The one-year delay to the Tokyo Olympics means an unusually short cycle to Paris 2024, with preparations in the French capital already well underway.
Established stars will mix with the latest band of up-and-comers as the Games continue to evolve with some new events guaranteed to catch the eye.
Here PA Media takes a look at what the world – and in particular Great Britain – can expect when the summer Olympics reconvene sooner rather than later.
Paris match
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The majority of the Paris Olympic programme will take place at the heart of the city and make use of its significant sights. The Stade de France will host the ceremonies, Roland Garros will host tennis and boxing, and the open-water swimming will start off in the Seine, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower
Max power
Double gold medallist Max Whitlock is just one of the established Team GB stars who has committed to competing in Paris – and possibly beyond. Tom Daley has also teased a Paris return while track stars like Dina Asher-Smith, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Keely Hodgkinson should all be approaching their respective pinnacles.
Down with the kids
Paris officials say the Games will “set a new standard for inclusive, gender-balanced and youth-centred games”. Key is the expansion of the so-called ‘urban’ programme, with break-dancing – known simply as ‘breaking’ for the purposes of the Olympic programme, making its Games debuts. Meanwhile there will no doubt be an emerging band of ever-younger hopefuls looking to skip onto the medal podium in skateboarding.
Equality rules
The Paris Games aims to be the first to reach a 50% split between male and female athletes, edging Tokyo which managed 48.8%. Paris will also be a marginally smaller Games – the number of athletes is expected to reduce by around 500 to 10,500, and the total number of events will go down by around 10.
Tropical times
The 2024 surfing competition will take place thousands of miles away in Tahiti – and it could have major British interest in the form of Sky Brown Having landed skateboarding bronze in Tokyo at the age of 13, Brown has already set her sights on qualifying and competing in other favourite sport – and then jetting back to Paris for the skateboarding competition if schedules allow.
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