First Olympics events start tomorrow — two days before Opening Ceremonies

Want to sound clever when you’re talking about the Olympics?

Well, you could start with a fact about when the Games technically start for this year, which is a little bit different than what you’ll see on most official branding for the Games.

The first Olympic events at the Paris 2024 Summer Games begin tomorrow, Wednesday, July 24, with the Opening Ceremonies beginning on July 26 and the Closing Ceremonies to be held on August 11. Though the Games are typically listed as kicking off once the Olympic flame is lit, it’s an ongoing tradition to have a few events get going early to squeeze everything in.

The Games kick off with soccer and Rugby Sevens events on what’s known as “Day -2,” meaning two days before the Opening Ceremonies. Canada’s first event is a women’s soccer match against New Zealand, taking place Thursday at 11 am ET/ 8 am PT.

What else should we know about the Olympics?

Fans looking to stream the action can do so for free on CBC, and various events throughout the Games will also be shown on Sportsnet and TSN.

For team sports, it’ll be the first time the Canadian men’s basketball team has competed in the Games since 2000. The women are looking to reach a ninth-place finish in 2020, while the women’s soccer team is looking to defend its gold medal.

In individual sports, a few familiar faces will be representing Canada, with seven-time medallist Penny Oleksiak and six-time medallist Andre De Grasse expected to compete in swimming and athletics, respectively.

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