France unions, pro-Palestinian protesters march on May Day before Olympics – The Washington Post

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PARIS Demands for wage hikes, chants for Gaza and a smattering of calls to extinguish the Olympics flame echoed in the streets of Paris on Wednesday, as traditional May Day labor rights marches melded with pro-Palestinian protests and anti-Olympics sentiment.

May 1 is Labor Day for much of the world and an annual display of protest and activism. In France, it can be a good moment to take the temperature of the nation.

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France unions, pro-Palestinian protesters march on May Day before Olympics - The Washington Post

‘Hit them in the face,’ Lukashenko tells Belarusian athletes ahead of Olympics – POLITICO Europe

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Anger in sports is important, Lukashenko said. If you have already qualified and are going there in a neutral status, hit them in the face, show them that you are a real Belarusian, he continued.

Lukashenko has not clarified whether his comments were made in a spirit of sporting competitiveness, or if the implication was literal.

The leader added that if Belarusians emerge victorious during the games, it will be a good tool for Belarusian politicians. Then we can also hit them in the face politically, he said.

Russian and Belarusian competitors taking part as neutral athletes will be barred from participating in the opening ceremony parade of delegations.

Their national anthems will not be played during the award ceremonies, and their national colors, flags, and any other identification are also banned.

Athletes who are contracted by the military of Belarus and Russia, or actively support the invasion of Ukraine, will not be eligible to take part. Belarusian and Russian state officials will not be invited or accredited to the games, which run from July 26 to August 11.

The committee estimated some 30 Russians and 20 Belarusians will qualify to take part in this years Summer Olympics.

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'Hit them in the face,' Lukashenko tells Belarusian athletes ahead of Olympics - POLITICO Europe

Gabby Douglas Qualifies for U.S. Championships and Gets Closer to Olympics but Still Has ‘Kinks to Work Out’ – PEOPLE

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Gabby Douglas' road back to the Olympics just got a little bit shorter.

In her comeback meet this past weekend, the 2012 all-around Olympic gold medalist, 28, successfully qualified for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships at the end of May, setting her up for a trip to the Olympic Trials in June and potentially the 2024 Summer Olympics.

At the American Classic over the weekend, her first professional competition since the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, Douglas finished 10th all-around, but her high scores on the vault and the balance beam qualified her for the two events at U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.

Posting on Instagram, Douglas shared a video of herself on the vault coupled with a caption about her performance at the American Classic, which she said wasnt my best showing.

8 years later. well guys it wasnt my best showing this weekend but was so happy and grateful to be back out there on the floor doing what i love again. With anything there are always kinks to work out, get better and improve. I've never been more excited to get back into the gym and work even harder. Forever grateful for all of your love and support. It means the world. I love you guys and I'll see you in Hartford, her message read.

The American Classic was one of the final two opportunities to qualify for U.S. Gymnastics Championships, the event that serves as the qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (June 27-30) ahead of the 2024 Paris Games this summer.

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Douglas previously announced that she would make her gymnastics return at the 2024 Winter Cup in February. However, she tested positive for COVID-19 and had to withdraw from the event. "I was so excited to get back out on the competition floor," she wrote on Instagram at the time while announcing the news.

In July 2023, Douglas also hinted on Instagram that she had resumed training and was aiming to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. I did a lot of journaling, reflecting, soul searching and found myself back where it all began, she wrote in part alongside a photo of herself over a balance beam.

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Gabby Douglas Qualifies for U.S. Championships and Gets Closer to Olympics but Still Has 'Kinks to Work Out' - PEOPLE

Carmelo Anthony explains why USA Basketball needs ‘The Avengers’ at Paris Olympics on ‘Point Forward’ – SB Nation

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Carmelo Anthony was the guest this week for episode 100 of Point Forward and the NBA legend didnt mince his words when he discussed the need for Team USA to make a major statement at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

To this end, from a business perspective, Melo believes 2024 Team USA is on pat with the 1992 Dream Team when it comes to hype. Thats a serious statement when talking about the most famous basketball team of all time. Just so were clear: This is the roster for the 2024 games.

PG: Stephen Curry/ Tyrese Haliburton/ Jrue Holiday SG: Anthony Edwards/ Devin Booker SF: LeBron James/ Jayson Tatum/ Kevin Durant PF: Anthony Davis/ Kawhi Leonard C: Joel Embiid/ Bam Adebayo

You can move the starters around however you want, but this is a loose guide of what USA is putting on the court this summer. It represents some of the biggest international stars in basketball, both of the last 20 years with Steph, LeBron and KD but also the newer generation of stars like Ant, Tatum, and Embiid.

International players damn taking over the league, Melo says. Now weve got to put our Avengers together to take on these other countries.

Obviously hes referring to Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and now Victor Wembanyama all of whom have taken the NBA by storm. It used to be that the USA could more or less send whoever and still at least compete, but now the game is so global that our second and third tiers arent good enough.

All eyes. Its all eyes. Theres pressure too. Because these other countries, these guys are playing against them every single day.

