by Editor Miro Susta
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 26^th of July

 

Part two “From Handball to Wrestling” - (If interested, click here for Part one).

Today, 26th July 2024, the 33rd Summer Olympic Games will kick off in Paris. For the first time, the opening ceremony will not take place inside a stadium, but in the centre of Paris and with boats on a 6km route along the famous Seine River!

On this day, the French capital will be transformed into a gigantic stadium and the largest sports stage. The traditional parade of athletes will pass the most famous Parisian landmarks in boats on the Seine.

On the evening of 26th August, the famous Olympic flame will end its long journey from Athens to Paris at the Jardin des Tuileries, where it will burn during the Olympic Games until 11th August 2024.

 

'La Conciergerie' by Jean-Charles Mudet

 

During planning for the ceremony, care was taken to ensure that the largest possible audience, an estimated 600,000 people, could attend and that most visitors would not have to pay an entrance fee.

An estimate of 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will take part at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games — and for the first time ever, the split will be 50% men and 50% women.
The Olympic Games are expected to draw around fifteen million visitors.

The athletes will compete for the highly prestigious Olympic Medals in following sports:
Archery, Artistic gymnastics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, 3x3 basketball, Beach volleyball, BMX racing, Boxing, Breakdance, Canoeing, Equestrian, Fencing, Football, Golf, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Modern pentathlon, Mountain biking, Open water swimming, Rhythmic gymnastics, Road cycling, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Scate boarding, Sport climbing, Surfing, Swimming, Synchronized swimming, Table tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Track cycling, Trampolining, Triathlon, Volleyball, Water jumping, Water polo, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

 

 

HANDBALL
The beginning of handball is considered to be 29th October 1917, when the head gymnastics coach in Berlin, Max Heiser, decided that the game he had designed for women in 1915, ‘goalball’, should be called ‘handball’ in future.

 

'Handball' by Dusan Ignac

Handball first became part of the Olympic programme in 1936 (as field or grass handball) and was a demonstration sport at the Helsinki 1952 Games but has only officially returned to it in Munich 1972 (as indoor Handball) and in Montreal 1976 with the premiere of the women's tournament.

 

'Handball' by Rainer Mueller

 

Since then, handball has not been absent from any Games. Historically, France has been the most successful country among the men with three gold medals, while Denmark has also won three times in the women's event.

 

 

JUDO
Judo is more than just a sport. Judo was created in Japan in the 19th century, by combining a variety of different forms of fighting. In the present time, it is estimated that over forty million people across the planet participate in this sport.
The judo values: Courtesy, honesty, respect, modesty, courage, self-control, friendship, helpfulness, seriousness, and appreciation.

 

'Judoka' by Rainer Mueller

 

Judo has been an Olympic sport continuously since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics except for 1968 in Mexico City. Seven men's and seven women's weight classes will be contested in Paris. There will also be a mixed team competition.
Unsurprisingly, Japan, the home of the sport, is also the leading country in this sport, having historically racked up forty-eight gold, twenty-one silver and twenty-seven bronze Olympic medals.

 

 

MOUNTAIN BIKING
In this racing cycling sport, bikers leave the paved roads and cycle across the terrain. There are hardly any paths that cannot be ridden on.

 

'The leader' by Benny Pettersson

 

Since 1996, the mountain bike cross-country race for men and women has been included in the programme of the Summer Olympic Games.
The traditional mountain bike superpowers are Switzerland and France.

 

 

OPEN WATER SWIMMING
Open water marathon swimming became the last swimming discipline to be included in the Olympic programme when the 10km race was included at the 2008 Beijing Games.

 

'Swimming race' by Halit Kartal

 

The Seine River will host the open water swimming events during the Games.
It is estimated that the fastest men will complete the ten kilometres in less than one hour and fifty minutes, and the fastest women will cross the finish line in less than two hours.

 

 

RHYTMIC GYMNASTICS
As the younger sister of artistic gymnastic, rhythmic gymnastics did join the Olympics in Los Angeles 1984.

 

'Rhythmic Gymnastics' by Anna Wan

 

Eastern European countries and particularly Russia heavily dominate in this sport; Russia for example has taken home ten out of seventeen titles since rhythmic gymnastics joined the Olympic programme.

 

 

ROAD CYCLING
Road cycling has always been a part of the Olympic programme since the very beginning in 1896. The Olympics road cycling includes a time trial and mass start road race.

 

'Cycling in the dust' by Carlo Beretta

For the mass start race there will be an equal number of men and women participants with ninety men and ninety women racers.
For the first time in Olympic history, thirty-five women and thirty-five men will share the same course and same distance for the time trial race.

