Paris Olympics, 100 years later: How has the city changed since 1924?

A century after Paris last welcomed the world’s premiere athletes, the City of Light is ready to play host for the Summer Olympics once again.

What began as a modest gathering of mostly European athletes, their performances timed by mechanical stopwatches, has evolved into a global spectacle where precision is measured to the thousandth of a second.

The numbers tell a compelling story.

From 45 countries to 200, including a team of refugees. A budget that’s ballooned from millions to billions. An Olympic Village that’s grown 50-times in its capacity to host the world’s greatest athletes. And a dramatic increase in media coverage – the crackling radio broadcasts of 1924 have given way to a 24/7 media extravaganza, with 6,000 journalists invited to report on the event.

Let’s compare the Paris Olympics of 1924 and 2024, a century apart but sharing the same spirit of athletic competition. We’ll explore the remarkable leaps in technology, the dramatic increase in participation, and yes, even the skyrocketing price of a croissant.