like this time, the pressure to do it well has been turned up a notch,” Brown says.

Some emerging details on various uniform designs:

Canada: A focus on inclusivity, adaptability

During the design process, the team from Lululemon, outfitting Canada’s athletes for the second time, says they listened carefully to the athletes, and how they felt in the clothes. “When you feel your best, you perform your best,” says Audrey Reilly, creative director for Team Canada at the athletic apparel company.

She recalls listening to Alison Levine, a Paralympian who uses a wheelchair, and learning the athlete had nothing suitable to train in — so she wore medical scrubs.

This image released by Lululemon shows Canadian Olympic athletes Zak Madell, left, and Cindy Ouellet. (Lululemon via AP)

“I was shocked that a professional athlete had to do that,” Reilly said in an interview. So we said, “Let’s investigate.” One result was a “seated carpenter pant,” part of a collection intended to be inclusive and adaptable. Other features include special closures to facilitate putting on and taking off garments, and pockets at the knees so an athlete like Levine can access her phone when training.

The collection covers all aspects of Team Canada’s journey, from travel to the games, to opening and medal ceremonies, to training — everything except competition. To combat the expected searing Paris heat, Lululemon, which has a four-Games deal with the team, paid special attention to ventilation and wicking.

And for opening ceremonies, designers created what they call a “tapestry of pride.” Hand-drawn and engineered into the fabric, it includes 10 animals — nine representing the provinces of Canada and one representing France. “We wanted to evoke all of Canada, coast to coast and north to south,” Reilly says.

Haiti: “They know their bodies are a flag”

Stella Jean is used to designing beautiful clothes. But beauty for beauty’s sake was not a consideration in her designs for Haiti’s team. It was all about the message.

“This will be the first good news coming out of Haiti in at least the last three years,” she says, the athletes’ appearance a counter-message to news about political turmoil, poverty or natural disasters. “So, I felt the responsibility to say as much as I can about the country.”

For that, Jean is collaborating with Haitian artist Philippe Dodard, whose vibrant painting will be incorporated into the ceremonial uniforms — a brightly hued skirt for women and pants for men, paired with traditional items like a chambray shirt. The designs have been constructed from “leftover” fabric — sustainability, yes, but not because it is trendy, says Jean, but because in Haiti it’s both a tradition and a necessity.

Jean calls the Haitian athletes “ambassadors.”

“These ambassadors will be there, in Paris,” she says, “and they all know, even if they are very, very young, how important their presence is — and that it’s not just about performance. They know their bodies are a flag.”

USA: “Nothing says America like blue jeans”

For the last summer games in steamy Tokyo, Ralph Lauren outfitted athletes with something cool — literally — a technology that directed heat away through a fan device at the back of the neck.

For steamy Paris, he’s introducing another type of cool: good old American jeans.

“Nothing says America like blue jeans, especially when we’re in Paris,” said David Lauren, the label’s chief branding and innovation officer and the founder’s son, upon revealing the design in June.

For its ninth turn dressing Team USA for opening and closing ceremonies, Ralph Lauren says it will be fitting each athlete personally. For the opening ceremony they’ll be wearing tailored navy blazers with blue-and-white striped Oxford shirts — and those blue jeans.

For the closing ceremony, the team will wear white jeans with matching jackets in red, white and blue. Lauren called the closing ceremony looks “more graphic, more fun, a little more exciting.”

India: Mixing old and new

Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani is known for his ability to meld traditional elements with a modern sensibility. And that’s what he and his menswear brand Tasva has tried to do for his country’s Olympic team.

Tahiliani told GQ India that when he began doing research for India’s opening ceremony uniform, he noted a trend of countries incorporating their national flags into the design. So he began working on a design featuring the tricolor hues of saffron, white and green.

This image shared by the Public Information Bureau shows Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Indian Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, left, presenting a kit to former Indian Olympian, Mary Kom, as mannequins display India’s ceremonial and playing kits for the Paris Olympics in New Delhi, India, Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Press Information Bureau via AP)

For men, Tahiliani began with a kurta, the typical Asian long and loose shirt. He paired that with a bundi, or traditional sleeveless jacket. He told the magazine he wears a bundi every day, inspired by his father, who was an admiral in the Indian navy.

After feedback from the Olympic committee, the designer moved away from a uniform-like look for women, opting for a sari, which he says “can flatter any body type, and that’s exactly what we want for our female athletes.”

All the designs incorporate embroidery of saffron and green. “The goal is to create outfits that empower our athletes to represent India with pride and confidence,” Tahiliani said.

Italy: A mix of elegance and tradition

Italian athletes will be elegantly attired in Emporio Armani uniforms, as they have for every Olympics since 2012.

The podium tracksuit is emblazoned with “W Italia,” shorthand for “Eviva Italia,” or, “Long live Italy.” The motto could extend to designer Giorgio Armani himself, who turned 90 on July 11.

“Seeking new solutions for the athlete’s kit, which must blend elegance with practicality, is always an exciting challenge for me,″ Armani said last year when the national kit was presented at the Spring-Summer 2024 runway show for the youthful and sporty Emporio Armani brand.

The athletes’ tracksuits are in Armani blue, which has long been the color of the designer’s daily uniform, either as a T-shirt or fine pullover.

Athletes will have no excuse for not knowing the national anthem: the beginning is printed inside the collar of the polo shirts, and the entire first verse is inside the jackets.

Britain: Four nations, not one

The 60-year old British clothing brand Ben Sherman, known for its menswear, is creating Britain’s Olympic uniforms for the third time, and this year wants to remind the world that Britain is four nations, not one.

