Anjelina Nadai Lohalith was notified of her alleged use of the banned heart medication trimetazidine and provisionally banned, track and field’s Athletics Integrity Unit said. It gave no timetable for a disciplinary case.

Lohalith, who fled war in South Sudan as a child to a refugee camp in Kenya, was being funded with an International Olympic Committee scholarship to prepare for her third straight Summer Games.

The 31-year-old athlete ran in the 1,500 meters for the refugee team at the previous two Summer Games, when it debuted in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and at the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

The IOC and UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, have scheduled a media event on Thursday to finalize the selection of the refugee team for the Paris Olympics being held July 26-Aug. 11.

Lohalith has represented the refugee team at three track and field world championships and was among 29 Olympic Refugee Team members in Tokyo.

UNHCR has said 75 athletes in 14 sports have had scholarships for Paris. Those athletes come from 12 different countries and now live in 24 host countries.

One scholarship athlete originally from Morocco, 3,000-meter steeplechase runner Fouad Idbafdil, was banned for three years in December after testing positive for the endurance-boosting hormone EPO.

In March, another 1,500-meter runner originally from South Sudan, Dominic Lokolong Atiol, also was provisionally suspended for a positive test for trimetazidine.

The medication, known as TMZ, also was found in high-profile positive tests given in 2021 by Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva and 23 Chinese swimmers who were preparing for the Tokyo Olympics.

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Valieva’s case was revealed during the 2022 Beijing Winter Games where she had helped the Russians win team event gold. Valieva was later disqualified, banned for four years and the Russians downgraded to bronze with the United States upgraded to gold. That case is ongoing with further appeals pending.

The Chinese swimming case was detailed April 20 in investigative reports by the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD.

The swimmers were not suspended, and three went on to win gold medals in Tokyo, because the World Anti-Doping Agency accepted explanations and evidence provided by Chinese authorities that the athletes were contaminated by traces of the drug in a hotel kitchen.

About 300 people attended the rally at the headquarters of the Paris Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the suburb of Saint-Denis, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans against Israel’s “institutional participation” in the Games because of the war in Gaza.

Citing the example of Russian athletes, who will be competing at the Olympics under a neutral flag and with no Russian government officials allowed at the Games, protesters said the International Olympic Committee should apply the same protocol for the Israelis.

“They didn’t need more than four days to decide to ban Russia and Belorussia from the Olympics after the invasion of Ukraine,” said Nicolas Shahshahani, a member of the EuroPalestine activist group, who took part in Tuesday’s protest. “They are prepared to welcome the Israeli delegation.”

In an interview earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron backed the IOC’s decision to allow Russian athletes to compete in the Olympics despite the Ukraine invasion, but under a neutral flag.

He defended the participation of Israeli athletes under their country’s flag despite its offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israel-Hamas war, according to the health officials in Gaza.

“We cannot say that Israel is attacking,” Macron said. “Israel was a victim of a terrorist attack to which it is now responding to in Gaza.”

Tuesday’s protests came days after pro-Palestinian students, inspired by Gaza solidarity encampments at campuses in the United States, staged protests and tried to occupy campus buildings at France’s two prestigious universities in the Paris region.

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On Monday, French police removed 50 students from the Sorbonne university after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the main courtyard. Last week, protests broke out at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po, as pro-Palestinian students attempted to occupy an amphitheater.

On Friday, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators faced each other in a tense standoff in the street outside the school. Riot police stepped in to separate the opposing groups. The protest ended peacefully, when students reached an agreement with the administration and evacuated the building late on Friday.

The Olympic Games in Paris will take place in July 26-Aug. 11 followed by the Aug. 28- Sept. 8 Paralympics.

——-

Associated Press writer Barbara Surk in Nice, France, contributed to this report.

Whether the gymnastics star’s return to the sport carries all the way to the Paris Olympics remains to be seen.

Douglas, who became the first Black woman to win the Olympic all-around title when she triumphed in London in 2012, competed for the first time in eight years on Saturday at the American Classic.

The 28-year-old looked rusty in spots and promising in others while posting a score of 50.65 in the all-around. Douglas qualified in multiple events for the U.S. Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, next month. She will get another chance to qualify for the all-around competition at nationals when she takes the floor at the U.S. Classic in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 18.

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Douglas last competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she helped the Americans claim a second straight gold in the team competition. She took an extended break from the sport but never officially retired. The itch to come back returned while watching the 2022 U.S. Championships, and she’s spent the better part of the last two years training in the Dallas area with an eye toward trying to make the five-woman U.S. team that will be heavily favored to win gold in Paris this summer.

Her comeback, however, has been shrouded in mystery. She was supposed to compete at the Winter Cup in February, but she pulled out just days before after testing positive for COVID-19. She has limited press exposure, and unlike 2020 Olympic gold medalists Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey, who competed at the American Classic, she opted not to participate in podium training on Friday.

Douglas walked out onto the floor about an hour before the competition and showed flashes of what turned her into a star in London. Her double-twisting Yurchenko on vault had plenty of amplitude, and on bars — her best event — she had the pieces of a routine that would certainly be competitive at the elite level.

The challenge will be finding a way to consistently combine all the pieces.

Douglas came off bars twice, and her floor routine lacked the crispness and endurance to compete with anyone hoping to make a serious bid for the Olympic team.

There is time for Douglas, but not much. The U.S. Classic is in three weeks. The U.S. Championships are in five, and the Olympic Trials will be held in Minneapolis in late June.

Carey, who won gold on floor exercise in Tokyo, captured the all-around with a score of 55.000 while also recording the top scores on vault and floor. Lee, who has dealt with kidney-related health issues for the last two years, put together a dazzling bars routine to win easily with a score of 15.200.

Beard is a hurdler who will compete for a spot on the United States Olympic team heading to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He also happens to work a full-time job at the deli counter at a Walmart.

Beard emerged as a surprise winner while competing in the 60-meter hurdles at the Millrose Games in February.

“I think I went in a lot more relaxed, like nothing to lose, a lot to gain,” he told TODAY in an interview that aired April 26.

His performance in the race made him the third fastest hurdler in the world and landed him a spot at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon, in June. Following his performance at the Millrose Games, Beard returned to his normal routine.

“(I) flew home, and the next day I was back to weight training, back to practicing, then back to work,” he said.

Beard is an unsponsored athlete, hoping to pay his way to Paris with his own ability and paycheck, while training at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

His coach, Reuben McCoy, gushes when he talks about Beard.

“His work ethic is very much unmatched. And his character speaks very highly of the man who he is,” he said.

His manager at Walmart, David Davis, echoes the sentiment about what kind of person Beard is.

“Dylan’s work ethic is next level. He provides excellent customer service all the time. He goes above and beyond, just like he does on the track,” he said.

Beard also earned his master’s degree in public health at Howard University, which he hopes he can put to use counseling at-risk youth. He says he remains dedicated to doing the best he can, whether on the track or while on the clock at Walmart.

“At the end of the day, my name is attached to what I’m doing. So yes, I’m working at Walmart in the deli, but it still represents me, which represents a lot of other people,” he said.

Beard was blown away when TODAY’s Craig Melvin presented him with a check from Walmart for $20,000 so his friends and family could support him as he makes his way to the Olympic trials.

“I’m appreciative, very appreciative. Very unexpected. And I’m thankful, very thankful,” he said.

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The NBA on Sunday announced the three finalists for each of the seven official awards to be issued in the coming weeks, and the three players lined up for the MVP award are a peek at what lies ahead for Kerr and Team USA once they reach the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

None of three – Luka Donćić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić – will suit up for Team USA. Doncić will represent Slovenia, Gilgeous-Alexander will represent Canada and Jokić will represent Serbia.

The news ensures this will be the sixth consecutive year that the MVP of the league conceived in America will be someone born elsewhere.

This is the latest reminder us that the wide talent gulf that once defined America’s basketball exceptionalism is quickly narrowing toward invisibility. This is the third consecutive season that American-born players were shut out as finalists.

A look at the top five vote-getters in each of the last four seasons reveals only three American’s made the cut: Jayson Tatum finished fourth last year, Devin Booker finished fourth in 2022, and in 2021 Stephen Curry finished third and Chris Paul was fifth.

As recently as 2018, the top five vote-getters were Americans.

If that trend isn’t alarming enough for the red, white and blue, consider the fourth-place finish by Kerr’s Team USA squad in the FIBA World Cup last summer. That group, without a player able to present a resumé deserving of the Hall of Fame, returned home without a medal after losing its last two games to Germany and then Canada.

After an inglorious season with the Warriors, Kerr now turns toward what feels very much like an ultimatum. Win the gold or return to the United States soaked in shame.

The roster of what might be considered Redeem Team II is built for the quest. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James are the three best players of their generation. Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard are Hall of Famers in waiting. Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum won gold in Tokyo with Team USA in the 2020 Olympics. Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton represent the best of the next generation.

“We’ve obviously got the cream of the crop,” Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area last week.

Team USA’s roster is the best America can offer, though Embiid comes with an asterisk. He was born in Cameroon moved to the United States as a teenager, was granted French citizenship in 2022 and two months later became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

After initially saying he would represent France, Embiid last October chose to join Team USA. This did not sit well with some of the folks in France.

“Team USA, with him, who can beat you? Come on, nobody,” Jean-Pierre Siutat, president of the French Basketball Federation, told The Athletic. “This is an easy way for him to get an Olympic medal.”

And Siutat’s salty response is mild compared to that uttered by former French Olympian Frederic Weis.

“I consider this boy a great player as much as he is a dirty guy,” Weis said on his French RMP radio show. “I hate him for the things that he did. I think he doesn’t have any respect for France and also for all the people who are asking for a French passport and don’t get it. And under the pretext that he is a great athlete, he got it. I find it scandalous. I find it embarrassing.”

France planned to have Embiid join Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama in a “Triple Towers” frontcourt. Embiid, at 7-feet, would be the shortest.

The hurt is real. French president Emmanuel Macron reportedly reached out to Embiid last fall, hoping to persuade the 76ers big man to roll with France. Weis could be excused for the hyperbole; he has a radio show to sell. But there is a clear reason for such disappointment and vitriol.

France believes Embiid would position it for gold on the biggest international stage. Imagine the euphoria that would follow the French men’s team winning its first Olympics gold medal on its turf.

Such confidence would be legitimized by the fact that it was France that snapped the Americans’ 25-game Olympics win streak in 2021.

Team USA players will join Kerr and his assistants – Mark Few of Gonzaga, Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers and Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat – on July 6 in Las Vegas for training camp.

“It’s a six-week jaunt, you know, it happens quickly,” Kerr said last week. “So, you’re generally not going to do a lot of complex stuff. I kind of know what we’re going to run and how we’re going to operate.”

For the sake of Kerr’s international reputation, as well as that of the players, having a plan in place is an excellent place to start.

The women’s roster for the Paris Games won’t be determined before June 1. Unable to attend the U.S. training camp this month, Clark will have the start of her WNBA career to show the U.S. women’s basketball selection committee whether she deserves a spot on the team.

Selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti said she’ll be watching.

“You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it’s for now or the future,” Rizzotti told The Associated Press. “We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It’s got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It’s still not going to be fair to some people.”

Clark was invited to attend the U.S. training camp in Cleveland, but it was held during the Final Four when she was still competing for a national championship with Iowa. Attending the camp wasn’t mandatory to make the team, but it certainly would have helped the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader show the selection committee she could hold her own against some of the best players in the world. The camp in Cleveland was the last one the U.S. had before announcing its roster.

The team will get together in Phoenix for a few days in July right before the Olympics, including playing an exhibition All-Star game against WNBA players.

The U.S men’s basketball Olympic roster was announced last week.

The American women, who are trying for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal, have a talented group of guards in the pool. The list includes five-time Olympian Diana Taurasi as well as Chelsea Gray, Ariel Atkins and Jewell Loyd, who all played on the Tokyo Games team in 2021. Kelsey Plum, who owns an Olympic gold medal in 3×3, and Sabrina Ionescu are also in the pool.

“Thinking about Diana and Chelsea Gray and when their careers are done, you want to make sure you’re in a position with these upcoming guards with Sabrina, Kelsey and Caitlin that you feel good that our future is set,” Rizzotti said during 3×3 training camp last weekend.

Rizzotti will get a first-hand look at Clark when the No. 1 pick in the draft opens her WNBA career at the Connecticut Sun on May 14. Rizzotti is the president of the Sun.

If Clark makes the team, she wouldn’t be the first WNBA rookie to be on an Olympic squad. Breanna Stewart was the last one to do it, making the team in 2016. The difference was that Stewart had been part of the national team since she was a sophomore in college, playing on the 2014 World Cup squad.

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While Clark has no senior national team experience, she has played on junior USA teams. She won gold medals at the 2019 and 2021 FIBA U19 World Cups and the 2017 FIBA U16 Americas Championship.

There were reports Clark potentially could’ve been part of the 3×3 team. but Clark has said her focus is playing on the 5-on-5 team.

“It’s where I want to be,” Clark told the AP last week. “Three-on-three is really cool, I’ve just never done it. But 5-on-5 is the goal and the dream. To play with the best in the world and against the best in the world, you can’t script it better than that.”

—-

This story has been corrected to show Clark is the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader.

Brooks beat Taylor 4-1 earlier in the day, his first loss to an American wrestler in seven years. It set up an opportunity for Brooks to sweep the Tokyo gold medalist and fellow former Penn State athlete.

Brooks capitalized with a 3-1 victory in the pair’s second match, as a stalemate was broken with a Brooks takedown in the first period.

After the match, the two shared a moment in the center of the mat.