Melos point here is fascinating, and accurate. Go back a decade and each international team maybe had one or two NBA players on them if they were lucky. Even then the worlds best werent going head-to-head vs. the LeBrons or KDs on a nightly basis. Now theres more parity, and more importantly the international players cant be stunned the way they used to when matched up against NBA talent.

The Achilles heel of the USA has always been preparation. Its never been an issue of talent, because on paper NOBODY compares to the United States. However, as weve seen from past international team their teamwork and chemistry often far surpasses that of the NBA stars we send.

Its going to be a fascinating Olympic games, especially with so many dangerous teams up and down the groups. Serbia are the non-U.S. favorites to win with Jokic, but are still considered a longshot.

Now we wait to see if The Avengers can assemble, or be beaten down by an international Thanos.

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Carmelo Anthony explains why USA Basketball needs 'The Avengers' at Paris Olympics on 'Point Forward' - SB Nation

Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics: ‘The Olympics are too strong to be damaged by Russia’ – Le Monde

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In mid-April, Sebastian Coe met with Le Monde in Monaco, at the headquarters of World Athletics, the international athletics federation, which he has chaired since 2015. At the reception desk, a Ukrainian flag with an inscription written in felt-tip pen: "Thank you World Athletics! Team Ukraine."

"They gave it to me at the Budapest Worlds [in August 2023]," recalled Coe, who decided in February 2022 to exclude Russian athletes from the discipline's competitions.

This is a position he has consistently maintained ever since. "It wasn't about passports or politics, it was about the integrity of the sport," insisted the two-time Olympic 1,500-meter gold medallist (1980 and 1984), who was also patron of the London 2012 Games and joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2020.

For many months, nobody was really sure whether we would be going to Moscow or not. The British Olympic Association, which I became president of for a few years, was very strong and independent. It said, no, it's for individual federations to decide. And then of course, getting to the games was in itself a different experience because British government didn't help in any way at all. So there was no embassy support. There were no national anthems, no flags. And we competed as a British team, but without any of the protocols.

Why did I choose to go? Because the British government's only response to the invasion of Afghanistan was in the field of sport. Nobody in the commercial sector, nobody in the cultural sector or heritage or politically were being asked to make any sacrifice at all. It was just sport. And there was one week when I remember particularly and that reinforced my view. And that was when I think the Bolshoi Ballet arrived in London and British Petroleum signed a pipe deal with Russia. And I thought, this is beyond hypocritical. It would have been a tougher decision had other sectors of society been having to confront the same challenge, but they weren't. And it made me recognize that actually, the government didn't value sport. They liked to welcome winning teams and individuals back to Downing Street. But when it actually came to substantive structural support for sport, it really wasn't there.

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Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics: 'The Olympics are too strong to be damaged by Russia' - Le Monde

Paris Olympics hotels you can still book with points – The Points Guy

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Did you just remember you need to book a hotel for the Paris Olympics? If so, now might be a good time to settle your lodging.

Most of the places you can book now with points or cash require you to make a nonrefundable reservation. But the good news is there's still some award availability for stays in the critical July 26 to Aug. 11 Olympics window. Here's a look at the hotel award availability I found.

Related: Paris Pocket Guide: What to see, do and eat in the City of Light

You can still book a hotel for the Paris Olympics, although award availability in some programs is limited or nonexistent. A press release from STR relayed that Paris hotel bookings for the 2024 Paris Olympics are above 60%, which is likely why award availability is scarce.

For context, the numbers from the STR press release show this booking level is about three times what you'd normally see at this time of year for hotels in Paris. So, you may want to book soon if you plan to stay in Paris during the Olympics.

Related: The best hotels in Paris

Admittedly, award availability for Paris Olympics hotels is worse than I expected when I agreed to write this story. But, using the Awayz hotel award availability tool, I found some hotels I could book with points for at least a four-night stay during the Paris Olympics.

Hyatt fans, I have bad news for you: I didn't find any availability for redeeming Hyatt points for a stay in Paris of at least four nights during the Olympics. But here's a look at some hotels with the best availability during the Paris Olympics when I wrote this story.

Choice Privileges offers the most economical award rates you can still book for the Paris Olympics. You'll find multiple hotels you can book with Choice points throughout the Olympics.

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I'd likely opt for the Comfort Hotel Paris Porte D'Ivry, which is within walking distance of a metro station and costs just 12,000 points per night on weeknights and 16,000 points per night on weekends. Paid rates are also reasonable at this hotel during the Olympics, starting around $75 per night.

Related: 14 ways to earn Choice Privileges points

If you have IHG points and access to the fourth-night reward offered by several IHG credit cards, IHG One Rewards might be the best option for booking a centrally-located Paris Olympics hotel. Look at the following nightly award rates for a four-night stay in Paris during the Olympics.

Availability and pricing vary depending on your dates, but I'd likely book at the Holiday Inn Paris-Montmartre since it offers reasonable award rates during much of the Paris Olympics.

Related: How to earn IHG points via stays, credit cards and more

I looked at Hilton Honors hotels I could book for at least a five-night stay during the Paris Olympics. After all, members with Hilton elite status get a fifth night free when redeeming points.

