PARIS, France — Several of athletes from Colorado's large delegation have arrived in France for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Olympians have started sharing photos on social media of their first glimpse of Paris as the Summer Games inch closer.
The Paris Olympics officially begin Friday with the opening ceremony. Competitions actually began Wednesday. Handball, rugby and soccer matches are scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday. Archery also gets an early start.
After the Olympic cauldron is lit during the opening ceremony, there will be 16 more days of competition featuring about 10,500 athletes from more than 200 nations.
Valarie Allman
Track and field Olympian Valarie Allman shared photos of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
"It was amazing to be in a city filled with so much love and Olympic energy (+ incredible food!)," Allman posted.
Amit Elor
"Living my dream," said wrestler Amit Elor, sporting new Team USA gear.
Elor also shared a photo Wednesday with rapper Snoop Dogg, who will be one of the last to carry the Olympic torch during its final stretch ahead of Friday's opening ceremony.
Jajaira Gonzalez
Colorado Springs-based Team USA boxer Jajaira Gonzalez shared photos of her Paris arrival and new USA Boxing gear.
Lexi Lagan
Colorado Springs-based air pistol shooter Lexi Lagan has arrived in Paris.
"The Athlete Welcome Experience was incredible!" Lagan said. "It is something I will never forget. Here are some images just from my time with Nike. It was truly unbelievable."
Spencer Lee
Team USA wrestler Spencer Lee shared photos of the team wearing their new patriotic Olympic gear.
Sammy Sullivan
USA Rugby player Sammy Sullivan has arrived in Paris and has already met Snoop Dogg.
Sullivan, who resides in Glendale and plays for the Colorado Gray Wolves, shared a photo she got with the legendary rapper.
Snoop Dogg will be one of the last to carry the Olympic torch during its final stretch ahead of Friday's opening ceremony.
When is the Paris Olympics opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics will be held Friday, July 26.
Instead of being held in a traditional stadium, the opening ceremony will take the form of a 4-mile-long floating procession down the Seine River.
NBC will begin live coverage of the ceremony at 10 a.m. MT on Friday, July 26.
The opening ceremony will be broadcast on NBC, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com and the NBC/NBC Sports apps.
Mike Tirico, Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning will serve as hosts of NBC’s opening ceremony coverage. "Today" hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb will also be part of the broadcast team.
Where will the Paris Olympics be held?
Eighty percent of competition venues are within 6.2 miles of the Olympic and Paralympic Village in Paris.
The Olympics will use historic locations throughout France for competition venues.
Some of the venues include Eiffel Tower Stadium for beach volleyball, the Palace of Versailles for equestrian, Roland-Garros stadium for tennis, and the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées for taekwondo and fencing.
Paris previously hosted the Olympics in 1900 and 1924, and will join London (1908, 1948 and 2012) as the only cities to host the Olympic Games three times.