“I told him I love him,” Brooks said. “He’s one of the first guys to make (Penn State wrestling) what it is.”

Brooks avenged his losses to Taylor in last year’s world championship qualifier, when Brooks dropped two straight matches to get swept. Since the beginning of March, Brooks has won a Big Ten title, his fourth NCAA title, the Hodge Trophy and a spot in the Olympics.

The trials were held at Penn State’s basketball arena, the Bryce Jordan Center, where the Nittany Lions powerhouse wrestling team also holds occasional matches.

In total, 18 wrestlers made the U.S. wrestling squad on Saturday, with 13 of those wrestlers qualifying directly for the Olympic tournament in Paris. The champions in five classes, 57 kg and 65 kg in men’s freestyle and 60 kg, 67 kg and 77 kg in Greco-Roman, will have to travel to Istanbul for a world qualification tournament for the Olympics in May.

Kyle Snyder didn’t give up a point in his championship series against Isaac Trumble, cruising to 5-0 and 4-0 wins to reach his third Olympics.

The 2016 gold medalist received a bye to the best-of-three finals to face Trumble, who won the 97-kilogram challenger tournament.

“I mean, it’s different,” said the 28-year-old Snyder, who went to Ohio State and trains with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. “Like, the first time you do it you’re really happy, now it’s almost an expectation of myself and then the real fun starts when you make the team and you’re competing for Olympic gold medals.”

Zain Retherford didn’t even know if he would compete for an Olympic spot five months ago.

But on Saturday he defeated Nittany Lion Wrestling Club teammate Nick Lee 2-1 and 5-0 in back-to-back matches at 65 kg to earn a spot on the U.S. national team and advance to an international qualifying tournament.

“I had accepted a job in New York City. My family was going to move there in January, but I just had a pulling on my heart, I couldn’t explain it, to compete,” Retherford said after his second win over Lee.

Retherford accepted a position at the financial firm ABR Dynamic Funds but was given the flexibility he needed to compete. He will have to use a little more time off after his performance on Saturday.

Retherford’s next step will be the Olympic qualifying tournament in Istanbul, starting May 9. He has to finish in the top two to earn a trip to Paris.

Spencer Lee pinned Tokyo bronze medalist Thomas Gilman in their second match at 57 kg to clinch a spot on the U.S. team and also move on to the world qualification in Istanbul.

Lee’s journey has been far from easy. He’s had multiple injuries.

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The former Iowa Hawkeye tore his right ACL as a senior in high school in 2017, before tearing it again in 2019. Then, in 2021, Lee won a national title despite tearing his left ACL only a couple of weeks earlier at the Big Ten championships.

The knee problems seemed to have subsided in 2024, at least enough for Lee to keep his shoes on.

“If it wasn’t for the Iowa Hawkeye program supporting me, I’d be planning to retire to be honest with you guys,” Lee said. “I’ve had such a tough time staying healthy and trying to compete to the best of my ability.”

___

Zach Allen is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.

Maroulis, competing at 57 kilograms, dominated former Olympian Jacarra Winchester in a best-of-three series.

The two-time Olympic medalist Maroulis topped Winchester with a pin in the first match and a 6-0 decision in the second, sweeping the series. With a bloodied nose, Maroulis bowed to a sea of cheering fans before having her arm raised by the official at the Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State’s campus.

“It just makes me think back to myself as a little girl, and if you told me that I was gonna do this, I don’t think I would’ve believed you,” Maroulis said, adding she wasn’t aware she was breaking a record.

Maroulis became the first woman wrestler to win two Olympic medals for the United States when she earned bronze at 57 kg in Tokyo. Now 32, she captured her gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“I definitely think that I’m coming into a peak season right now,” Maroulis said.

A Rockville, Maryland native, Maroulis wrestles and trains with the powerhouse Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club in Arizona.

Winchester was an Olympian for the United States at 53 kg in Tokyo and was a world champion in 2019 at 55 kg. Winchester was originally slated to wrestle at 53 kg but didn’t make the weight cutoff, forcing her up to 57 kg.

All six of the women who were earning spots on the U.S. team Saturday qualify directly for the Olympic tournament in Paris this summer, avoiding an international qualifying tournament.

___

Kaleb Boyer is a journalism student at Penn State University.

Last week’s move by the track body and its president Sebastian Coe broke with tradition because the International Olympic Committee does not pay prize money, though many state governments and national Olympic bodies do.

“For many, this move undermines the values of Olympism and the uniqueness of the games,” the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, known by the acronym ASOIF, said Friday.

It also fueled speculation about the IOC presidential contest next year when Thomas Bach’s 12-year limit expires. However, his allies want the Olympic Charter changed to let him stay while Coe turns 68 this year and could be stopped by age limit rules.

Coe, a two-time Olympic champion in the men’s 1,500 meters, pledged $2.4 million — $50,000 for each of 48 gold medals in track and field — from his sport’s share of the IOC’s multi-billion dollar income. WA got about $39.5 million from the IOC for the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

A former lawmaker in the British parliament, Coe said the money acknowledged that “athletes are the stars of the show.”

“There has been consensus that Olympic revenues should, at least for the more commercially successful and financially independent IFs, be invested as a priority into development and integrity matters,” said ASOIF, based in the Olympic home city Lausanne, Switzerland.

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The timing of Coe’s pledge also surprised many as it came one day after the ASOIF annual meeting, held in Birmingham, England, and he is a member of its ruling council.

“During the last days, ASOIF’s membership has expressed several concerns about World Athletics’ announcement,” the group said.

“One cannot and should not put a price on an Olympic gold medal and, in many cases, Olympic medalists indirectly benefit from commercial endorsements,” ASOIF said. “This disregards the less privileged athletes lower down the final standings.”

ASOIF suggested “not all sports could or should replicate this move, even if they wanted to.” Paying prize money “goes against the principle of solidarity” and could take money away from governing bodies’ work that was their duty compared to commercial promoters of sports events.

The backlash from Olympic sports — whose leaders are among about 100 IOC members who elect the president — likely was predicted by Coe, who has elevated the issue of how to reward athletes in the often insular world of IOC politics.

The cash promise was popular with United States athletes in various sports preparing to compete in Paris, who can earn $37,500 from their team for gold medals, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze. The Paris Olympics start July 26.

It’s the same script entering the 2024 Paris Games, with players like Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry headlining the 12-player bunch.

The full list is as follows:

• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
• Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
• Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
• Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
• Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
• Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
• Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
• Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
• Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

Team USA is seeking its fifth straight gold medal in the competition, but the roster did spark some debates: Were there any snubs?

It’s hard to classify any player as a snub for the roster given how small it is and the competition to even make the initial list.

But, if there were high-quality exclusions who deserved a nod, which players would those be? Let’s take a look at four:

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Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

Maxey has been the key reason to the 76ers staying afloat amid Embiid’s injuries. The 23-year-old guard has averaged a career-high 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and one steal on a 45/37/87 shooting split.

The 2020 No. 21 overall selection has consistently improved in each of his first four seasons, so he wouldn’t have necessarily looked out of place on the team. The main issue is there are other scoring guards already on the team, so his profile would’ve become redundant.

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

Brunson is stuck between that rough line of being elite statistically but not being the ideal star due to his size and frame. The Knicks guard averaged a career-best 28.7 points and 6.7 assists to go with 3.6 rebounds, 0.9 steals and a 48//40/85 shooting split.

But, like Maxey, the 27-year-old Brunson has a profile that becomes redundant in the team and it’d likely be better to give the opportunity to younger guards who may have multiple Olympic opportunities after Paris.

Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks

Irving has two gold medals while representing the senior Team USA side. He helped win gold at the 2014 World Cup then also claimed gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

However, the 32-year-old Mavericks star did not get called up despite averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 assists and five rebounds on a 50/41/91 shooting split. Irving’s likely competition for a spot was Celtics guard Holiday, who might’ve received the nod due to his overall defensive prowess.

Cooper Flagg, Duke commit

Most won’t know Flagg, but he’s a 17-year-old consensus five-star prospect who committed to Duke. Why should a youngster like Flagg get called up?

“The real snub is Cooper Flagg,” NBC Sports Boston Celtics analyst Brian Scalabrine said in a panel. “Flagg should’ve been on that team. He was USA Basketball Player of the Year two years ago and he could be waiting in the wings for the future. Groom him, let him sit there as the 12th man. Let him learn from the greatest players out there.”

Team USA has called up young prospects before, such as Anthony Davis in 2012 when he just entered the NBA at 19 years old. Davis was an injury replacement for Blake Griffin, but his potential was too big to ignore. That may just be the case with Flagg down the line.

Nike has revealed the official medal ceremony looks they created for Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and we got the first look April 17 on TODAY.

Team USA medal recipients will wear zipped jackets with mock collars “made with a stretch woven material and a Dri-FIT liner,” according to Nike.

The brand also notes that the “angled, perforated ventilation on the chest is a nod to the classic Nike Windrunner design.”

Athletes will also wear slim-fitting pants with tapered legs made from the same stretchy material as the jacket. 

Nike notes that the pants “come with a stretch waist band, built in belt, and zippered pockets for secure storage.”

Athletes will also wear Nike Air Max Dn shoes, which feature air-filled tubes in the soles “to provide greater cushioning, while styled for comfort, utility and versatility,” according to Nike.

Team USA medalists will be dressed head-to-toe in Nike gear apart from the medals themselves. This year’s Olympic and Paralympic medals have a special connection to France, and are made from actual scraps of original iron from the Eiffel Tower. 

Nike also created its first breakdancing shoe, the Nike Jam, in connection with the 2024 Olympics, in honor of breakdancing making its Olympic debut in Paris this year, according to Complex.

Breakdancing is the only completely new sport coming to the Games this year, although three sports that made their Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020 — surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing — will be returning in Paris.

Nike also recently revealed the official uniforms for Team USA track and field athletes.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will take place from July 26 through August 11. 

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USA Basketball officially announced its 12-man roster for the men’s tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics, headlined by LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.

Here is the full 12-man roster:

• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
• Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
• Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
• Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
• Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
• Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
• Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
• Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
• Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

James is back with Team USA for the first time since the 2012 London Olympics. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is a three-time Olympian, earning bronze in 2004 and back-to-back golds in 2008 and 2012.

Durant, meanwhile, has a chance to become the first men’s basketball player to win four Olympic gold medals. He debuted in 2012 and became the face of Team USA during gold medal runs at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Curry will be making his Olympics debut in Paris with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr taking the reins of the men’s team. At 36 years old, Curry will seemingly step in as the starting point guard for the 2024 competition.

Embiid, Haliburton, Edwards, and Leonard are also representing Team USA at the Olympics for the first time. Embiid, the 2022-23 NBA MVP, was also eligible to play for France or Cameroon on the international stage but committed to Team USA in October.

Tatum, Holiday, Adebayo, and Booker all won gold in their Olympic debuts in Tokyo. Davis is also a one-time gold medalist, earning his in 2012 before he even made his NBA debut.

As part of Wednesday’s roster announcement, USA Basketball also gave a glimpse of new jerseys for the Paris Olympics.

Team USA will be going for its fifth straight and 17th overall gold medal in men’s basketball. The team also has a silver medal (1972) and two bronzes (1988 and 2004) in its history.

The team will open Paris Olympics play on July 28 against Serbia before playing South Sudan on July 31 and the winner of the Puerto Rico Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Aug. 3.

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The Paris Olympics is just 100 days away, with competitions scheduled to begin on July 24 and the festivities slated to officially commence with the Opening Ceremony on July 26.

That will launch a two-week global competition featuring dozens of sports, hundreds of countries and thousands of athletes, with live coverage on NBC and Peacock.

The action begins with men’s rugby and men’s soccer matches on the morning of July 24. The final medals will be awarded on Day 16 of the Games, which falls on Aug. 11. That, of course, will be followed by the Closing Ceremony.

To kick off the 100-day countdown, NBC asked Team USA athletes to guess the Olympic sport that a professional mime was performing. 

Check out the video above and see if you can guess what sport the mime is acting out before the Olympians do.

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When is the Olympics Opening Ceremony?

The Opening Ceremony at the 2024 Olympics in Paris will be on Friday, July 26. Events are scheduled to begin at 8:24 p.m. local time, which is 2:24 p.m. ET.

When do the Olympics begin?

The first competitions of the Paris Olympics will begin on July 24, two days before the Opening Ceremony. 

You can learn everything else you need to know about the Paris Olympics here.

Bodies will be contorted, gravity will seemingly be defied, and athletes will be showcasing “headspins,” “windmills” and “freeze” moves — and it will all be set to music.

The sport, also known as breaking, made its successful debut at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where it topped 1 million viewers, according to NBC Olympics, far outpacing audiences for many other sports. The Olympics declared it an “outstanding success,” and now both the organizers and the athletes hope to translate that magic to the biggest stage in sports.

“This is a chance for us to grow and educate people on breaking,” Jeffrey Louis (B-Boy Jeffro), told NBC Olympics. Louis, the fifth-ranked B-boy in the world, is considered a favorite for one of the remaining spots on the U.S. Olympic team.

Breaking joins other newer sports, including three that were added to the Olympic program for the first time at the 2020 Tokyo Games — surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing.

Adding those sports to the official Olympics roster is an attempt by the International Olympic Committee to reach a younger audience, given that “all four are easy to take up and participants form communities that are very active on social media,” according to the Paris Olympics.

The committee, known as the IOC, hopes millions of kids worldwide will be inspired to take up the sports themselves.

“If we get it right, we can create something unstoppable,” Louis said. “We can’t let it pass us up again, because the first time breaking blew up, it fizzled out.”