Its design for the opening and closing ceremonies “represents the unity and diversity of the UK, reflecting the rich tapestry of our nation’s identity.” says the label’s creative director, Mark Williams.

This image released by Ben Sherman shows British athletes Kye Whyte, left, and Jacob Peters wearing official outfits from the Team GB collection by Ben Sherman. (Ben Sherman via AP)

Williams described in an email his new four-nation floral motif, featuring a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock, serving as “a nod to the unique identities and histories of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.”

Williams stresses the motif is not purely decorative, but meant to send a message of collaboration and unity. His floral motif appears is in colors of blue and red — on polo shirts, worn with a bomber jacket, and also on colorful socks, in a collaboration with the Happy Socks brand.

South Korea: Inspiration from a national symbol

South Korea’s athletes will sport uniforms inspired by the country’s national “taegeuk” circular symbol, which occupies the center of its flag. The red-and-blue circle connotes harmony between the negative cosmic forces of the blue portion and the positive cosmic forces of the red.

The motifs on the North Face-branded uniforms also include one of the four black trigrams (groups of bars) from the flag’s corners, according to Youngone Outdoor Co., an official partner of the country’s Olympic committee which produces and distributes North Face clothing in South Korea. The trigram being used symbolizes water.

South Korean national team members wear uniforms for the medal ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games during a media day at the Korean National Training Center in Jincheon, South Korea, on June 26, 2024. (Kim In-cheul/Yonhap via AP)

A uniform for medal ceremonies features a jacket depicting the indigo blue waters off the country’s east coast in an ink-wash painting style, a red belt and black pants, Youngone says.

Team Korea’s uniform for opening and closing ceremonies was designed by Musinsa Standard, a private-label brand run by South Korean online fashion store Musinsa. The all-light blue uniform includes a blazer, its lining engraved with traditional white and blue porcelain designs, a traditional-style belt and slacks.

Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, Leanne Italie in New York and Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.

By Tom Nouvian, Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — In a luxurious hotel room on the 16th floor, overlooking the heart of Paris and the iconic Seine River, Thomas Jolly prepares for the grand spectacle that will inaugurate the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“I was overwhelmed at first. I wondered how I could create a show where everyone can feel represented as part of this great union,” admits Jolly, the actor and stage director who was tapped two years ago to helm the artistic direction of the opening and closing ceremonies. “This responsibility was ambitious, complex, but magnificent for an artist.”

More than a billion people are expected to watch the July 26 opening ceremony. But Jolly, 42, is no stranger to outsized projects in France, producing a 24-hour-long Shakespearean tetralogy in 2022 and reviving the favorite musical “Starmania.” He has earned three Molière prizes, France’s highest theater award.

Now, he is tasked with sharing France with the rest of the world in a parade that’s expected to last nearly four hours.

“France is a story that never stops being constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed. It’s alive, it remains alive,” Jolly passionately explained in an interview on Friday. This dynamism, he believes, fuels the country’s reputation for protests and strikes — manifestations of France’s constant reexamination of its identity and values.

Behind Jolly, the scene is a hive of activity, with construction workers toiling on the settings for the upcoming ceremony on the riverbanks of the Seine, sealed to the public. At one point, Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee who is also giving interviews in the hotel, joins Jolly on the balcony, away from the media frenzy. Cigarette in hand, Jolly gestures animatedly towards the Seine as they discuss final details, Estanguet nodding in agreement.

Last year, France hosted the Rugby World Cup. The opening ceremony imagined by Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin, who portrayed a beret-wearing baker in a 1950s rendition of France, received criticism for being too stereotypical and outdated. While acknowledging the cliches, Jolly is determined to both play with and subvert these stereotypes, believing that opening ceremonies often tell the story of a country.

“When we watch ‘Emily in Paris’ or ‘Amélie Poulain,’ we know it’s not quite the real Paris. We’re going to play with all those cliches, but we’re also going to challenge them,” said Jolly, who is also directing the Paralympics ceremonies. “Paris is also a vibrant youth. Different cultures rubbing shoulders in the streets.”

Tony Estanguet, President of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee, left, poses with Thomas Jolly Friday, July 19, 2024 in Paris. Thomas Jolly, a 40-year-old actor and stage director, was chosen by the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee to helm the artistic direction of the four grand ceremonies. He will be tasked with bringing to life Paris’ ambitious plan to hold the July 26, 2024, opening ceremony in the French capital’s city center, along the Seine River. (AP Photo/Tom Nouvian)

The opening ceremony will be attended by approximately 300,000 people, most of whom have been invited, with the organizers intent on celebrating inclusion and diversity. The original plan was to have a 100% free ceremony, with millions watching the parade from the riverbanks. Those ambitions were dialed down by the French government, who feared security threats in a city that has had major extremist attacks as recently as 2015.

“An opening ceremony has never been held outside of a stadium. There is no model; it’s absolute creation,” Jolly said, acknowledging the challenges of such a feat. He envisioned a giant ballet in 12 acts with hundreds of dancers stationed on the many bridges that span the Seine, as boats floats down the river carrying the Olympic athletes to the Eiffel Tower.

Jolly is extremely tight-lipped about what will eventually transpire at the ceremony. Rehearsals are being held in secret locations scattered throughout France, but there will be no full rehearsal before the actual date. The mystery has prompted much speculation, with some of the most audacious theories positing the use of submarines in the Seine and performances by pop stars such as Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura.

“I’ll be fired if I tell you anything,” Jolly says with a cheeky laugh. “All I can tell you is that it will be very meaningful for the artists that will perform.”