 

'Cycling activity' by Louise Xie

Distinctive in length – 273 km for the men and 158 km for the women – the Paris road race courses will be challenging for their rolling profile, a final climb up Montmartre and their technical nature, with cobbled streets and tightly winding sections to negotiate on the last part of the course before returning to the Trocadéro.

 

'Race' by Milan Malovrh

 

Can you believe that incredible 41.81 kilometres per hour was the average speed of this year's (2024) Tour de France winner over a total distance of 3’497 kilometres within twenty-one racing days?
Great Britain has won a total of one hundred Olympic cycling medals (thirty-eight gold, thirty-five silver, twenty-seven bronze), putting them just ahead of France's ninety-three medals on the all-time table.

 

 

ROWING
Rowing was originally used as a means of transport in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It only became a sport in England between the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century.
The first major rowing competition took place in 1820, which is now known as the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race and is held annually.

 

'Armony' by Francisco Jose Lopez Fernandez

 

Rowing was not absent from any Olympic Games except the first in 1896. In Montréal 1976, the women's events were included in the competitions. Both men and women compete in a total of seven categories, which differ primarily in the number of crew members.
The rowing competitions are scheduled to run at the National Olympic Nautical Stadium of Île-de-France in Vaires-sur-Marne around 36 km east of Paris.

 

'Rowing masterclass' by Pierre Bacus

 

USA rowers have earned eighty-nine rowing medals since the 1900 Olympics, the most of any nation. Americans have won thirty-three gold, thirty-two silver and twenty-four bronze medals.

 

 

RUGBY
The game of rugby was originally invented at rugby school in England. A boy named William Webb Ellis was impatient when playing football and decided to carry the ball with his hands.

 

'Rugby' by Cesar March

 

This simple action was to become the basis for the new game, which quickly gained popularity. In the years that followed, the rules of the game evolved, and the first rugby clubs were founded.
Although rugby made its debut at the 1900 Olympics, it dropped out of the programme after 1924 Games and did not return until the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

 

'Chaos on the Field' by Darlene Hewson

 

In the men's event, each Fiji and USA players have won twice in a row, while Australia and New Zealand have been victorious in the women's event.

 

 

SAILING
Sailing was included in the programme at the first Games in 1896, but the races were cancelled due to severe weather conditions. Since then, however, except for 1904, it has always been in competition.
The sailing competitions will head for the Mediterranean. The start will be in the Roucas-Blanc harbour in the city of Marseille where five men's, four women's and one mixed event will be held.

 

'Full speed race' by Marc Pelissier

 

Great Britain leads the Olympic sailing medal tally with a combined total of sixty-three medals (thirty gold), followed by the USA with sixty-one medals (nineteen gold) and France with fifty-one medals (seventeen gold).

 

 

SCATE BOARDING
One of the latest Olympic sports is skateboarding, which made its debut in Tokyo in 2021.

 

'High Jump' by Antonyus Bunjamin (Abe)

 

There are two men's and two women's categories. Three of the four events have been dominated by Japanese athletes, who may well be among the favourites in Paris.

 

 

SURFING
Surfing made its Olympic debut in 2021 at the most recent Games in Tokyo. This year's competition is scheduled to take place on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

 

'Breakthrough' by Jie Cheng

 

The gold medal is to be defended by Brazil in the men's and by the USA in the women's event.

 

'Surf's Up!' by Annie Poreider

 

 

SWIMMING
Swimming has been a regular part of Olympic programme since its very beginning in 1896, when only four men's categories were competed.
The nation that is widely recognized as the best at swimming in the Olympics is the USA. Since the inception of the modern Olympic Games, USA has been dominating the sport of swimming with a total of 520 medals won, 246 of them gold. This is more than double the number of medals won by the second-ranked country, Australia.

 

'Start' by Milan Malovrh

 

USA swimmer Michael Phelps has so far won the most medals at the Olympic Games, a total of twenty-eight, including twenty-three gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Around 850 male and female swimmers will compete in thirty-five events at the Games.

 

 

TAEKWONDO
The combat sport of taekwondo had its Olympic debut in Sydney 2000, after previously being a demonstrational sport in 1988 and 1992 Olympics. Both men and women wrestle in four weight classes.

 

'Taekwondo' by Dusan Ignac

 

 

TABLE TENNIS
Table tennis has its roots in 19th century England, where it evolved from the so-called "wall tennis". The first official table tennis tournament was organized in London in 1901, making it one of the oldest organized sports in the world.

 

'Serving 2' by Steven Zhou

 

Table tennis has been competing at the Olympic Games since 1988 in men's and women's singles and doubles, as well as in mixed doubles. China is the most successful country with twenty-four gold from maximum possible twenty-eight gold medals.

 

 

TENNIS
Tennis was part of the Olympic Games from the very beginning in 1896 until 1924, when it was removed from the programme.