What is breaking?

The dance-battle sport is “characterised by acrobatic movements, stylised footwork and the key role played by the DJ and the MC (master of ceremonies) during battles,” according to the Paris Olympics.

Some of the moves will have audiences wondering where the halfpipe is as athletes twist and turn like they should have boards under their feet.

The sport’s techniques include top rock (standing footwork) and down rock (moves on the floor), power moves (twists and spins) and the freeze, when breakers freeze in poses while using their heads or hands for support.

How will it work?

The breaking competition in Paris will be divided into two events — one for women and one for men — and they will take place Aug. 9 and 10 at La Concorde Urban Park.

In total, 16 B-boys or 16 B-girls will “go face to face in spectacular solo battles,” according to the Paris Olympics.

The competitors will show off their best moves as they try to keep up with the beat of the DJ’s tracks, improvising to stay alive in the dance battle with a combination of “power moves,” including windmills, the 6-step and freezes, according to the Paris Olympics.

Judges will then vote, paving the way for the first breaking medalists in Olympic history.

Who is on the U.S. Olympic breaking team?

The U.S. will be represented by four breakers — two B-boys and two B-girls — who will compete in solo battles for the gold medal.

So far, two U.S. breakers have qualified: Sunny Choi (B-Girl Sunny) and Victor Montalvo (B-Boy Victor).

From the Bronx to Paris

It has been a decades-long battle to get breaking to the main stage.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• Photos: See how Paris has evolved from the 1924 Summer Olympics to today
• The Olympics are nearly here. For a weary world, they can’t come soon enough.
• Female athletes criticize Nike’s skimpy Olympic track uniform

The United States is projected to win 123 medals overall, including 39 golds. China is projected to win 35 gold and 89 medals overall. The two also finished 1-2 in both categories three years ago in the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics.

This forecast is done by Nielsen’s Gracenote Sports, which supplies statistical analysis for sports leagues around the world. It also tracks major competitions involving Olympic sports leading up to the Games.

Gracenote’s rankings are based on overall medals won, although others focus the rankings on gold totals.

This would be the eighth straight time the United States has won the most overall medals in the Summer Games. In 1992 at Barcelona, the so-called Unified team topped the overall count. Those athletes were from the former Soviet Union, which had just broken up as a sovereign state.

The last time the United States did not top the gold-medal count in the Summer Games was in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where China invested heavily and saw dividends.

Next in line with overall and gold totals are: Britain (66-13), France (55-28), Australia (50-13), Japan (49-13), Italy (47-12), Netherlands (38-18), Germany (36-9), South Korea (24-9).

The next 10 are: Canada (22-6), Spain (20-5), Hungary (19-5), Brazil (18-9), Turkey (13-4), Ethiopia (13-3), Uzbekistan (13-3), Ukraine (13-3), Georgia (12-3) and Denmark (11-5).

Host nations always get a bump in medals, and France is expected to get a big one and increase its overall total from 33 in Tokyo. France is forecast to nearly triple its gold-medal output from Tokyo, where Japan picked up a record haul.

Performing at home is an advantage, partly because host nations invest more heavily in training athletes. Then, of course, there are adoring home crowds.

France is also competing in 25 different sports in Paris, far above its average in recent Olympics of between 15 and 19, according to Gracenote’s analysis.

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The unknown factor is the presence of Russian and — to a lesser extent — Belarussian athletes. They have been absent from most international competitions over the last two years because of the war in Ukraine. Their influence is difficult to factor into the forecast, Gracenote acknowledges.

“It appears that there will be limited participation of these athletes (Russian and Belarussian),” Gracenote said. It said it expects its predictions to be accurate “based on the data that we have.”

Russia and Belarus are barred from team sports at the Olympics because of the war in Ukraine and the International Olympic Committee has laid out a two-step vetting procedure for individual athletes from those countries to be granted neutral status.

Those athletes must first be approved by the governing body of their individual sport and then by an an IOC-appointed review panel.

That’s because the swimming club where 10-year-old Lyla Kebbi trains will inherit an Olympic pool. It will be dismantled after the Games and trucked from the Olympic race venue in Paris’ high-rise business district to Sevran, a Paris-area town with less glitter and wealth. There, the pieces will be bolted back together and — voila! — Kebbi and her swim team will have a new Olympic-sized pool to splash around in.

“It’s incredible!” she says. “I hope it’s going to bring us luck,” adds her mother, Nora.

In 100 days as of Wednesday, the Paris Olympics will kick off with a wildly ambitious waterborne opening ceremony. But the first Games in a century in France’s capital won’t be judged for spectacle alone. Another yardstick will be their impact on disadvantaged Paris suburbs, away from the city-center landmarks that are hosting much of the action.

By promising socially positive and also less polluting and less wasteful Olympics, the city synonymous with romance is also setting itself the high bar of making future Games generally more desirable.

Critics question their value for a world grappling with climate warming and other emergencies. Potential host cities became so Games-averse that Paris and Los Angeles were the only remaining candidates in 2017 when the International Olympic Committee selected them for 2024 and 2028, respectively.

After scandals and the $13 billion cost of the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, unfulfilled promises of beneficial change for host Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi tarnished by Russian doping and President Vladimir Putin’s subsequent land grabs in Ukraine, the Switzerland-based IOC has mountains of skepticism to dispel.

Virtuous Summer Games in Paris could help the long-term survival of the IOC’s mega-event.

The idea that the July 26-Aug. 11 Games and Aug. 28-Sept. 8 Paralympics should benefit disadvantaged communities in the Seine-Saint-Denis region northeast of Paris was built from the outset into the city’s plans.

Seine-Saint-Denis is mainland France’s poorest region. Thanks to generations of immigration, it also is vibrantly diverse, counting 130 nationalities and more than 170 languages spoken by its 1.6 million inhabitants. For Seine-Saint-Denis kids facing racial discrimination and other barriers, sports are sometimes a route out. World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé honed his silky soccer skills as a boy in the Seine-Saint-Denis town of Bondy.

Once heavily industrialized, Seine-Saint-Denis became grim and scary in parts after many jobs were lost. Rioting rocked its streets in 2005 and again last year. Members of an Islamic extremist cell that killed 130 people in the French capital in 2015 hid after the carnage in an apartment in the town of Saint-Denis and were killed in a shootout with heavily armed SWAT teams. That drama unfolded just a 15-minute walk from the Olympic stadium that will host track and field and rugby and the closing ceremonies.

Concretely, the Games will leave a legacy of new and refurbished sports infrastructure in Seine-Saint-Denis, although critics say the investment still isn’t enough to catch it up with better equipped, more prosperous regions.

Mamitiana Rabarijaona grew up close to the Olympic stadium, built originally for the 1998 soccer World Cup. He says it didn’t provide much of a boost for Seine-Saint-Denis residents. He believes the Olympics will be “a big party” and he will be among 45,000 volunteers who’ll be helping. But he is not expecting Olympic-related investments to magically erase Seine-Saint-Denis’ many difficulties.

“It’s like lifting the carpet and brushing the dust underneath,” he said. “It doesn’t make it go away.”

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Seine-Saint-Denis got the new Olympic village that will become housing and offices when the 10,500 Olympians and 4,400 Paralympians have left. It also is home to the Games’ only purpose-built competition venue, an aquatics center for diving, water polo and artistic swimming events. Other competition venues already existed, were previously planned or will be temporary.

“We really were driven by the ambition of sobriety and above all not to build sports facilities that aren’t needed and which will have no reason to exist after the Games,” Marie Barsacq, the organizing committee’s legacy director, said in an interview.

The hand-me-down 50-meter pool for Sevran will be a significant upgrade. The Seine-Saint-Denis town of 51,000 people was whacked by factory closures in the 1990s. Its existing 25-meter pool is nearly 50 years old.

Other Seine-Saint-Denis towns are also getting new or renovated pools — particularly welcome for the region’s children, because only half of them can swim.

“The ambition for these Olympic Games … is that they benefit everyone and for the longest time possible,” said Sevran Mayor Stéphane Blanchet. The Olympics, Blanchet said, can’t “carry on just passing though and then moving on without thinking about tomorrow.”

At close to 9 billion euros ($9.7 billion), more than half from sponsors, ticket sales and other non-public funding, Paris’ expenses so far are less than for the last three Summer Games in Tokyo, Rio and London in 2012.

Including policing and transport costs, the portion of the bill for French taxpayers is likely to be around 3 billion euros ($3.25 billon), France’s body for auditing public funds said in its most recent study in July.

Security remains a challenge for the city repeatedly hit by deadly extremist violence. The government downsized ambitions to have 600,000 people lining the River Seine for the opening ceremony. Citing the risk of attacks, it shelved a promise that anyone could apply for hundreds of thousands of free tickets. Instead, the 326,000 spectators will either be paying ticket-holders or have been invited.

Privacy advocates are critical of video surveillance technology being deployed to spot security threats. Campaigners for the homeless are concerned that they will be swept off streets. Many Parisians plan to leave, to avoid the disruptions or to rent their homes to the expected 15 million visitors. With trade unions pushing for Olympic bonuses, strikes are also possible.

And all this against an inflammable backdrop of geopolitical crises including but not limited to the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a consequence, the IOC isn’t allowing athletes from Russia and ally Belarus to parade with other Olympians at the opening ceremony.

Still, Olympics fans expect big things of Paris. They include Ayaovi Atindehou, a 32-year-old trainee doctor from Togo studying in France. The Olympic volunteer believes the Games can bridge divisions, even if just temporarily.

“The whole world without racial differences, ethnic differences, religious differences. We will be all together, shouting, celebrating,” he said. “We need the Olympic Games.”

Cloudy skies prevented the traditional lighting, when an actress dressed as an ancient Greek priestess uses the sun to ignite a silver torch.

Instead, a backup flame was used that had been lit on the same spot Monday, during the final rehearsal.

Normally, the foremost of a group of priestesses in long, pleated dresses offers a prayer to the ancient Greek sun god, Apollo. She then dips the fuel-filled torch into a parabolic mirror which focuses the sun’s rays on it, and fire spurts forth.

But this time she didn’t even try, going straight for the backup, kept in a copy of an ancient Greek pot.

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From the ancient stadium in Olympia, a relay of torchbearers will carry the flame more than 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) through Greece until the handover to Paris Games organizers in Athens on April 26.

Thousands of spectators from all over the world packed Olympia for Tuesday’s event amid the ruined temples and sports grounds where the ancient games were held from 776 B.C.-393 A.D.

The sprawling site, in a lush valley by the confluence of two rivers, is at its prettiest in the spring, teeming with pink-flowering Judas trees, small blue irises and the occasional red anemone.

The first torchbearer was Greek rower Stefanos Douskos, a gold medalist in 2021 in Tokyo. He will run to a nearby monument that contains the heart of French Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the driving force behind the modern revival of the games.

The next runner will be Laure Manaudou, a French swimmer who won three medals at Athens in 2004. She will hand over to senior European Union official Margaritis Schinas, a Greek.

The flame will travel from Athens’ port of Piraeus on the Belem, a French three-masted sailing ship built in 1896 — the year of the first modern games in Athens.

According to Captain Aymeric Gibet, it’s due on May 8 in the southern French port of Marseille, a city founded by Greek colonists some 2,600 years ago.

The Belem arrived in Katakolo, near Olympia, on Monday. Lookers-on included a small, enthusiastic group of tourists from the northwestern French region of Brittany, where the ship’s homeport of Nantes is, waving French and Breton flags.

“We thought it would be a unique opportunity to see the flame lighting at the historic site of Olympia,” said Jean-Michel Pasquet from Lorient, near Nantes. “And when we also learnt the Belem would carry the flame … we said we must do this.”

But Pasquet said he’d have to watch the Paris Games from home.

“For us, it would be really very expensive, unaffordable,” to go to the venues, he said. “So we’ll watch them on television … from our armchairs.”

That was three years ago at the COVID-19 Summer Olympics and two years ago at the COVID-19 Winter Olympics. Now that they’re preparing for the Paris Olympics that begin in July — and a return to something that feels normal — the Americans heading back to the Games know they can never take for granted the screaming fans and a hug from Mom or Dad.

“I think it’s super important to be able to share these massive moments with people you care about,” said BMX rider Alise Willoughby, who has been to the last three Olympics.

Willoughby and about 100 other U.S. athletes are doing interviews and photo shoots this week at the Team USA media summit at a hotel in Times Square — an event that itself was made impossible in the lead-up to the Tokyo Games in 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

One topic of conversation this week is how grateful the bikers, rowers, gymnasts and the rest are to be past the days of contact tracing, quarantines and daily swabbing or spitting for COVID-19 tests inside the so-called Olympic bubble.

In Paris, there will be celebrations with relatives and one-on-one contact with coaches, most of whom were not allowed into the venues three years ago. The USA House — a traditional stop for athletes to wind down and kick back, especially after they’re done competing — will be doing brisk business once again.

Mostly, athletes are looking forward to the chance to soak in the feeling from the crowd, an element sorely missing in the cavernous and largely unfilled venues in Tokyo.

“I’ll be able to see the audience’s emotions. I want to build that with them and I can tailor my routines to that,” said American rhythmic gymnast Evita Griskenas, who plans French music to accompany one routine and “All-American” number for another, all with the goal of getting fans caught up in the moment.

Griskenas said she already feels a different vibe. Preparing for the Olympics in Tokyo — Games that were initially delayed by a year, then held in an atmosphere nobody quite recognized — became a largely solitary, and joyless, affair.

“It turned into training in my basement and throwing things outside,” she said.