Availability varies based on the dates of your stay, and many hotels only have more-expensive premium room rewards available. But, you'll find some standard room rewards bookable for five nights or more at some Hilton Honors hotels during the Paris Olympics.

I'd likely choose the Hampton by Hilton Paris Clichy, starting at 50,000 points per night and just a 10-minute walk from a metro station. If you want to be closer to the city center, the Hotel Camille Paris Gare de Lyon, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, starts at 65,000 points per night and is just a five-minute walk from the Gare de Lyon.

Related: 12 ways you can earn more Hilton Honors points

As with Hilton Honors, I also checked for five-night Marriott Bonvoy stays in Paris during the Olympics since Marriott offers its members a "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" perk when redeeming points.

Award availability is limited if you want to redeem Marriott points for a stay during the Paris Olympics. Also, award rates are high, especially if you want to stay close to the center of Paris.

The Le Meridien Etoile is bookable for 216,000 points for the sample five-night stay in the Marriott search results above. However, the Marriott website claimed no award was available each time I clicked through to book. So, double-check that the award prices you see in the results are bookable.

If you're looking to redeem fewer Marriott points, you may want to consider the Courtyard Paris Creteil. It's well outside Paris but is a short walk from a metro station.

Related: Best ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

Finally, Accor Live Limitless uses fully dynamic award pricing tied directly to paid rates. Specifically, every 1,000 Reward points are worth 20 euros (about $21) toward your stay. So, as long as you can book a paid rate at an Accor Live Limitless property, you can also redeem Accor points. Many Accor hotels are still bookable in Paris during the Olympics.

If you already have Accor points, you might find it useful to redeem them for a stay during the Paris Olympics. However, we don't typically recommend transferring credit card rewards to Accor to book an award stay since the value is relatively low. You're usually better off booking a paid rate through an online travel agency or credit card travel portal.

Related: Best hotel credit cards

I highly recommend using Awayz or a similar hotel availability tool to find stays within a hotel loyalty program that you have points for or can transfer points to. However, note that many hotels in Paris do not offer free cancellation rates for stays during the Olympics, so you'll want to be 100% sure you'll use your hotel reservation before you book.

If you don't think the best hotel option you can find now is ideal, you may want to wait to book. Availability may open up as the Paris Olympics approach. Although, of course, it's also possible that you'll have to stay at an even less ideal property if you wait to book.

You can periodically check award availability or set up a hotel award availability alert through a service like Awayz. If you set up an alert, you can usually request to get an email or text message if the service finds availability at your desired hotel on your specific dates.

Related: The 13 best things to do with kids in Paris

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Paris Olympics hotels you can still book with points - The Points Guy

9 Destinations in France to Enjoy the Olympics Outside of Paris – The New York Times

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For sports fans, Paris will be the center of the universe this summer and with 15 million Olympic and Paralympic visitors expected, it will feel like it, with crowds and high prices. But Paris isnt the only Olympic site in France: Nine destinations outside the metro region are also hosting events, giving travelers a way to catch some action without getting caught up in the crush.

In places like Bordeaux, Marseille and even Tahiti, you can watch top athletes compete in soccer, basketball, sailing and surfing. (Tickets have been added in batches, so if the ones you want arent available, keep checking the ticketing site, tickets.Paris2024.org. If all else fails, the official resale platform opens on May 15.)

And when youre not watching sports, you can take advantage of museums, parks, design centers, and fresh food and wine options. In Nantes, you can even ride a mechanical elephant.

Here are some ideas for planning your own alternative Olympic trip.

Basketball: July 27 to Aug. 4; tickets from 50 euros ($54).

Handball: Aug. 6 to 11, tickets from 45.

Start with a stroll around Vieux-Lille and a coffee in the Grande Place, taking in the colorful facades of this city near the Belgian border. Head over to the St.-Sauveur area to see the Art Deco belfry and exhibitions at Gare St.-Sauveur, a former train station. On Sundays, at the rambling Wazemmes market, about 400 vendors offer produce, fish, plants, fabrics, textiles and leather goods. Head out to Parc du Hron, east of the city, to see the LaM museum (7), with works by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani and Joan Mir. Lille is better known for beer than for wine, and the Brasserie Gobrecht offers brewery tours every Saturday (reservations recommended).

Where to stay: Hotel de la Paix (354 per night); Hotel Carlton (406).

Soccer: July 24 to Aug. 2; tickets from 24.

Capital of a region best known for its wine, this small southwestern city sells local wine-walk maps at its tourist office. Stop by the March des Capucins, a local indoor market that also houses Bistro Poulette, a slightly chaotic and very delicious spot serving moules-frites, or mussels with fries. In the afternoon, check out the Bassins des Lumires (15), the largest digital art center in the world, and the Cit du Vin (21), which offers wine-tasting experiences. To wind down in a quiet wine bar, try Yarra, or for a cocktail, Symbiose. If you have time for side trips, spend a day in St.-Emilion, about 27 miles away, where you can sample great wines. Or check out the nearly 340-foot-high Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe about 37 miles southwest of Bordeaux, near the beach town of Arcachon.

