Celine Dion, Lady Gaga arrive in Paris, raising performance questions ahead of the 2024 Olympics

PARIS — The man responsible for the Eiffel Tower will have the best seat in the house for the Opening Ceremony. From the second floor of the world-famous landmark you can see right along the Seine to Notre Dame Cathedral close to where the fleet of boats will begin. Right underneath the tower is the Trocadero where the ceremony will climax.

Jean Francois Martins, President of the Eiffel Tower, was part of the original bid for Paris 2024 and now gets to see his dream come true.

‘The Olympic bid for Paris had a signature theme called, ‘made for sharing.’ So now it’s time to share it with all the world," Francois Martins told NBC News today.

"With all the viewers the broadcast all over the world. Saying okay, sports can provide in our challenging society some peace and unity, so let’s celebrate.’

For France, he says it will be a celebration of, "Our history, our country, our values."

Standing on the balcony of the Eiffel Tower he points out the Opening Ceremony route, "You have to imagine boats with all the national delegations of all the athletes all around the world, cruising there," he says followed by that, "magical sentence, we declare the Olympics open."

Multiple U.S. athletes will arrive in Paris with a chance to make history during the 2024 Olympics. In gymnastics, Simone Biles could become just the third woman in history to win gold in the women's individual all-around. Biles won five medals at the 2023 World Championships, including four golds. If she wins at least one medal in Paris, Biles will break her tie with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals of any American gymnast in history.

In swimming, Katie Ledecky needs one gold medal to tie and two gold medals to break the record for most Olympic golds won by an American woman in any sport. Ledecky who currently has 10 medals, needs just three total medals to become the most decorated American woman in Olympic history.

NBA star Kevin Durant arrives in Paris with an opportunity to become the first male athlete to win four gold medals in a team sport. Meanwhile the U.S. women's basketball team is looking to become the first team in any sport to win eight straight Olympic golds.

In track and field, multiple athletes are eyeing history. Track star Noah Lyles is looking to become the first American man to win gold in both the 100m and 200m at the same Games since Carl Lewis in 1984. Lyles is also hoping to become the fastest man on earth, a record currently held by retired Jamaica's Usain Bolt.

In the women's track and field events, Sha'Carri Richardson could become the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the 100m since Gail Devers in 1996. Her counterpart, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, is the defending gold medalist in the women’s 400m hurdles and is looking to become the first woman in history to win multiple gold medals in that event.

Over in field events, two-time defending gold medalist Ryan Crouser could become the first athlete, male or female, to win three Olympic gold medals in the shot put.

Nearly 600 athletes will represent the United States during the 2024 Paris Games. According to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the 592 American athletes is the largest delegation competing in Paris. 340 American athletes are making their Olympic debut, while the remaining 252 athletes are returning to the global sports stage.

Three U.S. athletes including Diana Taurasi (basketball), Steffen Peters (equestrian) and McLain Ward (equestrian) are making their sixth Olympic appearance.

In terms of medals, the U.S. currently has 122 Olympic medalists. Swimmer Katie Ladecky has the most with 10 medals, followed by gymnast Simone Biles (seven), swimmer Caeleb Dressel (seven), and swimmer Ryan Murphy (six). Three athletes currently have five medals including Diana Taurasi and swimmers Lilly King and Simone Manuel.

46 states will be represented lead by California (120), Florida (42) and Texas (41).

Finally, 43 years marks the age gap between the youngest U.S. athlete, 16-year-old gymnast Hezly Rivera and 59 year old equestrian Steffen Peters.

Olympic athletes may already be experts at their sports, but they have one more skill to master in Paris: French baguette making.

Aleah Finnegan, a former U.S. gymnast who now represents the Philippines, documented her experience learning to make baguettes in the Olympic Village on TikTok.

A professional chef from Sodexo Live!, the company that provides the food inside the Olympic Village, led a group of athletes from an array of countries in a step-by-step tutorial.

“Excellent form, Emma,” Finnegan joked as her teammate, Emma Malabuyo, placed freshly rolled dough in the oven.

They learned how to prepare and cut the dough, design their baguette, bake it properly and, of course, taste test it.

"Délicieuse," Finnegan proclaimed.

Several sporting events will make their debut during the 2024 Paris Games. Among them is breaking, commonly known as breakdancing. Breaking will showcase 16 athletes for the men's and women's competitions in head-to-head matchups. Breakers will compete in a round robin before advancing to a knockout stage. Judges will score breakers on five categories — technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality and originality. Breaking will debut on Aug. 9 at La Concorde, a historic square at the end of the Champs-Elysees.

