Pont Neuf over the Seine, Paris, France

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Let the Games begin!. Summer Olympics begin in Paris

Today marks the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris. The City of Light becomes the second city, after London, to host the Summer Olympics for a third time. What makes these Games truly unique is the opening ceremony: rather than in a stadium, participants will parade along the Seine on a flotilla of boats, passing under the Pont Neuf, pictured here, and cheered by spectators lining both banks. Paris is no stranger to historic firsts; the 1900 Games in the city was where women competed for the first time, although only 22 out of 997 athletes were women.

These Games are set to be rather special: break-dancing will make its Summer Olympic debut in Paris. Philip Kim from Toronto, winner of Gold at the Pan American Games 2023, will represent Canada. Competitors will be scored by a panel of nine judges who will look out for creativity and personality, along with other criteria. The surfing event at Paris 2024 is also rather unique and Sanoa Dempfle-Olin will be the first Canadian to compete in it. The competition will take place in Tahiti, part of French Polynesia. Almost 15,715 kilometres away from the host city, Tahiti was chosen because the island's huge waves make it perfect for surfing.