Paris 2024 Olympics day one: swimming, cycling, rowing, hockey and more – live | Paris Olympic Games 2024

As the US rests and Europe awakens, we shift our focus to Australia. Day one features numerous Australians in action, from the Boomers in the morning to Grace Brown in the afternoon, and Ariarne Titmus this evening.

Speaking of Grace Brown, here she is alongside our very own Kieran Pender.

Since the last Olympics, across nine individual time trials, Brown has only finished off the podium once – a fourth place on stage eight of last year’s Tour de France Femmes. All this leads Brown close to an Olympic medal in late July, racing against the clock over 32.4 km through Paris, just a day after the grand opening ceremony.

Regrettably, the lousy weather from the opening ceremony persists. Fortunately, forecasts indicate clearer skies by evening, with the rest of the week likely to be more summer-like.

The opening ceremony also provides a platform for the IOC President to deliver a political statement. Thomas Bach’s message can be boiled down to “dream with us”. Sean Ingle was on hand to watch it unfold.

The essence of Bach’s speech? The hope that these Games could act as a catalyst for positivity amidst the ongoing horrific war in Ukraine, and the distressing images from Israel and Palestine that have filled our screens for nearly nine months now.

If you missed some or all of the rain-soaked festivities, Jon Henley has compiled the highlights into an efficient top-five list.

What’s your take on the opening ceremony? Amazing? Cheesy? Over-the-top? Barney Ronay’s coverage captures a full spectrum of impressions, amusingly insisting that henceforth, Celine Dion should be dubbed The Canadian Messi.

It was intricate, multi-faceted, entertaining, vibrant, scattered, diluted, and a touch too expansive. This is precisely why grand events are traditionally held within stadiums.

At the very top of the page, you’ll find links to the day-to-day guide, medal standings, results, and the ongoing schedule. These will be our guiding lights for the next two weeks, enabling us to stay ahead of the action.

From that daily guide, here’s what Simon Burnton recommends you watch today.

Saturday July 27 Day 1

• Shooting
  Expected to conclude by 11:50 am local time, the 10m mixed team air rifle is poised to finish just moments before the women’s synchronized 3m springboard diving event. Regardless of which event finishes first, it’s highly likely that the anthem played will be the same, as the latest world championships in both events were clinched by Chinese athletes (though Britain’s Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen won silver in diving at last year’s championships).

• Men’s Rugby
  France’s captain, Antoine Dupont, missed the Six Nations to fully dedicate himself to Olympic preparations, declaring a gold medal “the holy grail of the sport”. The men’s final has been scheduled by organizers in hopes he can help kick off a successful Games. However, it’s far from guaranteed; France failed to secure a spot in the final four during its previous two Olympic appearances, while Fiji has secured gold in both occasions.

• Men’s Handball
  In the prior two Olympic finals, Denmark triumphed over France in Rio, only for France to defeat Denmark in Tokyo. Of the five world championships in the last decade, France has won two, with Denmark emerging victorious in the most recent three, extending their unbeaten streak to 28 games after triumphing over France in the final last year. Today marks the beginning of the men’s tournament—it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them face off again for a medal on August 11.