 

'Ready to strike' by Yun Wang

 

It was reintroduced to the tournament programme in Seoul in 1988 and has been an integral part of the competition ever since. It is divided into five categories - men's and women's singles and doubles as well as mixed doubles. In Paris, the event will be played at the famous Roland Garros courts.
The USA has been the world's most successful tennis nation at the Olympics, with a total of seventeen gold, thirteen silver and nine bronze medals.

 

 

TRACK CYCLING
Track cycling has been part of the Olympic programme since the beginning of the Olympic Games in 1896. Women have been competing in the track events from 1988. The events include the keirin, omnium, madison, team pursuit, individual sprint, and team sprint.

 

'The American dream' Bruno Flour

 

Great Britain has a total of one hundred Olympic medals in cycling, ranking just ahead of France in the historical table with a total of ninety-three medals.

 

 

TRIATHLON
Triathlon is one of the youngest Olympic sports, having made its debut in 2000 at the Sydney Games. Since then, the men's and women's individual events have been held every year.

 

'Triathlon' by Barbara Orienti

 

At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the mixed team relay made its debut, and the event will continue in Paris.
The race starts with a 1.5 km swimming, continues with a 40 km cycling and ends with a 10 km running. Three races are on the schedule.

 

'Calatrava's Triathlon' by Cesar March

 

Great Britain leads the Olympic medal table in this sport with three gold, three silver and two bronze medals ahead of Switzerland with two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

 

 

WATER POLO
Water polo is a ball game played by two teams (each 6+1 players) in the water. It combines speed, explosiveness, endurance, accuracy, strength, and team spirit. Water polo made its debut at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris. Twelve teams will play in the men's division and ten teams in the women's division.

 

'Water polo 2' by Dusan Ignac

 

Hungary has won the most Olympic gold medals in water polo, nine in total, with its men's team winning nine titles. Hungary also has the most medals in the sport at the Olympics, with fifteen, also including three silver and one bronze.

 

'Attack' by Amir Hossein Kamali | امیرحسین کمالی

 

The USA is the only non-European team to win Olympic medals in water polo. The women’s team won all three titles.

 

 

WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting is one of the oldest sports practised in the ancient Olympic Games. Olympic weightlifting is a sport in which the athlete must lift as much weight as possible through two lifts - the snatch and the jerk. Weightlifting was introduced at the first modern Olympic Games, held in 1896, and has been present during every Game  except for three events in 1900, 1908 and 1912.

 

'It's crossfit, baby!' by Constantin Shestopalov

 

Since 2000, women have been admitted to the weightlifting competitions. Medals are awarded for weightlifting results in five weight categories for both men and women. Former Soviet Union leads the Olympic medal table in weightlifting with thirty-nine gold, twenty-one silver and two bronze medals ahead of China with thirty-eight gold, sixteen silver and eight bronze and USA with sixteen gold, seventeen silver and eleven bronze medals.

 

 

WRESTLING
Wrestling, whose history stretches back to the ancient times, can be considered one of the characteristic sports of the Olympic Games.
Wrestling has been a part of the Olympic programme from the very beginning, except for 1900.
Originally, there was only one wrestling category, the men's Greco-Roman style. Over time, however, freestyle wrestling was added to the program in seven weight classes, and since 2004 women also participate in the freestyle.

 

Ba Chukhe wrestling Mohammad Sorkhabi (Sorkhe Abi)

 

With sixty-two Olympic gold medals in wrestling, the former Soviet Union ranks first in the historical rankings. Among current countries, the United States leads with fifty-seven gold medals.

 

 

Finally, I would like to express my great appreciations and congratulations to all contributing authors and all not mentioned 1x sports photographers, as I consider sports photography to be one of the most challenging categories of action photography.

Capturing emotions and telling an entire story in one picture is an art.

 

Why is sports photography particularly challenging? Because sports images emphasise the action movement and emotion factor.
For example, it is not easy task to capture a football player receives a ball in the air but is obstructed by an opponent at exactly right moment.

 

'Kick behind the back' by Daniel Åström

 

‘It takes a bit of luck to take a perfect sports picture,’ says Alessandro Della Bella, who has been working as a sports photographer for many years.
But it takes more than just luck. It takes a sense of the right moment to press the shutter button and capture key scenes focussing on action and emotion.
A good picture also requires knowledge of the distinctive features of the respective sport. The photographer must understand the sport and always be focussed. Full concentration throughout an entire sporting event is absolutely necessary.

 

Have a wonderful time following the Games, be it at home in front of the TV, at a Public Viewing or on the ground in Paris.
And if you are in Paris, do not forget to capture the sports action and then bring it to the 1x photo gallery.

 

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