This year, a different experience awaits, and some athletes are even looking forward to a crowd rooting against them because, hey, at least it’s a crowd.

“The boys have been saying, ‘We want to play France in, like, the semifinals,’” rugby player Perry Baker said. “You just visualize how big that can be, and how fun that can be. Their crowd. Our crowd. We live for those moments.”

With crowds, naturally, come other issues that were mostly set on the sideline in 2021. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the much-touted opening ceremony scheduled for the Seine River could be moved to the Stade de France if the security threat is deemed too high.

Asked what she thought of that possibility, Nicole Deal, the chief of security for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said other than her main goal — athlete safety — she wants to provide the best experience for the athletes.

“Security is an underpinning and a foundation. We’re not the main show,” Deal said.

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With two of the next five Olympics set to come to the U.S. — Los Angeles hosts in 2028 and Salt Lake City is a virtual lock for the Winter Games in 2034 — Olympic leaders know there’s a lot riding on Paris. This return to “normal,” they hope, will bring more Americans back to watching the Olympics in person, online and on TV.

Prime-time ratings in Tokyo were 42% lower than the previous Summer Games, in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and 50% below the Games before that, in London in 2012. There were a number of reasons for that — including the increasingly fragmented viewing audience, the rise of streaming services and the 13-hour time difference between New York and Japan.

But also: COVID-19.

“Even for those who were back home, it wasn’t the most important thing going on for us at that time,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said of the renewed possibilities presented by the first COVID-19-free Games since 2018. “This is about an opportunity to really focus on this incredible thing called ‘Olympic and Paralympic sport.’ It brings us together almost like nothing else.”

The way things went in Tokyo took some of the luster away from what was nearly a perfect experience for indoor volleyball player Jordyn Poulter. Yes, she won a gold medal in her first Olympics, three years ago. Yes, it was a once-in-a-lifetime type of triumph. Still, there was something missing.

“Not being able to relish in that moment with friends and family in that immediate time — it’s something that I’m looking forward to in this next one,” she said.

The squad set to compete in the Paris Games reportedly was revealed on Monday and it’s headlined by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry.

The 12-man roster initially had one spot open, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, which was later filled.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was the final player brought up, USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt reported on Tuesday.

Here are the 12 players reportedly called up:

• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
• Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
• Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
• Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
• Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
• Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
• Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
• Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
• Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

Potential candidates for the final spot reportedly included Clippers’ Paul George, Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero, Brooklyn Nets‘ Mikal Bridges or New York Knicks‘ Jalen Brunson, The Athletic’s Shams Charania added.

Team USA is seeking its fifth straight gold medal in the Olympics. It’s the most dominant team in the competition having medaled in all 19 times it participated (withdrew from the 1980 Olympics in Russia).

Sixteen of those medals are gold, with one silver (1972) and two bronze (1988, 2004).

James, of course, has the most Olympics experience of anyone on the list. The 39-year-old was on the 2004 bronze-winning squad, then helped win gold in 2008 and 2012. This would be his fourth Olympics appearance.

On the contrary, Curry, surprisingly enough, is set to make his Olympics debut. The 36-year-old superstar has never competed in a prior tournament, so 2024 could be the year he adds more hardware to his already-stacked resume.

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Durant, 35, could have the chance to make history. He’s one of two men’s basketball players with three gold medals (tied with Carmelo Anthony), so a fourth in 2024 would make him the winningest Olympic men’s basketball player of all time. Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi each possess five gold medals on the women’s side.

Elsewhere, Davis won gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. Booker, Tatum, Holiday and Adebayo were on the squad that most recently claimed gold in Tokyo.

Along with the aforementioned Curry, Leonard, Embiid, Edwards and Haliburton currently don’t have an Olympic medal.

Team USA’s group in Paris features Serbia, South Sudan and the winner of the Puerto Rico Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

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France is on high security alert ahead of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, which are expected to draw millions of visitors to the country.

Security concerns are notably high for the the exceptional opening ceremony, which involves boats carrying athletes along the Seine on a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) parade and huge crowds watching from the embankments.

Speaking to French media BFM-TV and RMC, Macron said France’s law enforcement forces will be mobilized at an exceptional level for the security of the open-air event.

“But if we think there are risks, depending on our analysis of the context, we have fallback scenarios,” Macron said. “There are plan Bs and plan Cs.”

The July 26 event is set to be the first Olympic opening ceremony held outside a stadium setting. About 10,500 athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along the route ending in front of the Trocadéro.

To limit security risks, Macron said organizers could decide to shorten the itinerary of the parade on the Seine, and even to “repatriate the ceremony to the Stade de France” for a more conventional opening event.

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Organizers had originally planned a grandiose opening ceremony for as many as 600,000 people, most watching free of charge from riverbanks. But security and logistical concerns have led the government to progressively scale back its ambitions. Earlier this year, the overall number of spectators was reduced to around 300,000.

The French government also decided that tourists won’t be given free access to watch the opening ceremony because of security concerns. Free access will be invitation-only instead.

Macron insisted that, for now, plans for the opening ceremony remain the same.

“It’s a world first. We can do it and we will do it,” the French President said.

France has repeatedly been hit by deadly Islamic State attacks, including the Bataclan theater massacre in 2015 in which extremists opened fire on concert-goers and held hostages for hours. French troops have also fought against Islamic extremists in the Middle East and Africa.

Last month, the French government increased its security alert posture to the highest level after the deadly attack at a Russian concert hall and the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility.

Macron said that security perimeters will be installed “days, even weeks” before the opening ceremony. He added that road traffic in the high-security zone will be brought to a standstill, and that French authorities will use “drone systems, coding, cyber protection,” in their safeguarding efforts.

Answering to a viewer who expressed concerns about her son attending the opening ceremony, Macron said “If there’s one place where your son will be safe, it’s here.”

“There are always risks in life,” he said. “And we see it every day, unfortunately. But we’ve given ourselves the means to do it.”

In a move away from a more traditional red-brick clay color, an Olympic track is going purple for the first time.

The pieces of vulcanized rubber track were produced at a factory in northern Italy and workers have been laying them down at Stade de France, the national stadium hosting track events.

Workers even appeared to be doing an event of their own. Call it track rolling.

Getting down on their hands and knees, and with their hard hats on, they patiently and meticulously unfurl each strip before hammering a nail in to keep it in position. More than 1,000 such rolls will be used for the track, which requires about one month’s work and 2,800 pots of glue in total.

Three years ago, three world records and 12 Olympic marks were set on the red-brick track in Tokyo.

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Mondo has provided the track at every Summer Games since Montreal in 1976, and the company hopes to do even better in Paris. New generation granules are more elastic and cohesive, while multiple algorithms create a more optimal shape and dimension for the air cells inside the track, reducing energy loss and thereby improving performance.

Expect more records to fall at the Stade de France, said Alain Blondel, the sports manager overseeing athletics events at the July 26-Aug. 11 Paris Games and the Aug. 28-Sept. 8 Paralympics.

“The first indications are that it will be a very, very good track,” said Blondel, a former Olympic decathlete. “If we see athletes with personal bests on the scoreboard, it means we did a good job. They will come into their best form, best shape of their life.”

But why choose purple?

“That’s one of the colors of the Games that we have (along) with, blue (and) green,” Blondel said. “The rubber itself is a perfect quality, the best quality. I’m pretty confident that we will have something exceptional in this stadium.”

There are 10 NBA-based players in coach Brian Goorjian’s squad, which also includes Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels. The squad will be trimmed to 12 players before a pre-Games training camp in July.

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons was not named in the squad as he is still recovering from back surgery. Simmons has never played at the Olympics for Australia but said he had planned to compete in Paris before his most recent injury.

The Boomers are coming off a 10th-place finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but secured automatic qualification for Paris as the highest-finishing team from Oceania.

Goorjian will lead the Boomers to a fourth Olympics as head coach.

“The World Cup in 2023 marked a new beginning for the Boomers,” Goorjian said Thursday. “We were able to introduce some new faces and identify areas that we needed to advance and improve, We’ve been actively monitoring the Aussie players across international leagues in U.S., Europe and Asia as well as domestically in the NBL and we’re confident in the potential chemistry of this list.”

Australia will play in Group A at the Paris Games. Its only confirmed opponent in that group so far is Canada.

The other two teams will come from qualifying tournaments. One is in Greece — either Greece, Slovenia, New Zealand, Croatia, Egypt and the Dominican Republic, and the other is in Spain — one of Spain, Lebanon, Angola, Finland, Poland and Bahamas.

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Australia opens play against the Spain qualifier on July 27. There are 12 teams in the group phase with eight advancing to the medal round. The men’s gold medal final is scheduled for Aug. 10 at Bercy Arena in Paris.

___

Australia Olympic squad: Dyson Daniels, Matthew Dellavedova, Xavier Cooks, Dante Exum, Sam Froling, Johnny Furphy, Josh Giddey, Chris Goulding, Josh Green, Joe Ingles, Nick Kay, Jock Landale, Will Magnay, Will McDowell-White, Jack McVeigh, Patty Mills, Keanu Pinder, Duop Reath, Matisse Thybulle, Dejan Vasiljevic, Jack White, Rocco Zikarsky.

This week that aspiration was dealt a filthy reality check.

The president of the Olympics has admitted that the triathlon swimming section could be postponed or canceled if pollution levels are still too high. His comments came after a French charity warned that bacteria, including “pollution of fecal origin,” was far higher in the river than permitted with a little over 100 days to go.

This despite France spending 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) on upgrading the city’s antiquated sewage system, which discharges waste into the river during periods of heavy rainfall.

“We can postpone for rainy conditions,” Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said during a conference in Birmingham, England, on Tuesday. Despite saying he was “confident that it will be possible to use the Seine,” he admitted that there could be “a final decision where we could not swim — it’s part of the rules of the International Federation. It’s what we want to avoid, of course.”

Asked for comment, the International Olympic Committee said that Estanguet was only restating the rules laid out by World Triathlon. The governing body says the event can be made into a duathlon — just running and cycling, no swimming — or canceled if the water is too polluted.

“We are working hard on it. You know it’s one of the bigger challenges,” Estanguet told reporters at the SportAccord conference. “When we decided to have this competition in the Seine we knew it will be a big challenge. But with the authorities there is a big program of investment and, when we talk about legacy, this project is fantastic.”

Last August, the test marathon swimming event was canceled because the Seine failed pollution tests.

As well as the triathlon, the river is also set to be used in marathon swimming and paratriathlon events, and play host to a flotilla-based opening ceremony.

It’s part of an ambitious plan to open up the river to public swimmers by 2025, something that’s been illegal for 100 years because of the dangerously high pollution levels. Doing so has meant vastly altering Paris’ sewage system, including a 13 million-gallon overflow tank called the Austerlitz Basin.

Both French President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo have promised to take a dip in the waters to prove their cleanliness.

However, critics have accused officials of unnecessarily jeopardizing one of the Olympics’ iconic sports by trying to hold it in the Seine — no doubt an iconic showcase for both city and event.

Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil, the gold medal winner of the Tokyo 2020 women’s marathon 10-kilometer swim (6.2 miles), told the AFP news agency last month that “we need a plan B in case it’s not possible to swim in the Seine,” adding that “the Seine is not made for swimming.”

A day before Estanguet made the remarks about the triathlon, the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation Europe also raised the alarm.

On 10 days from September to March, it took samples from the Pont de l’Alma and the Pont Alexandre III, where the events are due to be held. It found that tests on only two of these days met World Triathlon standards for two types of fecal bacteria: enterococci and escherichia coli.

On eight of the 10 days, e.coli levels were at least double the permitted level. And on one day they were almost four times too high, it said.

“We are therefore genuinely concerned about the health of athletes,” the foundation said, alleging that the measures implemented by city and regional governments were either unclear or insufficient.

In response to the Surfrider study, the city of Paris said in a statement that it was an inaccurate picture because the Seine will only be swimmable during the summer, but the samples were taken during rainier months when pollution is more likely. Furthermore, it has not yet brought online the Austerlitz Basin, due to be inaugurated May 2, it said.

“We are surprised” by the time frame of the study, the city said in a statement. “The Seine is not intended to accommodate swimmers from mid-September to June” for “safety reasons.”

Though Paris is notoriously polluted, it is far from the first Olympic triathlon water course to come under scrutiny ahead of the Games.

The venue at Tokyo 2020 was accused of smelling “like a toilet,” and organizers tipped almost 800,000 cubic feet of sand into the water in an attempt to attract naturally cleansing organisms.

This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News:

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Anouk Garnier broke the men’s and women’s world record for rope climbing at the Eiffel Tower. The two-time world champion obstacle course racer made it from the ground up 110 meters (nearly 361 feet) to the second story of the tower in 18 minutes.

Garnier broke the previous record held by South Africa’s Thomas Van Tonder, who made it 90 meters up a rope between the Soweto Towers in Johannesburg four years ago.

“My dream has come true. It’s magical,” Garnier said, via The Guardian. “If there was one thing I never doubted, it was that I was going to do it.”

Along with setting a record, Garnier used the opportunity to raise money for France’s League Against Cancer, a cause close to her heart.

“My mother has cancer and it was important for me to surpass my limits for a good cause close to my heart, to help cancer research,” she said, via Yahoo.

On top of record holder and two-time world champion, Garnier will get to add another title to her resume this spring: Olympic torchbearer. She will carry the Olympic torch in Marseilles in May ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, which is set for July 26.

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The move is a symbolic break with the amateur past of the Olympics in one of the games’ most-watched events.

