A century after Paris last welcomed the world’s premiere athletes, the City of Light is ready to play host for the Summer Olympics once again.
What began as a modest gathering of mostly European athletes, their performances timed by mechanical stopwatches, has evolved into a global spectacle where precision is measured to the thousandth of a second.
The numbers tell a compelling story.
From 45 countries to 200, including a team of refugees. A budget that's ballooned from millions to billions. An Olympic Village that’s grown 50-times in its capacity to host the world’s greatest athletes. And a dramatic increase in media coverage – the crackling radio broadcasts of 1924 have given way to a 24/7 media extravaganza, with 6,000 journalists invited to report on the event.
Let's compare the Paris Olympics of 1924 and 2024, a century apart but sharing the same spirit of athletic competition. We'll explore the remarkable leaps in technology, the dramatic increase in participation, and yes, even the skyrocketing price of a croissant.
Scroll down to explore the Paris Olympics: 1924 vs 2024.
In the writing of this article, multiple sources were used to provide comprehensive information on the Paris 1924 and 2024 Olympic Games, including details on historical context, organizational aspects, and comparisons between the two events. These sources include the official Olympics website, Omega Watches, and scholarly journals.