To stay: Les Chambres de Marie (170); La Maison Galine (259); Yndo Hotel (355); Le Palais Gallien Htel & Spa (419).

Soccer: July 24 to Aug. 8; tickets from 24.

The street signs in Nantes are in both Breton and French, reflecting the citys historical ties to Brittany. Start at Talensac Market for picnic supplies, especially radishes, local cheeses and strawberries. Pick up local delicacies like Gteau Nantais (almond poundcake) and Far Breton (flan with Armanac-soaked prunes). Take your picnic lunch to the courtyard of the Chteau des Ducs de Bretagne, a medieval castle and museum (courtyard is free; museum is 9). On the le de Nantes, a former shipyard has been transformed into a wild mechanical theme park. The Machines de lle mixes Jules Vernes stories with Leonardo da Vincis designs in the form of a ridable mechanical elephant and sea creatures (9.50 for the elephant ride or gallery visit). The Mmorial de lAbolition de lEsclavage (free) covers Nantess history as the most active slave-trading port in 18th-century France. The artists behind the glass-and-concrete memorial, Krzysztof Wodiczko and Julian Bonder, aimed to create a metaphorical and emotional reminder of the primarily historical, but also very current, struggle for the abolition of slavery.

To stay: Hotel Voltaire Opra (103); Hotel de la Cit (120).

Shooting: July 27 to Aug. 5; tickets from 24.

The small city not far from the Loire Valley is named for Chteau Raoul, the 10th-century castle thats now part of a local officials private residence. The best view of the chteau is from the Gtersloh Bridge. Follow the coule verte or green corridor along the banks of the Indre River, stopping by Parc de Belle-Isle, which has a lake for swimming, with kayaks and stand-up paddle boards to rent, as well as a beach, playgrounds and camping. The Franciscan Cordeliers Convent (free), which dates to the 13th century, today offers contemporary art exhibits and miles of gardens, and the Bertrand Museum (free), a former 18th-century townhouse, showcases diverse collections in each of its 26 rooms, including the plaster original of the Camille Claudel sculpture Sakuntala.

To stay: Au Lys Blanc (138); Les Rives du Chteau (210 for a two-bedroom apartment).

Soccer: Lyon, July 24 to Aug. 9; tickets from 24. St.-tienne, July 24 to 31; tickets from 24.

It will be easy to catch soccer matches in either Lyon or St.-tienne, only an hour apart by train or car in east-central France. In Lyon, often called the gastronomic capital of France, visit the majestic Notre-Dame de Fourvire Basilica, then savor an ice cream at La Fabrique Givre. Explore the citys network of covered passageways, called traboules originally for workers to transport textiles and later used during World War II by the French Resistance for clandestine meetings. Then climb up to the Pentes de la Croix-Rousse neighborhood, with its tiny streets, shops and views of Lyon below. On a clear day, you can even see Mont Blanc. The Lugdunum museum (7) and the nearby Roman theater (4) take visitors back to 43 B.C., when Lyon was known as Lugdunum, and La Maison des Canuts (9.50), covers the citys history as a capital of silk.

Between Lyon and St.-tienne, Pilat Regional Natural Park offers more than 900 miles of rocky terrain for hiking and biking, culminating at the summit of 4,700-foot Crt de la Perdrix, with views of the Alps and Massif Central range.

St.-tienne, about 40 miles southwest of Lyon, is transforming its historical industrial identity into one of design and innovation. At the heart is the Cit du Design (4.50), the former site of a weapons factory, which has served as a center for art and research since 2010. The complex, now a key economic force in the city, is open to the public year-round and hosts art and design exhibitions.

To stay in Lyon: Fourvire Hotel (189); Htel du Thtre (323).

To stay in St.-tienne: Le Parc 42 (113); Le Golf Sauna (269).

Sailing (including windsurfing, kitesurfing and more): July 28 to Aug. 8; tickets from 24.

Soccer: July 24 to Aug. 6; tickets from 24.

This Mediterranean port city mixes urban grit and natural beauty. Start by visiting Le Panier, the village-like oldest part of the city. Try navettes, a traditional orange flower biscuit, and sample some sardines or panisses, traditional chickpea fries, on a sunny terrace. Detour through the touristy but pleasant Old Port on the way to Mucem (11), the first major museum dedicated to Mediterranean civilization and cultures. Have a pick-me-up at Deep Coffee Roasters, a specialty roaster tucked away between touristy shops. At sunset, climb up to Cours Julien, a hip neighborhood with beautiful views for your apro. Dont miss the Cit Radieuse, a UNESCO-listed apartment complex that shows off the architect Le Corbusiers Modernist mastery (you can stay at the hotel in it). And just southeast of the city, the Calanques, a series of small, narrow coves, offer miles of oceanside trails and rocky scrambles along turquoise water.

To stay: Hotel Le Corbusier (229); Maison Juste (300).

Soccer: July 24 to 31; tickets from 24.