The governing body of athletics said it was setting aside $2.4 million to pay the gold medalists across the 48 events on the track and field program for this year’s Paris Olympics. Relay teams will split the $50,000 between their members. Payments for silver and bronze medalists are planned to start from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe told reporters that the move is meant “to recognize that the revenue share that we receive is in large part because our athletes are the stars of the show.”

The prize money will come out of the share of Olympic revenue that that the IOC distributes to World Athletics.

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However, the move could upset the balance of power in the Olympic movement ahead of the Paris Games. Coe said World Athletics only gave the International Olympic Committee “a heads-up” of its intentions on Wednesday morning, shortly before it published its announcement. The IOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the World Athletics plan.

The modern Olympics originated as an amateur sports event and the IOC does not award prize money. However, many medalists receive payments from their countries’ governments, national sports bodies or from sponsors.

“I’m probably the last generation to have been on the 75-pence (95-cent) meal voucher and second-class rail fare, competing for my own country. So believe me, I do understand the nature of the transition we’ve been in,” Coe said.

The British runner won gold in the 1,500 meters at the 1980 and 1984 Games in an era when Olympic track was on the verge of opening up to professional athletes.

“It’s a completely different planet from when I was competing, so it’s very important that this sport recognizes the change in that landscape and the added pressures on many competitors.”

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee awarded $37,500 to gold medalists at the last Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021. Singapore’s National Olympic Council promises $1 million for Olympic gold, a feat only achieved once so far by a Singaporean competitor.

In sports like tennis and golf, the Olympic tournament is the only time in a season that many pro players compete for free, with medals on offer but no prize money. But Coe didn’t want to speculate on whether other events could follow track and field’s lead.

“I’ve always made it a point not to speak on behalf of other sports,” Coe said.

The move by World Athletics could be seen as an indicator of Coe’s intentions for the Olympics as a whole if he makes a run for the IOC presidency.

“I haven’t ruled it in, and I certainly haven’t ruled it out,” Coe said last year when asked whether he would consider running for the IOC’s top post when Thomas Bach’s term ends in 2025. The IOC typically disapproves of any public campaigning for the presidency.

Olympic gold medalists will still earn less prize money than they would at World Athletics’ own world championships. Last year’s edition in Budapest paid out prize money down to eighth place with $70,000 on offer for individual gold medalists.

Athletes will have to pass “the usual anti-doping procedures” at the Olympics before they receive the new prize money, World Athletics added.

Dozens of workers at the French national mint, which is making the medals, are demanding the same “Olympics bonus” being paid to police officers and other government employees.

On Monday, around 50 workers demonstrated outside the mint and claimed that they had been able to disrupt medal production ahead of the Games, which start July 26.

“Stop the contempt!” the General Confederation of Labour union, or GCT, posted to X. “In this context of inflation, there is an urgent need to increase wages!”

The mint denied that production was affected for the roughly 5,000 gold, silver and bronze medals — each containing an 18 gram, hexagonal piece of iron taken from the Eiffel Tower.

“Production of the medals is not blocked,” it said in a statement to NBC News. “All of the medals have been minted and we are at the finishing stage. We will deliver on schedule and on time.”

It said that 2% of its 430 workers had been on strike Friday, falling to less than 0.5% by Tuesday, amounting to just two workers. Those demonstrating outside the mint had mostly done so on their break time, it said.

Officials will hope that this expression of union unrest is not a sign of things to come this summer.

The French are famously unafraid of strikes and direct action, from the “Gilet Jaune” movement to the farmers currently spraying government buildings with manure.

And the timing of the Olympics makes the event something of a double-edged sword.

It comes when many Parisians will be out of town, easing the burden on the city’s antiquated transport system during an event expected to attract 10 million visitors. But it also cuts right through France’s annual hallowed period of national vacation.

In a bid to stave off strikes, the government has offered state workers bonuses of between 500 euros and 1,500 euros for their efforts (around $530-$1,630). But that has not eliminated the possibility of industrial action altogether.

The CGT has already filed notices with the government that transport and medical workers could stage walk-outs, and warned that more could follow.

Meanwhile, officials are grappling with the security headache presented by Paris 2024’s unique opening ceremony. According to current plans, the Games will begin with a 10,000-athlete, 90-boat flotilla down the river Seine — the first time the inaugural part will happen outside of a single venue.

Another concern is the cleanliness of the river itself, which is scheduled to be used for the marathon swimming and the triathlon.

Authorities have already spent some 1.4 billion euros trying to clean up the famously dirty water, in which it has been illegal to swim for 100 years. But French charity the Surfrider Foundation said Monday that its tests had found often double and sometimes triple the permitted level of harmful bacteria in the river.

This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News:

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It turned out she had scoliosis, and the diagnosis threatened her young climbing career.

“(I) got the surgery when I was thirteen, and then continued climbing afterwords,” Condie said. “And, I actually didn’t start doing really well in climbing until after my surgery. I think it really came at the right time where I knew then that that’s what I wanted to do.”

Fast forward to 2023, Condie is an Olympian in climbing with ambitions of winning a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Learn more about the worlds of past and future Olympic and Paralympic athletes with our Chasing Gold series

Getting to Tokyo in 2021 was a major accomplishment for Condie. However, she said she did not accomplish all of her goals there, placing 11th in Combined Women’s Sports Climbing.

“So I’d really love a chance at redemption on the Olympic stage” Condie said. “It would be really special to represent climbing again on that stage.”

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Since winning gold in four out of five competitions from 1996 to 2012, the USWNT did not medal in 2016 before claiming just a bronze in Tokyo.

Can the U.S. turn the tide in Paris? The 2024 Olympics should see a more well-balanced team in terms of quality and depth, with new manager Emma Hayes coming in from English side Chelsea.

But, while winning a medal is part of the Olympics equation, just being able to represent your country is something USWNT veteran Meghan Klingenberg holds high.

“My family was always very patriotic,” Klingenberg said in an interview with NBCUniversal Local. “We truly won and lost with the Olympians. We would pick our favorite one and then we would watch Michelle Kwan back when she was figure skating in the Olympics and, like, ride or die with her.”

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Klingenberg played on the 2016 USWNT team that didn’t medal for the first time in the sport in the country’s history. But, while Klingenberg acknowledged the letdown that year, she said over time she became grateful for the memories the experience provided.

“For me, it was always about representing something bigger than yourself,” Klingenberg said. “In Rio in 2016, at the time, it was a huge disappointment. But now, with some time, I think I’m so grateful that I got to go.

“All I remember is the times with my family in Rio and the times with my friends and teammates where we were laughing. It’s incredibly special to be a part of something like that, something that my family valued.”

The USWNT for the Paris Games drew Germany, Australia and one of Morocco or Zambia in the group stage.

It’s a group the U.S. has a solid chance to top, but it won’t be straightforward with Germany and Australia emerging in recent years.

The 2024 Olympic soccer tournament begins before the opening ceremony in Paris on July 24. For the first time in Olympic history, the women’s final concludes the tournament on Aug. 10.

Venues for soccer at the 2024 Olympics include: Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Étienne and Lyon.

The “Call Her Daddy” podcast host will be leading “Watch with Alex Cooper” during the Summer Games, a series of interactive watch parties that will stream on Peacock. 

The former Boston University soccer player will be joined by soon-to-be-announced guests throughout the series, watching Team USA compete in sports at the Olympic games including soccer, gymnastics and basketball. In the series, Cooper will also provide insight, interact with viewers and answer questions in real-time.

“As a former athlete, the chance to cheer on the world’s greatest athletes at the Olympics is beyond thrilling,” said Cooper. “I am so excited to be partnering with NBC and Peacock to present this interactive watch-party format for the first time from the Olympics, designed to bring audiences even closer to the excitement of in Paris. We are going to have so much fun.”

Cooper will also record “Call Her Daddy” from Paris and will produce additional Olympics-related content with NBCU leading up to the Games.

The content partnership joins other Olympics companion programming on Peacock, including the “Gold Zone”  which will stream live on Peacock with hosts Scott Hanson, Andrew Siciliano, Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Cooper has “attracted a fanatical audience by being unapologetically fun and original, and she has been a vocal supporter of women’s sports and female empowerment,” says Molly Solomon, executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production, in a statement. “‘Watch with Alex Cooper’ is designed to put the viewer in the room with her and her friends as they watch the athletes of Team USA take on the world.”

“Call Her Daddy” is one of the world’s top podcasts with an average of 5 million listeners per week. Her podcast alternates between solo episodes with Cooper diving into her own life or interviews with big-time celebrity guests. The show is best known for giving females the platform to unromantically open up about relationships, women’s rights, and mental health.

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In 2023, Cooper launched her own Gen-Z-focused media company, Trending, and its subsidiary, The Unwell Network, alongside her partner Matt Kaplan of ACE Entertainment. 

“Watch with Alex Cooper” will also be available on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympics and NBC apps via “TV Everywhere” for customers with pay-TV subscriptions, scheduled for July 26-Aug. 11, 2024. 

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At the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, on Tuesday, 20-year-old Hampton Morris smashed the clean and jerk world record, in both junior and senior-level, by lifting 388 lbs (176 kg) to his shoulders, then catching the weight over his head — all while weighing at under 135 lbs (61 kg). He became the first American male athlete to break a weightlifting world record since Bob Bednarski in 1969, according to USA Weightlifting.

The history-making lift not only moved Morris to #2 in the IWF world ranking in his weight class, with a total of 668 lbs (303 kg,) but it also signified Team USA’s chance at an Olympic medal in a sport where Americans typically don’t dominate.

The last time a U.S. man medaled in weightlifting at the Olympics was in 1984. Harrison Maurus came close in Tokyo, finishing fourth.

Morris also broke the American record in Phuket with his 280-lbs (127 kg) snatch, the first lift in Olympic Weightlifting where the athlete moves the barbell overhead in one fluid motion. He took home the silver in the snatch and the gold in clean and jerk, as well as a silver for the combined total. Tokyo Champion Li Fabin of China, who famously stood on one leg, took home the gold after breaking his own world record with a 322-lbs (146 kg) snatch.

While the U.S. isn’t known for Olympic weightlifting, American female athletes have made history in recent years — despite women being allowed to compete in the sport for the first time in 2000.

Sarah Robles brought home two bronze medals in Rio and Tokyo, becoming the first American weightlifter to medal at two consecutive games in 53 years. Kate Vibert also earned a silver in 2020. They marked the first time the U.S. earned a two weightlifting medals in a single Olympics in 21 years, Forbes reported.

Weightlifting fans won’t be seeing Robles in Paris, and Vibert still has to secure her spot in Paris by performing well in Phuket to move her current ranking at 14th up to the top 10 of her class. The 2024 Paris qualification is extremely competitive with each country only allowed to send three women and three men, one per weight category.

The number of categories has also been reduced from seven to five. That means USA Weightlifting is more likely to send athletes who will be medal contenders in their category. Notable female weightlifters who could make the team are Mary Theisen Lappen in +81kg, Olivia Reeves in the 71kg and Jourdan Delacruz in 49kg. They currently rank 6th, 2nd, and 6th in the world, respectively.

Vibert won her medal in the 76kg category in Tokyo but the new Olympic weight classes are 49kg, 59kg, 71kg, 81kg and +81kg. Even though she currently ranks 6th in the 71kg, she will compete in Thailand next Tuesday as a 81kg because she wouldn’t qualify for Paris over Reeves.

So fans will still have to wait to find out which athletes will be chosen for Team USA.

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Before this summer’s Paris Olympics, an exhibit in the French capital shows how the games have been a “mirror of society” since the beginning of the 20th century.

Historian Paul Dietschy, one of the curators, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that “this exhibit tries to show … this relationship between ideology, power and the Olympic Games.”

The exhibit at the Shoah Memorial, in central Paris, features photos, documents and Olympic items as well as film archives from the past century. It opens to the public on Friday and is scheduled to last until mid-November, organizers said.

It notably highlights the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which was used by Nazi Germany for propaganda purposes; the 1968 Mexico Olympics, where Black sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists to protest racial injustice in the U.S. and the 1972 Munich Olympics, which was the scene of a brutal attack on 11 Israeli team members who were killed by Palestinian militants.

Dietschy said the exhibit sought to show the historic and political significance of the Olympics “through the life of big stars or champions like Alfred Nakashe, who was a Jew from Algeria competing in swimming and who was deported to Auschwitz” concentration camp during World War II. Nakashe competed with the French team in Berlin in 1936 and in the first postwar Summer Olympics in London in 1948 after surviving the Holocaust.

The exhibit also tells the stories of athletes who embody Olympic values like Jesse Owens, the U.S. Black athlete who won four Olympic gold medals in Berlin.

Historian Caroline François, one of the curators, stressed that “the 1936 Games are emblematic with Jesse Owens’ story, because he is both an immense champion who left his mark on the history of sport … but also because of his personality, his career, his close ties to German champion Luz Long.”

“Owens embodies this struggle to confront Hitler and the Nazi ideology … But he himself was a victim of racism and segregation in the United States,” she said.

The exhibit also addresses the issue of how Olympic stadiums were turned into internment camps during World War II. Following the Nazi invasion of France in 1940, the country was ruled by a government commonly known as Vichy France, which collaborated with Nazi Germany.

The displays feature photos of the Vel d’Hiv stadium outside Paris, where French police herded about 13,000 people on July 16-17, 1942 before they were deported to Auschwitz. The stadium had been used for boxing, wrestling and weightlifting during the 1924 Paris Olympics.

International politics, again, are expected to be on the agenda of the Paris Olympics this year.

The International Olympic Committee said earlier this month that Russian and Belarusian athletes won’t be allowed to take part in the traditional parade at the opening ceremony in the French capital.

