Why the summer Olympics pack a punch

Nothing beats the feeling of being at the Summer Olympics.

For many, attending the Olympics is a chance of a lifetime. Not only does the Olympics carry immense prestige for the athletes, but equally, accredited visiting delegations, including journalists, esteem it as a huge honour.

As an accredited journalist for the 33rd Summer Olympiad (Paris 2024 Olympic Games), I consider it an epic career moment and a veritable Olympic dream come true. This feels surreal and rather wild!

Some fun facts:

The Olympics are a transcendent event. Put simply, the Olympics are the mother of all events on planet Earth.

The Olympics are the only event on the planet that brings together more nations than the annual UN General Assembly sessions and meetings. A whopping 10,500 athletes from 26 countries will compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The Olympics are a hulking quadrennial jamboree that attracts the world and its wife, with Paris 2024 expecting over 15 million visitors.

Lately, Olympians have received the letters "OLY" after their names. The "post-nominal letters" (O-L-Y) work in a similar way to other designations, such as PhD for academics. Thomas Bach, OLY, an Olympic gold medalist at the 1976 Olympics, is the current President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

It's the highest level of world sport, and winning Olympic gold is considered the highest possible achievement.

The Olympics boast a smorgasbord of sporting events: 329 events in 32 sports. You would learn a lot about sports that you would not see anywhere else.

It's the oldest and most prestigious sports event in the history of sport. The ancient Olympic Games date back to 776 B.C. (2799 years), while the modern Olympics date back to 1896 (128 years).

Lately, the Olympics have focused on improving the sustainability of host cities and leaving a lasting legacy after the Games.

The Olympic Games are a real feast for the eyes, grabbing more eyeballs than any event in the world. Paris 2024 is expected to attract some 4 billion TV viewers and 13.5 million spectators.

The Olympics are so unique that all participants (athletes and non-athletes) feel incredibly inspired, proud, and immensely honoured to be at the Olympics.