Summer is peak season in Nice, the queen city of the French Riviera, where the mountains meet the Mediterranean. Run, bike or in-line skate along the Promenade des Anglais, a four-mile seaside path. Then climb up to the Colline du Chteau, a rocky hill east of the promenade with views of Nice and even as far as the Alps. For a longer walk, follow the trails from Coco Beach to the Cap de Nice along the coves. Then head to Cours Saleya, a pedestrian section of the Old Town, with flower stands, antiques and local food like the socca, a chickpea pancake. The Muse de Prhistoire Terra Amata (5), constructed on top of an excavation site, reveals what Nice was like up to 400,000 years ago. Or just enjoy one of Nices pebbled beaches in a lounge chair.

To stay: Htel Rossetti (186); Yelo Mozart (238).

Surfing: July 27 to 31 (events could shift through Aug. 4, depending on surf conditions); fan zones free.

For surfings second Olympics since its debut in Tokyo, the competition takes place far from mainland France in Tahiti, part of French Polynesia. Since the wave is offshore, there will be two ticket-free fan zones Taharuu Beach and Paofai Gardens to watch the events on large screens. A third fan zone at PK0 beach in Teahupoo will have free tickets but limited access. Tahiti offers white sands and turquoise lagoons in addition to near-perfect waves. For snorkeling, try the lagoon near Maui Beach, five miles from Teahupoo. For black volcanic sands, head to Taharuu Beach, about 20 miles northwest of Teahupoo. About 45 miles from Teahupoo, Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, with a population of about 26,000, offers a variety of local delicacies like poisson cru: raw fish with lime juice and coconut milk, served with rice. Sample local fare, including steak frites and skewered veal heart, from food trucks, called roulettes, at Place Vaiete, on the waterfront, near the Papeete Market.

To stay: Kia Ora Lodge (265, seven miles from Teahupoo); Punatea Village (73, six miles from Teahupoo).

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024.

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9 Destinations in France to Enjoy the Olympics Outside of Paris - The New York Times

joachim roncin on designing paris 2024 olympics and paralympics’ posters, medals and more – Designboom

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Joachim roncin is paris 2024s head of design

Joachim Roncin tells designboom in our interview that he stood in front of around 20,000 volunteers attending the conference for the Paris 2024 design reveal of the volunteers uniforms, with another 20,000 viewers listening in via streaming. For around ten minutes, the Head of Design talked about how the outfit with Decathlon came to life. They wanted to create something original, functional, and resonant with the look of Paris 2024. They imagined these thousands of volunteers wearing the design in the middle of stadiums, in the streets of Paris, even outside of their volunteering time: an elbow-sleeve shirt dyed in blue-green with a dark blue stripe pattern in the middle and a bucket hat in pastel pink, adorned with colored geometric shapes from the Paris 2024 design palettes.

I didnt want to immediately impose the look of the Games on their outfit, Joachim Roncin shares with designboom in an interview ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics later this year. Thats why we thought of the Marinire, the t-shirt used by famous French designers, including Jean Paul Gaultier. It was very interesting to incorporate our key elements into this French clothing. We were happy to see that the volunteers were happy when we presented it. Joachim Roncin wasnt just still reeling from the publics reaction when he presented the outfit. In our conversation with the Head of Design, he revisited all the design drops and visual identities the team has created so far, from the medals and torches to the posters and mascots.

Joachim Roncin, Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Head of Design | images courtesy of Paris 2024

Joachim Roncin admitted hes demanding of himself when it comes to work and designing the visual identities of Paris 2024. He values assuming the role of Head of Design and applies what hes learned in his 25 years of working in the creative industry, drawing on design ethics and creative flair from his background as an Art Director, for the benefit of the Olympics and the Paralympics. Beauty isnt the sole standard for him anymore. I feel that anybody can create something beautiful, but imbuing depth into a design is whats truly important for us, he explains to designboom. He hasnt completely discarded beauty but has put his own twist to it for the Paris 2024 designs.

He acknowledges that some people may not like what theyve released, and thats fine. You cannot please everyone with your design, he tells designboom. But you can unite everyone around something, if the meaning is right. Winning the battle of I like it or I dont like it is very important to me. I strive for my designs to carry deep meaning. Depth became the starting point for designing Paris 2024s visual identities, and rebranding was one of the driving forces, incorporating elements that had not been present before.

Joachim Roncin cites the example of the roosters face in the new logo of the French team. He and his design team angled its head to face the athletes, making eye contact with them as if encouraging them to move forward, conquer victory, and give their best effort. Its eyes are fierce and determined, capturing the expressions athletes may experience and project as they take on the Games. While its important for every athlete to be proud of being French, I think its much more important for them to be proud of being an athlete. Being an athlete requires strength and determination, focusing on their work and performance until theyre ready to compete, win, and learn, he says.

design look of Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics

One of the design paths Joachim Roncin takes is bridging the visual identities between the Olympics and the Paralympics. Under different organizations, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee, Paris 2024s Head of Design made it his mission to make their designs distinctive in color and flair yet cohesive in identity, like twins. The torches are the same. The medals are the same. The mascots are the same. The emblems are the same. Even the posters are the same, split into two but able to be joined together like puzzle pieces. Joachim Roncin wanted the official posters to brim with all the clues and cues of Paris 2024 in a single landscape image, cut into two for a diptych.