Russia and Belarus are barred from team sports at the Olympics because of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, and the IOC has laid out a two-step vetting procedure for individual athletes from those countries to be granted neutral status. Those athletes must first be approved by the governing body of their individual sport and then by an an IOC-appointed review panel.

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Amid the Israel-Hamas war, IOC President Thomas Bach recently said that Israel faces no threat to its Olympic status and added: “Since the heinous attack on the Israeli team (during the 1972 Munich Olympics), there were always special measures being taken with Israeli athletes.”

In recent times, totalitarian and democratic powers have been competing, including through sports, Dietschy said.

“So the Olympic Games of Paris are a huge moment, because we will see if the peace values will be respected,” he said. “We’ll see if sports can be also a way of spreading universal democratic values.”

“The context (now) is more tense as a war is spreading in the world. Maybe the (Paris) Games will be a moment of peace,” Dietschy said hopefully.

They’re staying together to chase gold in France.

USA Basketball announced its men’s 3×3 roster for the Paris Games on Tuesday, going with the same foursome that won a silver medal at the World Cup and gold at the Pan American Games last year. Other players were considered, including some from the NBA, but in the end the Americans decided to stick with what has worked.

“It’s the way that we wanted it to be,” Fredette said. “I think it’s what USA Basketball was looking for and it’s what we were hoping for.”

To them, it seemed right: The four players who did the bulk of the work — 3×3 rosters have only four players — should have gotten the opportunity to see what they can do on the sport’s biggest stage. USA Basketball evidently agreed.

“They’re the best team. And I think when you’re putting together a roster, you want the best team, the best group of four guys that are going to give you the best chance to win,” USA men’s 3×3 coach Joe Lewandowski said. “You’re not looking for an All-Star team. You’re not looking for the highest jumpers, the fastest guys. You’re looking for the best team, the guys who play so well together they take their game to another level.”

USA Basketball’s picks for men’s, women’s and women’s 3×3 are expected later this spring.

The U.S. didn’t qualify for men’s 3×3 when the sport debuted at the Tokyo Games; the Americans won gold in women’s 3×3 that summer, as well as in traditional men’s and women’s basketball. Every team that USA Basketball has sent to an Olympics — all 31 of them — has won a medal, 26 of them gold.

The 3×3 game is played on a half court with a 12-second shot clock and play is super-fast. Baskets are worth one or two points, and the winner is either the first team to 21 points or the leader when the 10-minute clock expires. Games rarely take the full 10 minutes.

The foursome announced Tuesday currently hold the world’s No. 2 ranking behind Serbia — which rallied late to beat the Americans in the final at the World Cup.

“They really represent the United States well,” Lewandowski said.

They came from wildly different backgrounds: Fredette was an NBA lottery pick, Maddox is a Princeton grad who hosted “All Things Considered” on National Public Radio in Colorado before returning to basketball, Travis retired once from playing and nearly retired from 3×3 as well because it was interfering with his job as a special education teacher, while Barry watched three of his brothers play in the NBA and is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry.

He didn’t get to the NBA. But neither his dad, nor his siblings, played in the Olympics.

“I’m very honored to be an Olympian,” Canyon Barry said. “And in the Barry family, it’s very hard to do something in the basketball realm that hasn’t been previously accomplished, whether it’s winning NCAA championships, winning NBA championships, becoming members of the Hall of Fame, playing in the All-Star Game. There are very few areas of basketball that have been unexplored by the Barrys, so to become an Olympian and kind of round out that portfolio is a cool treat.”

There isn’t a ton of money in 3×3, they fly coach without much of a support staff, they do their own laundry before rushing to airports to catch the next flight and they’re often away from home for extended periods.

It was one of those laundry missions that helped bring the group together. Maddox and Travis were hurrying to get some washing done in Amsterdam when they noticed a unique storefront nearby. They went in and emerged with a yellow stone, which has become a good-luck charm of sorts for the group. Where they go, the rock goes. And before they play, everyone touches the rock.

“It was very random,” Maddox said. “The gem dealer told us that rock was good for teamwork and leadership.”

It became a thing, and a few more rocks — Maddox says they represent good fortune and vitality — have since been added to the team collection. Nobody is quite sure what the yellow rock is; Maddox thinks it’s amethyst but can’t say for certain.

This much is clear, though: This summer in Paris, they get to chase a more precious metal — gold.

“I never even knew this could be in the cards for me,” Travis said. “I never thought I’d make a USA team, to be honest. And now this has happened.”

Attending the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer, Shawn Johnson East and her husband Andrew East are stoked to root for their fellow American athletes as they attempt feats in basketball, cycling, swimming, and, of course, gymnastics.

Their kids, meanwhile, are mostly cheering for Mickey Mouse.

“I don’t think they’re going to appreciate or understand any of it,” the Olympic gymnast, who left the 2008 Games with three silver medals, plus gold in the balance beam, told E! News in an exclusive interview. “Which we understand. We’re going to Disneyland Paris. I think they’re most excited for that.”

Well, at least Drew, 4, and little brother Jett, 2, are voicing their thrill over the chance to meet up with Elsa and Cinderella. Little brother Bear, who joined the den Dec. 12, is mostly just along for the ride.

While Johnson acknowledges “it’s comical that we’re going all the way to Paris to go to Disney,” she’s hopeful her squad will absorb a bit of the red, white and blue spirit at the Games. “I think they’ll enjoy the large green grasses,” joked the 32-year-old, “and I could see my kids enjoying, like, diving, something kind of crazy, but I don’t know.”

Shawn Johnson Through the Years

She is confident, however, that daughter Drew will appreciate one part of watching Mom pull for her fellow gymnasts.

“Drew does enjoy watching gymnastics strictly for the leotards,” said Johnson. “So she’ll enjoy watching the leotards for maybe 20 minutes. And then we’ll be good with it.” As for her daredevil middle child, “Olympic skateboarding would be really fun for him to watch,” Johnson said of Jett. “More of the niche sports. I don’t think my family will last at swimming or basketball or anything that we genuinely want to go watch.”

And then there’s that other gold medal-worthy event the parents of three are prepping for, called trying not to lose a kid while navigating the packed Parisian arenas.

“The only thing that I’m nervous about with Paris is it’s just a lot of people at the Olympics,” explained Johnson. “There’s a lot of mass crowds, there’s a lot of chances to not see a little kid, which freaks me out. So I’m a little nervous for that.”

But, mostly, said the longtime Olympics ambassador, with her and East, 32, having already turned pro in flying with small children, they’re ready to soak it all in after missing the 2020 games while she was giving birth to Jett.

“We have traveled with our kids a lot,” Johnson explained of their experienced jetsetters. “We’re used to it. We did a Greek islands extravaganza last year. We’ve done Mexico, we go to Tijuana a lot for mission work with my family.”

So she’s more than confident in their abilities to nail all the moves required for a month abroad.

“We’re so excited,” said Johnson. “We’re going to tour around Europe for almost five weeks. We’re going to do it all. We’re doing trains, planes, automobiles and boats.”

And the pair have already earned high marks for how they’re navigating their new three-kids-under-the-age-of-5 existence.

One parenting hack the athlete offers is to let yourself off the hook a bit when it comes to food. Their go-to dinners are “any meal that you can heat up very fast,” Johnson noted, explaining the why behind partnering with MorningStar Farms to promote the April return of their vegan riblets. (Fans can enter to win a chance to try them first, during a lunch with the Olympian, by signing up for their “First Dibs” sweepstakes before March 29.)

She also puts a lot of emphasis on giving each of her kids as much one-on-one time as possible, while acknowledging, “you have to sacrifice time with each of them for the other.” Eventually, Johnson continued, “I know it will average itself out. But we’re still figuring out those logistics.”

Thankfully her team remains tight as ever. “They absolutely adore him,” she said of Drew and Jett’s reaction to the newest cub. “And being an only child myself, I didn’t fully understand siblings until I married into a family where my husband is one of five and seeing that bond.”

And now it’s on a whole new level. “Seeing the bond that my kids have already is so special and something different than I’ll ever experience,” said Johnson. “It’s just really powerful.”

IMAX will present NBC’s broadcast of the Opening Ceremony at more than 150 locations across the U.S. on Friday, July 26. It marks the first time the Opening Ceremony will ever be presented live on the format.

“We look forward to providing our Opening Ceremony coverage to audiences at IMAX locations across the country, sharing in this historic moment as the world regathers to witness the spectacular beginning of 16 days of athletic greatness against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel said in a statement.

An NBCUniversal promotional trailer for its Paris Olympics coverage will begin airing in IMAX theaters nationwide starting March 29. Tickets for IMAX showings of the Opening Ceremony will be available for purchase at local IMAX theaters and on Fandango this summer.

“We are excited to extend NBC’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony to IMAX theatres across the U.S., allowing fans to gather and watch the highly-anticipated and awe-inspiring start to the Paris Olympic Games this July,” IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said.

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Last week, NBCUniversal announced that it would air select daytime Olympics coverage at 160 AMC locations this summer.

Paris is planning a one-of-a-kind Opening Ceremony this year. Instead of taking place in a stadium, athletes will be carried across the Seine and through the French capital.

Mike Tirico, Peyton Manning and Kelly Clarkson will serve as NBC’s hosts for the networks Opening Ceremony coverage on Friday, July 26.

The draw for the men’s and women’s soccer tournaments was held at a ceremony in Saint-Denis on Wednesday.

The record four-time gold medallist was drawn against fifth-ranked Germany and World Cup semifinalist Australia in Group B. Those teams will be joined by either Morocco or Zambia from the African Football Confederation.

Defending champion Canada was drawn in Group A with host France, Colombia and New Zealand.

World Cup winner Spain is in Group C with Japan and Brazil. Nigeria or South Africa will join that group as another CAF qualifier.

The U.S. men’s team will face France at the Paris Games after being drawn into the same group as the host nation for the men’s tournament.

The U.S. is competing at the Games for the first time since Beijing in 2008 and faces a potentially daunting task after being drawn alongside France, coached by soccer great Thierry Henry, in Group A.

Also in the group are New Zealand and the winner of a playoff between teams from the Asian and the African confederations.

World champion Argentina was drawn in Group B with Morocco, Ukraine and a qualifier to be confirmed from the AFC.

Spain, runner-up in Tokyo, is in Group C along with Egypt, Dominican Republic and another qualifier from the AFC, which is yet to be confirmed.

Group D features Paraguay, Mali and Israel as well as a final qualifier from the AFC.

Men’s Olympic soccer is national Under-23 teams with three roster spots available for players over the age limit.

The soccer tournament will begin two days before the opening ceremony of the Games on July 24, with the women’s final concluding the event on Aug. 10.

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It is the first time the women’s final will conclude the soccer tournament.

The soccer tournament will be staged across several venues in France including Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Étienne and Lyon.

Organizers are planning to use a water-cooling system under the Athletes Village — much like the one that has helped the Louvre Museum cope with the sweltering heat that broke records last year — to keep temperatures in check for the Olympians and Paralympians who stay there.

The decision is part of the organizing committee’s goal to cut the carbon footprint of the Paris Games by half and stage the most sustainable Olympics to date by installing a special technology to use natural sources to keep everyone cool even during a potential heat wave.

“I want the Paris Games to be exemplary from an environmental point of view,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has resolved to tackle climate change with an ambitious action plan that aims to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make the City of Lights carbon neutral by 2050.

Compared to a conventional project, the carbon impact will be reduced by 45% for the Athletes Village during the construction phase and over the entire Olympic cycle, she said.

For two months between July and September 2024, the Athletes Village north of Paris will host 15,600 athletes and sports officials during the Olympics and 9,000 athletes and their supporting teams during the Paralympics. After the games, the 50-hectare (125-acre) site next to the River Seine in the popular district of Seine-Saint-Denis will become a zero-carbon, eco-friendly residential and commercial neighborhood with 6,000 new inhabitants — the first ones moving in as soon as 2025.

In anticipation of hot weather, organizers have been studying heatwaves block by block in the Athletes Village. They have simulated conditions in the parts of the accommodation most exposed to the sun and have tested the effectiveness of the cooling system with an objective to keep the indoor temperature between 23 and 26 degrees Celsius (73 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit).

The geothermal energy system will ensure that the temperature in the athlete apartments in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb does not rise above 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) at night, including during a potential a heat wave, said Laurent Michaud, the director of the Olympic and Paralympic Villages.

He said organizers have conducted tests in rooms that are located on the highest floors of the residences and are facing south and exposed to direct sun on two sides. They also considered directions of winds in the region and the water temperature in the Seine. They have worked closely with France’s national weather agency to develop temperature forecasts.

“Despite outdoor temperatures reaching 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit), we had temperatures at 28 degrees (82 degrees Fahrenheit) in most of these rooms,” Michaud told The Associated Press, detailing the results of a heatwave simulation. “In other rooms, we clearly had lower temperatures.”

In addition to the underfloor cooling, the insulation built into the buildings will enable residents to keep the cold obtained during the night throughout the day, Michaud said. To keep the coolness inside, the athletes will have to follow some basic rules, he added, including making sure the window blinds are shut during the day.

Laurent Monnet, who is in charge of the green transition at Saint-Denis City Hall, Paris’ northern suburb where the main Olympic Village will be located, said all rooms should be 6 degrees Celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than the outside temperature, without an AC unit. Although some Olympic hopefuls have already expressed concern about the lack of air conditioning, Monnet said athletes should adapt and help contribute to fight against climate change.

“We need athletes to set an example when they use the buildings,” Monnet said. “We can build the most virtuous village we want, it is also the use that will be made of it that will weigh on our carbon footprint.”