Outside of breaking, multiple sports have added new events for the Paris Games. Women's boxing will now include a new division for bantamweight at 119 pounds.

Meanwhile, sailing has added men's kite, women's kite and dinghy. In kiting, athletes race on boards that fly above the water. Mixed dinghy features teams of one male athlete and one female athlete racing together in one boat. Notably, all sailing races will take place at Marseille Marina, approximately 400 miles southeast of Paris.

Additional events include men's and women's kayak cross in canoe shalom, K-2 500m and C-2 500m in canoe sprint as well as mixed team skeet in shooting events, where one man and one woman from each nation will partner.

While most Olympic athletes are in their 20s, a few notable exceptions exist.

Steffen Peters, who is 59 years old, is the oldest American Olympian at the Paris Games. Peters, from San Diego, is competing in equestrian. 

At the Games, he’ll be riding a horse named Suppenkasper (nicknamed “Mopsie”). Mopsie is three months older than gymnast Hezly Rivera, who is the youngest American Olympian. She turned 16 just last month. 

Charlotte Dujardin, a British dressage rider, could have become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian in Paris. 

But that dream has been put on hold. The 39-year-old athlete announced Tuesday she’s pulling out of the competition following the emergence of a video “from four years ago” that showed her “making an error of judgement during a coaching session.”

It wasn’t clear what video she was referring to or what was shown in the video. With six Olympic medals, three of them gold, Dujardin holds the joint record as most decorated female Olympian for Team Great Britain.

“I have made the decision to withdraw from all competition — including the Paris Olympics” she said in a statement on Instagram, noting an investigation is underway by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.

“What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils,” Dujardin said. “However there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.”

“I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors.”

Israeli athletes will receive 24-hour protection during the Paris Olympics, French officials have said, after a left-wing lawmaker said the Israeli delegation was not welcome in the French capital.

Speaking at a rally on Saturday, Thomas Portes, an MP with the far-left party France Unbowed, called for protests over the participation of the Israeli team in the Games amid the country’s continuing offensive in Gaza.

Portes said the Israeli delegation would not be welcome in Paris and he called for an immediate and permanent cease-fire to bring fighting in Gaza to an end.

Olympians can rest easy.

Where athletes sleep has been a controversial subject in the run-up to the Paris Games, with the use of cardboard bed frames aimed at promoting sustainability sparking claims on social media that organizers were trying to prevent any participants from coupling up.

"When I tested them last time, it withstood my testing," says Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan in an X post in which he jumps up and down and does an athletic forward-roll on one of the "anti-sex beds" without it collapsing. “Nope, they pass the test,” he concludes. "It's fake. Fake news."

The Olympic organizers have posted a video on YouTube explaining the use of the beds, last used in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which are made from recycled materials. Athletes have a choice of mattress firmness.

French President Emmanuel Macron will speak to France Télévisions and Radio France on Tuesday evening. Not only does the appearance come three days before the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, this will be Macron’s first interview since France’s inconclusive parliamentary elections.

With the country’s political landscape currently fractured and a new government yet to be formed, Macron spoke publicly Monday about the need for a “political truce” during the Olympic Games.

As France welcomes the world to Paris 2024, Macron's call for a political truce suggests that he does not intend to name a new government during the Olympics. For now, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s caretaker government continues to run the country.

Two of the world’s most popular singers, Celine Dion and Lady Gaga, have arrived in Paris. But officials are staying mum on whether they'll be performing at the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday.

French newspaper Le Parisien reported that Dion, who is French Canadian, arrived in Paris on Tuesday morning and will perform “L’Hymne à l’amour” by Édith Piaf at the Olympics, in what would be a moving and emotional performance following her stiff person syndrome diagnosis. Last month, she shared an intimate view into her struggles with the syndrome in the documentary “I Am Celine Dion.”

Video on social media showed Lady Gaga waving to fans outside her car in Paris on Monday.

France’s Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, told French media she would neither confirm nor deny if Dion was performing, but said there will be an “exceptional line-up of artists” including dancers, musicians and actors at Friday's opening ceremony.

After his dominant performance in the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar will miss the Olympics this year.

The Slovenia Olympic Team said in a statement yesterday that Pogacar, 25, will not be among the members of the country’s cycling team, citing fatigue. 

"Once again, congratulations to the Tour de France winner for his third victory in the world’s most prestigious cycling race, and we hope he rests well and prepares for his next races," the team said.