The artist Ugo Gattoni followed through as he made the posters a carnival of festivities celebrating both the Olympics and the Paralympics, and all the subtle details and grand things that make up the sports events. This is exactly what is interesting in design: you cannot only think about whats inside the image, but how the image is proposed to the public. We could have done one poster with Ugo Gattoni about the Olympics on one side and another one on the other side for the Paralympics. Two different designs, two different stories. But since Paris 2024 is one main story, we put them together. When you join the two posters, you have the whole image, the whole story, Joachim Roncin shares with designboom.

Joachim Roncin creates uniform visual identities for Paris 2024

During his conversation with designboom, Joachim Roncin says it has always been part of the plan to make these posters as joyful as possible, a shower of color that can paint Paris streets, away from the institutional curriculums that previous Olympics and Paralympics design assets may have adhered to. There arent any detailed texts on the posters informing the public about the Games. For the Head of Design, smartphones can do that and offer the phone-invested generation details about the sports event. The posters then serve as a stoplight, inviting people to take a break for a while, scan the pink-filled landscapes, look for clues pertaining to the Games and the other visual identities he and the team have created, and just wander, lose themselves in the imagery, be vacuumed into the kaleidoscopic and multi-layered world Ugo Gattoni co-curated, a moment to enjoy the brief escapism.

For Joachim Roncin, its not about revolutionizing the design of the torches, medals, mascots, posters, and all that. Its about sprucing up and shaking up Paris 2024 and how the public used to view them. After going through the sports events archives, he made up his mind to move forward with revamped designs, making Lets break the rules, lets create something fresh his mantra. Take the Paris 2024 pictograms as an example. He thought they represented men in the previous ones, their silhouettes and forms reenacting specific sports, until today. On his mark, these stick figures are gone, replaced by lines, geometric shapes, and icons that portray the sports being played, like boats, ropes, rackets, weights, and more. Their identities are fluid, non-gendered. Theyre objects of sports focusing on the Games. Theyre one of the Paris 2024 visual designs spearheaded by Joachim Roncin.

volunteer uniforms in collaboration with Decathlon

If there are souvenirs for all the hard work, determination, and hundreds of hours that the participating athletes have poured in, Joachim Roncin and his design team think the medals should be one of them. Its not enough that they bring home a round object forged in gold, silver, and bronze. The Head of Design then worked with Chaumet to make these medals pieces of high-end accessories sculpted with French savoir-faire. Since the Olympics and Paralympics are taking place in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, a famed landmark of the city, appears on the medals as images and symbols. It also comes through as a material because Joachim Roncin and Chaumet decided that behind these medals, the hexagon at the center is hammered out from the real piece of iron used in constructing the Eiffel Tower.

Joachim Roncin tells designboom that the hexagonal design at the back of each medal represents France and all the rays of light surrounding the country. I personally love the kinetic art movement, so when you move the metal, you can see the ray of light reflecting in it. This is something that moved me a lot. I thought, This is what we really wanted to do since the beginning. We worked for almost a year, with many meetings. There was almost a friendship between us (Chaumet), and it was really nice. They understood exactly what we wanted to do, and we understood exactly where we wanted to go as well, the Head of Design shares with designboom. These medals, along with the torches, are going to be handed out to the winning athletes inside Louis Vuitton trunks specially crafted for Paris 2024, another collaborator of Joachim Roncin for the Games.

pink bucket hats are distributed to the volunteers too

There are times when Joachim Roncin feels like he has condensed 30 years of work into his now-five-year stint as the Head of Design for Paris 2024, but along the way, he discovers new techniques and information that fascinate him, softening the pensive moment. It happened with the mascots; he didnt know back then how he and the design team could produce them as plushies. He met up with different manufacturers to discuss how the historical Phrygian cap can be made into fluffy phryges, open for distribution. There were about 20 prototypes initially, starting with just a triangle. I showed them the design and specified details like the eyes and curves.

We faced some technical difficulties and had to adjust our approach. There was a lot of interaction during the 3D creation and development of the live mascot outfits, which was another new industry for me, says the Head of Design. What started out as an idea met a fruitful ending since these phryges now show up as mascots, keychains, hats, and mugs to take home and be brought to the stadiums as viewers of the Games watch the sports events, which have a few weeks of window in-between. Joachim Roncin opens up to designboom about the dates of the Games, which was a concern for them at the beginning.

rooster in the new logo of the French team for Paris 2024

Previously, they had to completely change everything the decor, the setup between the two editions. We thought it was wasteful for the planet and financially inefficient to change everything, so we decided to adopt a more sustainable approach. Instead of discarding everything, we opted to change only certain parts to transition from the Olympics to the Paralympics. During the Olympics, the decor will remain the same for the Paralympics. Well only change the logo, not the entire decor. The concept of the games appearance revolves around squares, so we just need to remove one square containing the Olympic rings and replace it with the Agitos, the Paralympics logo, to avoid unnecessary waste, Joachim Roncin explains to designboom.