Eliud Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic champion and marathon world record holder, endorsed the Paris sustainability plan. The Kenyan is one the sport’s most vocal proponents of environmental justice and has repeatedly sounded the alarm on climate change and the impact of global warming.

“It’s a good thought, because we all need to reduce our carbon,” Kipchoge said in an interview with the AP.

He called on fellow athletes to help combat climate change by reducing their carbon impact during competition, training and their lives in general because “we are all going to go through the same scenario.”

Paris organizers have been in touch with national Olympic committees and said they will have the option of setting up their own AC units in specific cases and on condition that the devices comply with the organizing committee’s technical criteria.

Most national Olympic officials have responded to the plans to keep their athletes cool during the Paris Games with a wait-and-see attitude. Some Olympic officials are not excluding bringing their own air conditioners to France — or paying for one on the spot — depending on the weather at the time.

The Australian Olympic Committee said it will keep an eye on the weather patterns in Paris over the coming year to ensure “the optimal high-performance environment for our athletes, including heat and humidity mitigation that may be required.”

Michaud, the director of the Olympic Village, said organizers want to be kind to the environment, but not endanger the health of athletes. Some athletes, especially in Paralympic events, have difficulty regulating their body’s core temperature and if they reside in rooms in which it proves impossible to keep at 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) at night, national delegations will be able to install a portable AC system.

“It will be on a case-by-case basis, and for health and safety of the athletes,” Michaud said, adding that ventilators vaporizing water droplets could be installed instead of traditional air conditioning units.

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Hidalgo, the Paris mayor, is adamantly against turning next year’s event into the bring-your-own-air-conditioning Olympics — health exceptions aside.

“I can assure you that we will not change course and that there will be no changes to the construction program of the village regarding air conditioning,” Hidalgo said.

Regarding the option of organizers providing national teams with an additional cooling mechanism, she said: “I am not in favor of it. We must be consistent with our objectives.”

___

AP Sports Writers Jimmy Golen in Boston and Dennis Passa in Brisbane contributed to this report.

The “NFL RedZone” host is joining NBC Sports’ Olympics coverage for the first time with “Gold Zone,” a whip-around show for the 2024 Paris Olympics that will air daily on Peacock.

Similar to how “RedZone” goes from game to game on NFL Sundays, “Gold Zone” will air the best and most exciting Olympic moments at a given time.

“The Olympic Games are like no other sporting event with up to 40 competitions happening simultaneously,” NBC Olympics Production executive producer and president Molly Solomon said in a statement. “Given that scale, ‘Gold Zone’ is designed to be the viewer’s best friend, streaming the most important moments in real time.”

“Gold Zone” will premiere on July 27 and air from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. ET each day through Aug. 10.

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Hanson will open each day’s coverage before handing off to DIRECTV “Red Zone Channel” host Andrew Siciliano. This will be Siciliano’s third Olympics with NBC, as he hosted “Gold Zone” for the 2014 Sochi Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics.

After Siciliano, “American Ninja Warrior” co-hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila will take “Gold Zone” across the finish line each day. The duo served as the hosts of Peacock’s “Tokyo Live” Olympics morning show in 2021 and Iseman returned for Peacock’s coverage of the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Additional hosts and programming details will be announced at a later time.

“Gold Zone” will be available on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app via “TV Everywhere” for customers with pay-TV subscriptions.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will mark the first time Peacock will stream every sport and event at a Summer Games.

FIBA, the sport’s global organizing body, held the draw for the Paris Games in Mies, Switzerland, on Tuesday, slotting the fields for the 12-team basketball tournaments. The women’s field is complete; the men’s field still has four spots that will go to winners of qualifying tournaments in early July before the Olympics open on July 27.

The U.S. men will be coached by Steve Kerr and are seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal, the U.S. women will be coached by Cheryl Reeve and are seeking an eighth consecutive Olympic title. Both are ranked No. 1 in the world, and both programs have been — by far — the dominant force in Olympic basketball since its inception.

The U.S. men open with Serbia on July 28. The U.S. women open with Japan on July 29. Other group-stage games for the U.S. men are July 31 against South Sudan and Aug. 3 against a qualifier. The U.S. women also play on Aug. 1 against Belgium and Aug. 4 against Germany.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of preparing for and playing in the Olympic tournament,” Kerr said. “The excitement continues to build, especially now that we know we will face both Serbia, who finished second at the World Cup last summer, and South Sudan, who we will get to host in London as part of the USA Basketball Showcase.”

The American men will play South Sudan in London a few days before arriving in Paris as part of a pre-Olympics series of exhibitions.

But particularly on the men’s side, gold for the Americans is no longer assured. The U.S. didn’t medal at the 2019 World Cup in China nor the 2023 World Cup in the Philippines, and although the Americans intend to send a more star-studded roster to the Olympics — LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and others have said they want to play — that doesn’t guarantee anything.

Carmelo Anthony, who was at the draw as a FIBA ambassador, said it’s clear that international men’s teams “feel confident and comfortable enough to go out there and compete with the USA.”

“It’s all about confidence that these other players and countries have,” said Anthony, one of two three-time men’s basketball gold medalists — fellow U.S. standout Kevin Durant, who will bid for a fourth gold in Paris, is the other. “As far as USA goes, I am praying and hoping that we send the correct team out there. I know what it feels like when you have the right team that’s out there and you go out there trying to win. I’m sure the U.S. will bring the guys that they need to bring in order to get that feeling back.”

The U.S. women will have a gold-medal game rematch from the Tokyo Olympics in the group stage. The Americans open their quest for an eighth consecutive gold medal with group-stage games against Belgium, Germany and Japan — the host three years ago that fell to the U.S. 90-75 in the final at Saitama, Japan.

The U.S. also played Belgium in the most recent women’s World Cup, winning 87-72 in 2022 in a matchup that was a single-digit game in the second half.

That said, the world’s top-ranked team will still be a huge favorite.

“Obviously, you can never go past the U.S. They’ve proven their dominance and they’re at the pinnacle of the game,” FIBA ambassador and former Australia star Penny Taylor said. “But what I love to see is teams bringing their unique style of play to the Olympics. I love watching Japan and what they do and what they do so well. China, obviously, has always been competitive. My heart is always with Australia and I love to see them out there and I hope they know past Opals are right there with them.”

USA Basketball plans to announce the men’s and women’s teams for the Paris Games later this spring.

Serbia’s men’s roster will likely feature Denver star Nikola Jokic, an NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP who is one of the game’s most dominant players. Serbia finished second to Germany at the World Cup last summer and didn’t even have Jokic on the roster.

In Group C, the U.S. will also face South Sudan and the winner of a qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico — either Mexico, Ivory Coast, Lithuania, Italy, Bahrain or Puerto Rico.

In Group A, Australia and Canada await two qualifying tournament winners — one from Spain (participating nations Spain, Finland, Poland, Bahamas, Lebanon, Angola) and the other in Greece (participating nations Slovenia, New Zealand, Croatia, Egypt, Dominican Republic and Greece).

Host France, featuring Victor Wembanyama, headlines Group B and will face World Cup champion Germany, Japan and the winner of the Latvia qualifying tournament (Georgia, Philippines, Latvia, Brazil, Cameroon, Montenegro).

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“There are no groups that are easy after this draw,” FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis said. “Whoever you see smiling, just say, ‘Well, see you in August.’”

Group A: Australia (world ranking 5), Canada (7), Spain OQT winner, Greece OQT winner.

Group B: Germany (3), France (9), Japan (26), Latvia OQT winner.

Group C: United States (1), Serbia (4), South Sudan (33), Puerto Rico OQT winner.

Group A: China (world ranking 2), Spain (4), Serbia (10), Puerto Rico (11).

Group B: Australia (3), Canada (5), France (7), Nigeria (12).

Group C: United States (1), Belgium (6), Japan (9), Germany (19).

Group stage: Men, July 27-Aug. 3. Women, July 28-Aug. 4.

Quarterfinals: Men, Aug. 6. Women, Aug. 7.

Semifinals: Men, Aug. 8. Women, Aug. 9.

Medal games: Men, Aug. 10. Women, Aug. 11.

It is the same for the men’s and women’s tournaments. Teams will play three group stage games. The top two finishers in each group, plus the two best third-place teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.

AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Mies, Switzerland, contributed to this report.

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Burroughs has had a historic wrestling career already, becoming the most decorated U.S. wrestler in history with seven global gold medals, his latest being from the 2022 World Wrestling Championships.

“Wrestling has given me everything that I wasn’t growing up,” Burroughs said. “I wasn’t confident. I wasn’t big and strong. I wasn’t ferocious and tenacious. So when you talk about hunger, it’s deeper than just the desire to win; it’s a desire to be more than just who I am.”

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Burroughs, who won the gold for the 74kg weight class in London in 2012, failed to medal in 2016 and did not make the Olympic team for Tokyo. But he says his hunger to wrestle, improve and compete has pushed him to where he is now: a recent world champion with a shot at returning to the Olympics one last time.

“There’s always a goal for me that I’ve set for myself year after year, that every time I come back I find a different way to keep myself motivated,” Burroughs said. “I want another Olympic gold, no question. I got one more chance at this.”

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With 88 games played for Germany since 2011, Huth was the third most-experienced member of the squad that booked its place at the Olympics with a third-place finish in the Nations League last month.

Huth won the 2013 European Championship with Germany and the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She scored 14 international goals.

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Huth said in a statement that she enjoyed her time with the national team but it was “physically and mentally challenging and draining” to continue playing.

Huth will continue to play for her club team Wolfsburg, where she was a Champions League runner-up last season. She is a two-time Champions League winner and three-time German Bundesliga champion.

NBCUniversal and AMC announced this past week that they will broadcast select daytime Paris Olympics coverage live at 160 AMC locations across the country, according to an NBCUniversal press release.

“The Olympic Games always provide a wonderful, shared experience, and this summer communities across the country will have the opportunity to cheer for Team USA or their own hometown hero in local AMC Theatres,” said Gary Zenkel, the president of NBC Olympics, in the release. “The afternoon broadcasts on NBC will offer many of the most compelling live moments from Paris, and we believe these gatherings will fuel overall enthusiasm for the Games.”

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Fans can join crowds an AMC Theatres starting July 27, 2024, the day after the Opening Ceremony, and can continue to watch select daytime events at the movies until Aug. 11.

Tickets will become available for purchase at AMC and Fandango this summer.

In addition to AMC theaters, the entire Summer Olympics will air exclusively on NBC’s networks and streaming services —  NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network, the Olympic Channel, the Golf Channel, Telemundo Deportes, NBCOlympics.com, Peacock.

Also this past week, NBC announced that broadcaster Mike Tirico, former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and Kelly Clarkson will host the Opening Ceremony in Paris July 26.

Stay tuned for more Olympics coverage from this NBC station as the year goes on.

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The three announced on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Tuesday that they would host broadcast coverage of the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday, July 26.

The Paris Games will mark Tirico’s fourth straight Opening Ceremony while Manning and Clarkson, who hosts “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on NBC, will make their Olympic broadcast debuts.

Clarkson, a three-time Grammy and multi-Emmy winner, also hosted the NFL Honors awards show in 2023. Manning, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl winner, co-hosts “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” with his brother, Eli Manning, on ESPN.

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Events during the Opening Ceremony are expected to begin at 8:24 p.m. local time, which is 2:24 p.m. ET.

The Opening Ceremony in Paris will be a unique one, with Olympians arriving via boat along the Siene River instead of entering a stadium as in prior competitions. It’s a ceremony that’s expected to have over 10,000 athletes using about 160 boats.

NBC’s networks and streaming services —  NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network, the Olympic Channel, the Golf Channel, Telemundo Deportes, NBCOlympics.com, Peacock — will carry extensive coverage of the Paris Games, including the Opening Ceremony.

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Simon & Schuster announced Thursday that the celebrated swimmer’s “Just Add Water” will be published June 11. Ledecky, a two-time winner of The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award, is a seven-time gold medal winner who has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history.

Her memoir will cover everything from childhood games of sharks and minnows while growing up in Bethesda, Md., to her reign as one of the world’s greatest athletes.

“I never imagined I would make it to the Olympics, or be at this level, or write a book about this unlikely career that I’ve had,” Ledecky, who turns 27 next week, said in a statement.

“I first started keeping a journal when I was 14 years old, to document my training in the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympics. Paging through them last year, I realized these journals included elements of my wider story in swimming. I also wanted to be able to show that I wouldn’t be where I am without the love, support, and encouragement of people who have influenced me.”

Organizers had planned a grandiose opening ceremony July 26 for as many as 600,000 people, most watching free of charge from riverbanks. But security and logistical concerns — and an outcry from booksellers along the city’s picturesque quays — have led the government to progressively scale back ambitions.

Earlier this year, the overall number of spectators was reduced to around 300,000. On Tuesday, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that 104,000 of them will be paying ticket holders with spots along the lower riverbanks, with another 222,000 watching for free from the upper banks.

But he said that the free tickets will not be available to the public via open registration as earlier envisaged, and will be invitation-only.

“To manage crowd movement, we can’t tell everyone to come,” Darmanin said. “For security reasons that everyone understands, notably the terrorist threat of recent weeks, we are obliged to make it free but contained.”

This means that tourists from France or elsewhere, as well as ordinary Parisians, won’t be able to sign up for free access. Instead, access to the ceremony will be allocated via quotas to select residents of towns or regions hosting Olympic events, local sports federations and others chosen by organizers or their partners, said two Interior Ministry officials. The officials weren’t authorized to be publicly named according to ministry policy.