He will be replaced by Domen Novak.

Pogacar, who won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, confirmed the decision today on Instagram, and wished Novak luck. 

"After an intense few months I’m going to take a bit of rest and build up to the World Championships where I look forward to wearing the Slovenian colours again with pride."

Ahead of the 2024 Games, the "TODAY" show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin reflect on Olympics past and present, what they’re packing — and the moments they’ll never forget.

HODA KOTB: THE CHEERLEADER

What she’s most excited for at this year’s Games: “I’m looking forward to the feeling of just elation, unity, inspiration ... all the things that the Olympics brings.”

On why the Olympics are humbling: “The Olympics always reminds me of how small the world is, and I think it’s such a good thing to remember. You look around, you realize, ‘Wow, here we all are in one tiny spot on this globe. People from all over the globe are right here together competing, whether win, lose or draw — whatever it is, you are doing it as a team.’”

Why she can’t actually watch gymnastics: “It’s my favorite sport, except for I can’t watch it because I’m like, ‘Oh, God, don’t look. Don’t. Tell me when it’s over! Tell me when it’s over! Did she stick it?’ Then everyone’s screaming. ‘She made it!’ And I’m like, ‘I can’t believe I missed that moment because I couldn’t bear to watch it.’ But sometimes it’s too much to bear. You get all freaked out.”

The Olympic event she’d compete in if she could: “I think I would probably do something like one of the track events. There would be something really fun about the feeling of being in the starting blocks, being with all the fastest people in the world.”

Read the full story here.

As times have changed, so, too, has the Olympic program.

When Paris first hosted in 1900, croquet and tug-of-war were featured (that was croquet’s only Olympics appearance, while tug-of-war was featured five more times until the Games in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920).

Contests of all kinds have come and gone and sometimes returned over the years — a trend that will continue thanks to the International Olympic Committee’s allowing host countries to nominate one-off events that “enhance the popularity of the Games.” 

So, what’s new this year? And what will be in the lineup at Los Angeles 2028? Two sports below are set to make their Olympic debuts, while several are making returns. Others are but office daydreams.  

Click here to go for gold and test your knowledge of the Olympic program.

PARIS — In the days leading up to the opening ceremony, security around Paris has visibly tightened — armed officers, walled-off tourist hot spots and daily barge sweeps for explosives are part of the heightened security measures. 

To enter any part of the control zone, whether its blocks away from an Olympic event venue or the Seine River, getting through checkpoints can take 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic and time of day. Police check everyone’s credentials and match it with an ID. 

Over 12-foot-high wooden planks are blocking off popular tourist sites like the Champs de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower and the grounds by Les Invalides ahead of the games.

Today, there’s also a more visible military presence as the "Vigipirate” — the country’s counterterrorism unit — have begun patrolling the streets along with police and the Gendarmerie.

An American family who owns a barge in the Seine told NBC News that authorities do daily sweeps for explosives underneath the boats and police regularly check their living space. 

A surprise election and concerns over pollution in the River Seine did not impede French officials from getting Paris ready for the 2024 Olympic Games. NBC News’ Jay Gray reports on what to expect.

Three days out from the opening ceremony on Friday, it appears that the hundreds of thousands of planned spectators may need an umbrella.

There will be showers throughout the day in Paris, with the showers forecast to increase in coverage and intensity heading into the evening hours and during the opening ceremony. The temperatures should be in the mid-70s.

Former college basketball star Canyon Barry isn’t the only Olympian who has to balance 9-to-5 work with preparation for Paris.

But Barry, a hoops scion (his parents both plied their trade in the game), has a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in nuclear engineering. And he was probably the only Team USA athlete giving a high-level work presentation from Mongolia at 2 a.m. — the afternoon back home in Florida — last month while he was also getting ready for the Olympics.

"It’s definitely a grind at times," Barry said in an interview that started 30 minutes behind schedule ... because he had to take a work call. "I’m so fortunate [my employers] are willing to work with me. That’s part of the Olympic spirit to do whatever you can try to succeed and pursue that dream."

Scores of elite athletes have to put on their work boots before they lace up sneakers to run down Olympic aspirations. Sports psychologist Mark Aoyagi said the laboring athletes face a uniquely difficult challenge.

Read the full story here.

If it were up to the internet, Team Mongolia’s uniforms for the Paris Olympics would win gold in the competition for most drip. 

The uniforms, by Mongolian couture brand Michel & Amazonka, have a hold on people across social media. Fans have been praising the striking designs and intricately embroidered vests, dresses and accessories that heavily feature cultural motifs and will be worn during the opening ceremony Friday. 