When visitors come to Paris 2024, they may take notice of the way pink shines through all the visual identities of the Olympics and Paralympics. Joachim Roncin sees this hue as a French color, hence permeating one of the main shades for the design along with light tones of blue. I feel that this color should be everywhere, even in detail. When I worked with Decathlon, I emphasized putting pink details everywhere. Thats why there are pink details in the poster and why visitors will see all the street signage in Paris in pink during the Games, he shares with designboom. Its bold, fresh, and fun, words that share the same spirits that the Head of Design wants to put forward this summer.

iterations of the Joachim Roncins rooster logo design for Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics

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joachim roncin on designing paris 2024 olympics and paralympics' posters, medals and more - Designboom

Benjamin Cremaschi? Paxten Aaronson? USMNT told 2024 Olympics will show who is a gamer as Stuart Holden calls … – Goal.com

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The USMNT has been told that the 2024 Olympics will show who is a gamer, with the likes of Benjamin Cremaschi and Paxten Aaronson aiming to impress.

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Benjamin Cremaschi? Paxten Aaronson? USMNT told 2024 Olympics will show who is a gamer as Stuart Holden calls ... - Goal.com

Almost all mountain goats died after airlift from Olympics to Cascades | HeraldNet.com – The Daily Herald

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DARRINGTON About five years ago, wildlife biologists with the Tulalip Tribes used GPS collars to start tracking 115 mountain goats translocated from the Olympic Peninsula to the North Cascades.

Only three are still alive today.

Wildlife biologists with the Stillaguamish Tribe found similar results. Out of 36 translocated goats they tracked, only one is still alive. Usually, mountain goats live between 10 to 13 years in the wild.

It was really a red-flag moment for the tribes, said Mike Sevigny, wildlife manager with the Tulalip Tribes.

A helicopter picks up a pair of mountain goats from the Mountain Loop Highway bridge over the South Fork Sauk River on Sept. 12, 2018 near Granite Falls. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

In 2020, local tribes, the National Park Service, state Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service finished transferring hundreds of mountain goats via truck and helicopter to the North Cascades. The purpose of the three-year project was twofold: to remove non-native goats from the Olympic Peninsula and potentially boost the animals population in northern Washington.

At the same time, biologists noticed goats native to the North Cascades were also dying at an alarming rate. In 2017, biologists with the Tulalip Tribes counted 145 mountain goats near Whitehorse and Three Fingers mountains where they tend to roam in large numbers. Last year, the biologists counted eight near the two peaks.

Mountain goat experts are unsure about the exact cause of the decline, though they have multiple theories. Recreation, habitat loss, climate change, disease and predation are among them.

Over the next three years, the Tulalip and Stillaguamish tribes plan to monitor North Cascades mountain goats using new methods. Instead of GPS collars, biologists will use camera traps a camera that takes pictures whenever it senses movement as well as thermal imaging drones and other noninvasive monitoring methods.

This year, the Stillaguamish Tribe will receive $195,656 from the national Tribal Climate Resilience Annual Awards Program. The tribe will use the money to partner with the Tulalip Tribes and Lummi Nation in goat-monitoring efforts.

We cant really afford to lose one goat at this point, said Jennifer Sevigny, wildlife program manager with the Stillaguamish Tribe.

Soon, federal officials will undertake another hefty, high-stakes relocation effort to the North Cascades this time with grizzly bears.

Part of their culture

Over 10,000 goats lived in Washington as recently as 1961, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Now, an estimated 2,400 to 3,200 remain.

Historically, mountain goats were an important food, cultural and spiritual resource for tribes.

Specific families captured the goats to bring them back to the tribes, said Aaron Jones, interim natural and cultural resources director with the Tulalip Tribes.

Mountain goat wool is especially warm, allowing tribal members to make blankets and vests.

But in 1855, ancestors of the Tulalip and Stillaguamish tribes were among those to sign the Treaty of Point Elliott, ceding millions of acres of ancestral lands in exchange for a small amount of money and U.S. government protection.

We were displaced from the areas we were managing as families and tribes, Jones said.

It has been decades since the Stillaguamish Tribe has hunted goats, said Jennifer Sevigny. The Tulalip Tribes harvested one goat three years ago, though Mike Sevigny with the Tulalip Tribes estimates that was the only goat the tribes harvested in over a decade.

Thats part of their culture that theyre not able to exercise, said Amanda Summers, a wildlife biologist for the Stillaguamish Tribe.

Washington residents who receive a special permit on a lottery basis are able to hunt mountain goats in specific areas. Not all state mountain goat populations are declining, said William Moore, ungulate specialist (primarily focusing on hoofed mammals) with Washington Fish and Wildlife.

The population near Mount St. Helens has soared over the past decade. In 2014, biologists counted 65 goats and now estimate some 400 goats live there.

Before 2018, mountain goats thrived on the Olympic Peninsula, too.

A female kid mountain goat stands in a crate before being transferred to Stillaguamish Peak from the Mountain Loop Highway bridge over the South Fork Sauk River on Sept. 12, 2018 near Granite Falls. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Some species translocate very well

Researchers believe hunters initially introduced a handful of mountain goats to the Olympic mountains in the 1920s, before Olympic National Park was established.

