Paris aims to reset Olympics with audacious Games and a wow opening

The first Games with nearly equal numbers of men and women, an advance that's been a long time coming since 22 women first got accepted as Olympians 124 years ago, also in Paris.

Looking forward to it. This will be the first Olympics to achieve full gender parity, a 50:50 allocation.

Japan, however, will send about 30 more men than women.

As long as the athletes (and probably other visitors) can be protected from being mugged, harassed etc., yes it could be a good Olympics.

All the best, Paris !!

Paris, it stinks of piss at many corners (especially around the Eiffel tower), still, I love it. My favourite city. I've probably spend months by now in total only in the Louvre alone.

Riding the underground Paris trains that have lines which intersect with the crumbling open sewers is an olfactory experience of the most memorable order which I am reliving even as I type this…

There will be a terrorist attack in the next 2 weeks

I can't wait to see this!

Waste of money.

It's a good AP article because it makes it clear that the Paris Olympics is a political propaganda event. But no worries it's an environmentally friendly propaganda event. And hard-pressed French taxpayers will pay slightly less to promote a rose-colored view of France.

Of course Russians are almost completely banned from the games, except for some individuals. Macron has been a big opponent of any negotiated settlement of the Ukraine war. As we know from the recent elections he needs a propaganda boost.

"rekindle love for the Olympics, especially with younger audiences that have so many other entertainment options."

Among their "entertainment options" has been protesting Macron.

Of course Russians are almost completely banned from the games, except for some individuals. 

political event.

while rejecting russian and belorussian sports teams,

Well, that's one big thing they have gotten right.

No one misses the Russians and their state-sponsored doping.

*It's a good AP article because it makes it clear that the Paris Olympics is a political propaganda event. *

It’s been that way since 1936, Hitler’s Olympics.

Perhaps we should long for the days when the Olympics were just a side show to the World’s Fair and medals were given for architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture.

I feel sorry for the countries could not afford to bring their own AC

Because there are international requirements and time limits that both genders have to meet. If you can't overcome these hurdles, you simply don't go to the Olympics.

Why would that result in a gender imbalance? Not trying to be critical. Just curious.

Hmm, I don't understand your question? Again, there are sports in which there are time or distance limits, for example, which are set by the national association. If there are fewer women than men who can meet these limits, then there will be fewer female athletes at the Olympics. It makes no sense to set the hurdles so low just to achieve parity. Only the best should represent a country, regardless of whether they are men or women.

I guess my question might be, “Why would fewer women than men meet these limits?”

I'm going to stay up and watch the opening ceremony.

They should hold the summer and winter Olympics in the two same locations every four years.

Since at least the 1984 games (when Ueberroth turned it into a money-making machine), it has been a foul enterprise. The IOC is as corrupt as FIFA. It's all about the money. Building new stadiums, marketing, sponsorship, kickback after kickback--it reeks.