Read the full story here.

On Friday, it will be Snoop Dogg's turn to carry the Olympic torch. The rapper will take the torch on its final leg around the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, the town’s mayor Matheiu Hanotin said today in a post on X.

The "Drop It Like It's Hot" artist will be joined by French rapper MC Solaar and Ukrainian retired pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka, among others, as they carry the flame around the area that's home to the Olympic stadium and aquatics center.

The torch relay is a historic Olympic tradition and the Paris flame was lit in April during a ceremony in Olympia, Greece, where the ancient Games were held. It's been relayed across France over the past two months.

After passing through Saint-Denis, the torch will arrive at the Eiffel Tower — its final destination — ahead of the opening ceremony.

Boxer Cindy Ngamba and taekwondo athlete Yahya Al-Ghotany have been announced as the flagbearers for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Team at Friday’s opening ceremony.

Cindy Ngamba was born in Cameroon and moved to the UK at the age of 11. Yahya Al-Ghotany fled Syria’s civil war with his family to Jordan.

The team comprises 37 athletes and will be competing across 12 sports. The IOC says the team represents more than 100 million displaced people worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution.

Last week the athletes spent three days at a training camp in Normandy, France. The first Refugee Olympic Team competed at Rio 2016.

Tourists attending the Paris Olympic Games can send home the aroma of classical French cuisine by buying the scratch-and-sniff postage stamps that are now on sale.

The stamps are supposed to smell like traditional French baguettes, although not everyone agrees.

British tennis player Andy Murray has confirmed he will retire after competing at the Paris Games. The three-time grand slam champion has already played in four Olympic Games and is the only man to have won two tennis singles gold medals.

Murray posted on X: "Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament @Olympics. Competing for GB have been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I’m extremely proud to get do it one final time!"

The 37-year-old made his Olympic debut at the Beijing Games in 2008. He won his first grand slam at the US Open in 2012.

PARIS — It's raining in Paris, giving a sense of calm before the storm as the city prepares for an opening ceremony that showcases the best of the city's landmarks.

The city center is unusually quiet this morning, with the route that the Olympics opening ceremony will take closed off. But a bike ride from the Île de la Cité to the Eiffel Tower reveals that how much work has already been done to get the Seine river Games-ready.

Every bridge is stacked with bleachers and the river's banks are lined with huge TV screens.

The Pont de la Concorde, meanwhile, is closed off right now. When it opens, it will allow tourists to access the historic Place de la Concorde, where a massive makeshift venue has been built for modern sports like breaking.

A century ago, at a small stadium just outside Paris, a college track and field star from Ohio named William DeHart Hubbard took a dramatic leap forward for himself and for all African Americans back home in the segregated United States of America.

By defeating the best long jumpers in the world at the 1924 Paris Olympics, Hubbard became the first Black athlete to win an individual gold medal at the Games.

Hubbard’s nephew Kenneth Blackwell, the former secretary of state of Ohio, told NBC News his uncle recognized that he was carrying the hopes and dreams of millions of Black Americans on his muscular frame when he raced down a track toward a sand pit and leaped into history.

Read the full story here.

The Olympic swimming pool at new Seine Saint Denis aquatics center is part of the only new permanent facility built for these Games. It's 164 feet long, which is roughly the same height as the French capital's famous Arc de Triomphe. 

That means, over the course of the Paris Games, Katie Ledecky could swim the length of up to 124 Arcs de Triomphe.

The U.S. has come out on top at every Summer Olympics since 1996. At the last Olympics, in Tokyo, the U.S. again topped the medal chart with 113 podiums. That was 24 medals more than the next-best delegation — China. 

Also in Tokyo, U.S. women marked the third straight Games in which they brought home more medals than the men. The women won 66 of America's medals — or 58% of the total — which is a higher percentage than any other delegation except for China and the Russian Olympic Committee. 

Maybe it's because there were more women than men on the U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo — some 329 of the 613 total athletes — or maybe it’s sheer girl power.

President Joe Biden has announced the U.S. delegation headed to the Paris Olympics.

Among them are first lady Jill Biden, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

Other members of the presidential delegation include French Ambassador Denise Campbell Bauer, 2028 L.A. Olympic and Paralympic Game Chair Casey Wasserman, Olympic figure skater Brian Boitano and basketball coach and Olympian Dawn Staley.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will lead the U.S. delegation for the August 11 closing ceremony.