Happy Olympics! A quick, comprehensive guide to everything you need to know in Paris

Here’s everything you need to prepare yourself for the Olympics.

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This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners! Happy Friday. I hope you’ve had a fantastic week so far.

Today’s newsletter will focus on getting you prepped for the Games, but first, we’ve got to talk about this opening ceremony.

It’s here, folks! Today is the day. It’s the official, unofficial opening of the Olympics. At 1:30 p.m. ET today, the Olympic opening ceremony will begin, marking the start of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Today is your day if you’re here for pageantry and spectacle. You’re going to get plenty of it here. But brushing that aside, the opening ceremony is such a special moment.

It’s quite remarkable when you think about it.

READ MORE: 5 things to know about this year’s opening ceremony at the Olympics

It’s the one moment every few years when it feels like our humanity not only persists but is appreciated. Our differences are celebrated. Every participating culture gets a spotlight. And, no matter where you’re from or what conflicts may exist outside of this moment, you can always appreciate what you’re watching.

Plus, you get to see a bit of the host city’s culture. Did I mention pageantry and spectacle? This year’s ceremony will be on the Seine River and eventually flow into the Trocadero. Visually, it’ll be beautiful—and something we’ve literally never seen before.

I truly cannot wait to watch this. I hope you’re just as excited, too. Enough about that, though. Let’s get you ready for the Olympics.

Michelle’s can’t-miss pick of the opening weekend

AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY CLARY

PARIS — Bonjour, les gagnants! The official start of the 2024 Paris Olympics is almost here, and swimming is set to kick off Saturday. And you won’t want to miss the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relays on Day 1.

The men’s 4×100 freestyle relay world record is one of swimming’s oldest, and it could go down Saturday.

Team USA set the record at the 2008 Beijing Olympics when American Jason Lezak became a national hero by swimming the greatest relay leg ever, overtaking the French team at the very end to win gold — one of Michael Phelps’ historic eight from those Games. But after watching the men’s 100 freestyle at U.S. Olympic trials in June, Lezak predicted the 4×100 free relay world record will fall in Paris.

Cullen Jones — who swam third on the relay before Lezak’s epic anchor leg — agrees.

“I think this is the year,” Jones told USA TODAY Sports/For The Win about the 16-year-old world record. “I got to see Phelps in trials, and we text from time to time. But I’m like, ‘The 4×100 [freestyle] relay is looking like it’s in peril with these four guys.’”

Those four guys are Team USA’s Caeleb Dressel — who was on the gold medal-winning team at the 2021 Tokyo Games — Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano and Hunter Armstrong, who are expected to compete in the fastest relay in the pool, possibly with the help of Ryan Held and Matt King in prelims.

“We’ll see what happens,” Jones added. “I think that they’re gonna definitely be a shoe-in for first, but let’s see if they can break that record.”

-Michelle Martinelli 🇫🇷

Get to know Team USA

Over the last month or so, we’ve built up an archive of profiles about the athletes from Team USA you should familiarize yourself with at these Games.

Each profile has five facts about the athletes, including when they begin competing at the Games this year.

Let’s dive in.

The D O double G in Paris

You’ve probably seen a ton of Snoop Dogg on the internet in the last few days. They’ve got this man out here carrying the Olympic torch.

This is not a bit. Snoop has basically become an ambassador for the Olympics at this point. Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with more on how this happened:

“Following the success of his previous show on Peacock three years ago, Snoop Dogg was tapped for an elevated role this year and is on-site in Paris.

He has said that he would desperately like to meet a dancing horse and get in the pool with swimmer Michael Phelps.

NBCUniversal announced that he will provide regular updates for the network during the 2024 Paris Olympics. That includes on-air time with NBC’s Mike Tirico during prime time coverage.

This is incredible. Imagine telling somebody in 1995 that Snoop Dogg would be doing this someday.

What a world we live in, folks. I love it.

Photo Friday: Anthony Edwards jamming on Kevin Durant

Here’s the dunk of the summer, courtesy of Anthony Edwards. Thank you for contesting, Kevin Durant.

Team USA Basketball is going to be so fun.

Quick hits: More Olympics coverage from the FTW squad

— Here’s Michelle with more on how sharks inspired Speedo’s swimsuits for the Olympics. This is so dope.

— Speaking of Olympic basketball, here’s a power ranking of all the teams in competition this year from Bryan Kalbrosky.

—Charles Curtis has more here on the Olympic mascots, Les Phryges. Yes, they’re weird.

— Here’s our first scandal of the Games. Canada’s men’s and women’s soccer teams have reportedly been using drones to spy on opponents for years. Andrew Joseph has more.

— Simone Biles looks like she’s literally flying in these photos. I can’t wait to watch her routine.

— Remember Tonga’s Pita Taufatofua? You won’t see him at the Olympic opening ceremony this year. Here’s Blake with more on why.

That’s a wrap, folks! Enjoy the Games! This is going to be so fun.

-Sykes ✌️