Those invited will then need to undergo security checks and will receive QR codes to pass security barriers.

Local town councils can invite “their employees, kids from local soccer clubs and their parents,” for example, Darmanin said. One of the Interior Ministry officials said that sports federations could invite foreigners as part of their quotas, and towns could offer spots to people with disabilities or in a situation of need, to ’’diversify″ access.

The official said the change was not aimed at punishing tourists, and that the Games remain more open than any Olympics in several years. Another 200,000 people are expected to watch the opening from inside apartments or buildings overlooking the river, and about 50,000 from fan zones, Darmanin said.

Paris 2024 organizers would not comment on the shift, deferring questions to the government. Darmanin said the decision was made under the authority of President Emmanuel Macron, in conjunction with local officials and the organizing committee.

With France on high alert, Darmanin said that intelligence services haven’t identified a specific plot targeting the Olympics. But he said that there are multiple potential threats, including from Islamic extremist groups, violent environmental activists and ultra-right groups, as well as cyberattacks from Russia or other adversaries.

France was hit by a wave of deadly attacks linked to the Islamic State group in 2015-16 that targeted the Bataclan concert hall and other public venues, and the country has seen occasional extremist violence in the years since.

Intelligence services are conducting checks of about 1 million people slated to participate in, work for or have access to Paris 2024. Of 89,000 checks already carried out, 280 people have been rejected because of police records or other security problems, Darmanin said.

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It’s the first time an Olympics opening ceremony will be held outside a stadium setting, in line with the Paris organizers’ motto: “Games Wide Open.” About 10,500 athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route.

About 160 heads of state are expected to attend, and the government will close all airports and airspace within a 150-kilometer (90-mile) radius around Paris before, during and after the 3½-hour ceremony.

Around 2,500 foreign police will be among the 45,000 security force members deployed around Paris for the event, Darmanin said. Discussion is underway on whether the foreign forces can board the boats with their countries’ athletes, and what arms they can carry.

Hiring and training enough security personnel for the Olympics, held from July 26-Aug. 11 and the subsequent Paralympics has proved challenging. About 10% of the private security personnel the government requested have yet to be hired, Darmanin said.

The 2024 Olympics will feature events at landmarks across the French capital. From beach volleyball beneath the Eiffel Tower to equestrian at the Palace of Versailles, athletes will have a chance to compete at some of Paris’ most iconic locations. Additionally, the Olympics will begin with a unique Opening Ceremony where athletes will parade across the Seine.

While some events will take place next to sightseeing spots, others will be held at sporting venues that have become synonymous with the city. Track and field events will take place under the bright lights of Stade de France. French Open home Roland Garros will host the tennis and boxing action across the 2024 Games. Over on the other side of town, LeBron James and Simone Biles are among the legends who will go for gold at Bercy Arena. 

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Not all of the events will be held in Paris — or even France. Soccer matches will be spread across the country, and surfing will take place in French Polynesia.

Here are the 35 venues that will host events at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, listed by sport:

Athletes for the 2024 Olympic Games will not only compete in Paris, but in venues around France and its territories. Hover over each venue to see more.

Source: Paris 2024 • Nina Lin, NBC

Archery

• Les Invalides

Athletics

Track and field

• Stade de France

Marathon

• Hôtel de Ville → Esplanade des Invalides

Race walking

• Trocadéro

Badminton

• Porte de La Chapelle Arena

Basketball

Men’s and women’s

• Bercy Arena

3×3

• Parc Urbain la Concorde

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Beach volleyball

• Eiffel Tower Stadium

Boxing

• Roland Garros

Breaking

• Parc Urbain la Concorde

Canoe

• Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium

Cycling

Road cycling

• Les Invalides →  Pont Alexandre III (time trials)
• Trocadéro → Trocadéro (men’s and women’s road races)

Cycling track

• National Velodrome

Mountain biking

• Elancourt Hill

BMX freestyle

• Parc Urbain la Concorde

BMX racing

• Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium (inside the National Velodrome)

Diving

• Aquatics Centre

Equestrian

• Palace of Versailles

Fencing

• Grand Palais

Field hockey

• Yves du Manoir Stadium

Golf

• Golf National

Gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics

• Bercy Arena 

Rhythmic gymnastics

• Porte de la Chapelle Arena

Handball

• Pierre Mauroy Stadium

Judo

• Champ de Mars Arena

Modern pentathlon

• Palace of Versailles

Rowing

• Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium

Rugby

• Stade de France

Sailing

• Marseille Marina

Shooting

• Chateauroux Shooting Centre

Skateboarding

• Parc Urbain la Concorde

Soccer

• Bordeaux Stadium
• Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium
• Lyon Stadium
• Marseille Stadium
• Nantes Stadium
• Nice Stadium
• Parc des Princes

Sport climbing

• Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue

Surfing

• Tahiti Teahupo’o

Swimming

Swimming

• Paris La Défense Arena

Artistic swimming

• Aquatics Centre

Marathon swimming

• Pont Alexandre III

Table tennis

• South Paris Arena

Taekwondo

• Grand Palais

Tennis

• Roland Garros

Triathlon

• Pont Alexandre III → Pont Alexandre III

Volleyball

• South Paris Arena

Weightlifting

• South Paris Arena

Wrestling

• Champ de Mars Arena

Yes, the Opening Ceremony in Paris this summer will be unlike any other in the history of the Olympics.

At previous ceremonies, a stadium has provided the stage for the theatrics of the Games’ opening night. In Paris, the parade of athletes will be held on the Seine, a river that runs along the heart of the city.

That will launch a two-week global competition featuring dozens of sports, hundreds of countries and thousands of athletes. 

Here’s where to watch the 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony:

When is the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony?

The Opening Ceremony at the 2024 Olympics in Paris will be on Friday, July 26. Events are scheduled to begin at 8:24 p.m. local time, which is 2:24 p.m. ET.

What channel is the Olympics Opening Ceremony on?

NBC’s networks and streaming services has a comprehensive TV schedule featuring more than 5,000 hours of live coverage from the Paris Olympics.

That includes NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network, the Olympic Channel, the Golf Channel, Telemundo Deportes, NBCOlympics.com and Peacock.

NBC will offer comprehensive coverage of the Opening Ceremony, which will air live on the network across all time zones as part of a full day of Olympic programming.

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How can I watch 2024 Olympics coverage without cable?

The Paris Opening Ceremony can also be streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app, which is available on Google’s Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.

What happens during the Olympics Opening Ceremony?

The highlight of the Opening Ceremony is the Parade of Nations, where thousands of Olympians representing 206 countries make their grand entrance into the Games.

This year, rather than marching into a stadium, they will arrive by boat on the Seine.

Over 10,000 athletes will sail down the nearly four-mile route on approximately 160 boats that will represent each national delegation. The parade route ends at the Trocadéro, located across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, where the final elements of the Opening Ceremony will be held.

Additional festivities include the raising of the host nation’s flag and singing of its anthem, live performances that incorporate the culture of the host nation, and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.  

The former American phenom has five Olympic gold medals and a bronze to her name. She last competed at the Olympics 2016 and will once again be watching the swimming action from the outside this summer.

Who are the swimmers to watch at the 2024 Olympics in Paris? These three swimmers are already on Franklin’s radar.

Katie Ledecky

It’s Katie Ledecky’s world, and we’re all living in it, according to Franklin.

“Obviously, (Ledecky’s) already secured her spot as the greatest the sport has ever seen, so she’s going to continue to do amazing things,” Franklin told NBC. “And I think the fact that we get to be living in the era of Katie Ledecky is an honor and a privilege.”

Ledecky’s resume speaks for itself. She has 10 Olympic medals — including seven golds — 26 World Championships Medals and has broken 16 world records in her career.

At just 26 years old, Ledecky is one of the faces of Team USA entering Paris and is poised to add to her trophy case.

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Summer McIntosh

While Ledecky is still the woman to beat, a 17-year-old Canadian has already caught up to the Olympic champion in one of her signature events.

Summer McIntosh ended Ledecky’s 13-year undefeated streak in the 800m freestyle, winning a sectional meet in February by nearly six seconds. McIntosh’s 8:11.39 mark also cleared Ledecky’s winning time of 8:12.57 from the Tokyo Olympics, though it’s still shy of Ledecky’s 8:04.79 world record from the Rio Olympics in 2016.

In Franklin’s eyes, that win is just a sign of things to come as McIntosh gears up for her first Olympics.

“I think the biggest name to come out of the Games this summer is going to be Summer McIntosh,” Franklin said. “She is so young and she has been swimming absolutely out of her mind, and I think she is going to have an unbelievable summer.”

Gretchen Walsh

Franklin is also looking out for another first-time Olympian who is tearing it up the collegiate ranks.

Gretchen Walsh out of the University of Virginia won five gold medals at the 2023 NCAA Championships and has been shredding the record books this season. While Ledecky and McIntosh dominate long distances, Walsh has a chance to become the next great American sprinter. 

“She’s having an unbelievable NCAA season right now, and I’m really excited to see how that’s gonna translate over to long course swimming for her,” Franklin said of Walsh. “This would be her first Olympic team, and I think it’s going to be an amazing experience for her.”

The 2024 Paris Games start on July 26 with the Opening Ceremony. That’s followed by a two-week global competition in which thousands of athletes from hundreds of countries will compete in 329 events for one of the most prized possessions in all of sport: an Olympic gold medal.

What channel is the 2024 Olympics on?

NBC and Peacock will carry an unprecedented amount of live Olympics coverage, with NBC airing at least nine hours of daytime coverage per day and Peacock streaming every event live. Many of the premiere medal events will air live in the United States during the afternoon, with Paris being six hours ahead of the Eastern time zone.

Additional coverage will be available on Telemundo, USA Network, E!, CNBC, Golf Channel and Universo.

Here is everything you need to know about how to watch some of your favorite events during the 2024 Olympics in Paris, with programming details to be added as they are announced.

How to watch the Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony will be on Friday, July 26. Events are scheduled to begin at 8:24 p.m. local time, which is 2:24 p.m. ET.

The ceremony will air live on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo. It will include the parade of athletes, which will be held on a river for the first time in Olympics history.

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How to watch gymnastics

Gymnastics for women and men will be held in Paris between July 27 and Aug. 5.

Team trials for the 2024 U.S. Olympic teams will be from June 27 to June 30 in Minneapolis, where the country’s top gymnasts will compete for a spot on the Olympic team.

What to look for: The U.S. women’s gymnastics team could be as deep as ever with Sunisa Lee, Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas — the last three gold-medal winners in the Olympic all-around — all attempting to make the team. Biles, a four-time gold medalist, looks to return to the Games after pulling out of multiple events at the Tokyo Olympics while experiencing the spatial disorientation condition known as “twisties.”

How to watch swimming

Swimming medal events for women and men will be held in Paris between July 27 and Aug. 4.

Team trials will be held from June 15 to June 23 in Indianapolis.

What to look for: Katie Ledecky, with seven gold medals and three silvers, will look to add to her total and further cement her status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. She did, however, see her 13-year unbeaten streak in the 800-meter come to an end in February after being upset by 17-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh. Caeleb Dressel, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, returned to the pool in July after taking a long hiatus from swimming because of an undisclosed medial issue. He competed in the U.S. national championships but failed to qualify. He has ramped up his training in hopes of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.

How to watch track and field

Track and field events will be held from Aug. 1 to Aug. 11.

What to look for: Noah Lyles might attempt to do something that even Usain Bolt, widely known as the world’s fastest man, never did: win four gold medals at a single Olympics. Lyles, a reigning world champion in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, said he would like to try to also compete in the 4x400m relay in Paris.

How to watch soccer

The preliminary matchups for soccer actually begin before the Opening Ceremony, with games being played on July 24. The men’s final will be held on Aug. 9 and the women’s final will be on Aug. 10.

The men’s qualifying tournament will begin on April 15 in Qatar. The 12 women’s teams have already secured their spot in Paris.

What to look for: Can the USWNT return to their golden form? The team, which has won four gold medals, took bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and then failed to make the World Cup podium for the first time while attempting to complete a historic threepeat. The team will head to Paris with a new head coach in Emma Hayes and young talents like Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma.

How to watch Team USA basketball

Basketball will be held from July 27 to Aug. 11. The men’s gold medal game will be played on Aug. 10 and the women’s gold medal game will be on Aug. 11.

What to look for: Continued U.S. dominance. The men’s team has won four straight gold medals, and 16 of 19 overall. The women’s team has won seven straight gold medals and nine total in the 11 Olympics it has competed in. The U.S. women have not lost a game at the Olympics since 1992 for a streak of 55 straight wins.

How to watch the Closing Ceremony

The Closing Ceremony will be on Sunday, Aug. 11. Events are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. local time, which is 2 p.m. ET.

The ceremony will air live on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo.

The 2012 Olympic gymnastics champion pulled out of this weekend’s Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, after posting on social media that she had tested positive for COVID-19.

The 28-year-old Douglas was planning to compete in three of the four events at Winter Cup, her first meet since the 2016 Olympics, when she helped the Americans win a team gold.

Douglas, who is training in Texas, posted on Instagram that she was “crushed” by the development but promised to be back soon.

The Winter Cup is the first major tune-up for American gymnasts hoping to make this summer’s Olympic team.

While Douglas is out, reigning Olympic champion Suni Lee will compete on beam and uneven bars. The meet is her first since the 2023 U.S. Championships. The 20-year-old Lee has been battling health issues for the better part of a year that have limited her training.

Other competitors in Louisville will include former NCAA champion Trinity Thomas and two-time world championship gold medalist Skye Blakely.

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