Published on Friday, July 26, 2024

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

 

The countdown to the Ticos' participation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the world's most important sporting event, has begun.


Costa Rica's National Olympic Committee (CONCRC) has noted that the country's smallest team in 48 years, made up of six athletes, will compete in the 23rd edition of the Olympics.


Ticos athletes will compete in this major event, with the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday, July 26.


Because of the 8-hour time difference between France and Costa Rica, some matches will be played in the early morning local time.


On Saturday, July 27, at 2 a.m., Alberto Vega will be the first Costa Rican athlete to compete in the men's 400-meter freestyle swimming race. The 19-year-old swimmer will make his Olympic debut at Paris' La Défense Arena.


On the same day, at 3 a.m., Sebastián Sancho (25), is going to compete in judo. His Olympic debut will be in the men's 60-kilogram match.


The third country's representative, Brisa Hennessy (24), will be competing in surfing on Saturday. Her event will take place at 3:48 p.m. on Tahiti, a French Polynesian island. Hennessy will take part in her second Olympics, after finishing sixth in Tokyo 2020.


The fourth athlete, Alondra Ortiz, will participate in the swimming race on Wednesday, July 31, at 3 a.m. The 22-year-old Tica will compete in the 200-meter swimming match, making her Olympic debut at La Défense Arena.

Milagro Mena will take his turn next. She will take part in the road cycling match on Sunday, August 4th, at 6 a.m. Mena (31) will run 158 km through the streets of Paris. This will be her second Olympic appearance, having competed in Rio 2016.


Gerald Drummond is the final Tico to compete. On Monday, August 5, at 2 a.m., he will take part in the 400-meter hurdles in his second Olympics. He competed in Tokyo 2020 but was eliminated in the first round.


The Committee welcomes all Costa Ricans to support their athletes by viewing the competitions. Repretel Channel 6 will broadcast the Olympics across the country. The first coverage will be the opening ceremony on Friday, July 26 at 11 a.m. Costa Rica time.


For the second time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony will take place outside a stadium. The first instance was during the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics.


Nations will parade in boats along the Seine, from Pont d'Austerlitz to Pont d'Iéna. The official ceremonies will be held at Place du Trocadéro, where a temporary “mini-stadium” will be set up.


About 320,000 spectators are expected to gather along the Seine River to watch 80 boats carrying famous athletes. The 3.7-mile parade will feature the cultural elements of the ceremony and views of Paris landmarks.


This ongoing international multi-sport event will run from July 26 to August 2024 in France.


While Paris is the main host city, events will also occur in 16 other cities across Metropolitan France, as well as in Tahiti, French Polynesia.


A total of 206 national teams are participating in the Olympics. However, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Olympic Committees of Russia and Belarus have been suspended for violating the Olympic Truce. Athletes from these countries will compete as "Individual Neutral Athletes" (INA), without national affiliation, provided they do not "actively" support the war against Ukraine.


The 2024 Games are projected to cost over $9 billion.


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What team are you most looking forward to at the 2024 Paris Games? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com