The population on the peninsula skyrocketed about a century later to almost 700 goats.

Biologists also noticed the goats harmed local vegetation, as the animals ate and stomped on native plants. And in 2010, a mountain goat killed a national park visitor, raising safety concerns among Park Service staff.

State agencies decided to launch the mountain goat translocation effort in 2018 to eradicate the non-native species from the Olympics.

Agency staff used tranquilizer darts and net guns to capture 325 goats over the course of three years.

Then the animals were placed in crates and transported by truck and helicopter to Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee national forests.

It was an enormous project to undertake, said Moore, who assisted with the final year of translocation.

Between 2020 and 2021, volunteers and agency staff killed 152 mountain goats in the Olympics, a removal method outlined in the Park Services goat management plan.

Biologists expected lower survival rates among translocated goats, compared to resident goats, according to a 2023 article in The Wildlife Society. The goats were moved to a completely new area. They had to learn where to forage and avoid predators. Moore, of state Fish and Wildlife, said some of the translocated goats reproduced. Even so, the goats did not survive as well as biologists had hoped.

Some species translocate very well, Moore said, referencing bighorn sheep and elk specifically. I think mountain goats are different than other ungulates.

A complete ecosystem

Biologists have historically used relocation to recover threatened species grizzly bears among them.

Last week, the Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife finalized their decision to relocate grizzly bears to the North Cascades in an effort to recover the animals population there.

In the 1800s, an estimated 50,000 grizzlies roamed throughout western North America. Now biologists consider the grizzly bear extinct in the North Cascades.

Federal agency staff will release three to seven bears every year, until there is a population of 25 grizzlies. The agencies expect to release 11 more bears after that, with the hope the population could reach 200 in a century.

Between 1990 and 2018, wildlife officials also captured 26 grizzly bears from British Columbia and released them in the Cabinet Mountains of northwestern Montana. An estimated 15 grizzly bears lived in the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem before relocation efforts started. Now, there are 60 to 65 bears.

Biologists arent concerned about relocated grizzlies further jeopardizing mountain goat populations in the North Cascades. And, biologists with the Tulalip Tribes are interested to see if recreation decreases once grizzlies are moved to Washington. Fewer hikers in mountain goat habitat could help.

We want a complete ecosystem, Mike Sevigny said. Part of that had grizzlies in them.

Some translocated mountain goat deaths were linked to capture- and transport-related stress, according to the Wildlife Society report. More frequent droughts and warm spring weather also likely contributed to native and non-native mountain goat declines, report authors said.

Wildlife biologists with the Tulalip and Stillaguamish tribes suspect recreation also has a significant effect on mountain goat numbers. This is a correlation they hope to explore more in future monitoring.

Mountain goats near popular trails, like the Enchantments southwest of Leavenworth, frequently encounter people.

But not all goats are habituated to people, said Dylan Collins, assistant wildlife biologist with the Tulalip Tribes.

Over the next two years, wildlife biologists with local tribes plan to draft specific actions that may help native mountain goat populations recover.

Collaboration among state agencies and local tribes can help, Jennifer Sevigny said.

Its unfortunate that were in this situation, she said. We all have to get together to figure out the best approach.

TaLeah Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; taleah.vansistine@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.

A female kid mountain goat stands in a crate before being transferred to Stillaguamish Peak from the Mountain Loop Highway bridge over the South Fork Sauk River on Sept. 12, 2018 near Granite Falls. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

A helicopter picks up a pair of mountain goats from the Mountain Loop Highway bridge over the South Fork Sauk River on Sept. 12, 2018 near Granite Falls. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

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Almost all mountain goats died after airlift from Olympics to Cascades | HeraldNet.com - The Daily Herald

Victor Montalvo represents U.S. in breaking Olympics debut – WESH 2 Orlando

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Central Florida native ready to make debut as break dancing heads to Olympics for the first time

Updated: 9:52 PM EDT May 1, 2024

FRANCE. ONE WEEK FROM TODAY AND THERE IS A LOT OF HYPE AROUND THE OLYMPICS NEWEST SPORT. THEYRE CALLING IT BREAKING, BUT MOST OF US KNOW IT AS BREAK DANCING IS SO COOL. THE TOP AMERICAN IN THE SPORT HAPPENS TO BE A KISSIMMEE NATIVE. WESH 2S SANIKA DANGE FIRST INTRODUCED US TO VICTOR MONTALVO LAST YEAR. SHE RECENTLY CAUGHT UP WITH HIM AGAIN AND NOW HES OFFICIALLY PARIS BOUND. VICTOR. ITS BEEN HIS PASSION SINCE HE WAS TEN, BUT VICTOR MONTALVO SAYS THE OLYMPICS WERE NEVER ON HIS RADAR. THAT ALL CHANGED WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED THE SPORT WOULD MAKE ITS DEBUT IN PARIS IN 2024, AND WHEN WE LAST SPOKE WITH HIM IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR, HE WAS DETERMINED TO CLINCH THE TEAM USA SPOT. IM PLANNING ON JUST GOING UP IN THE MOUNTAINS AND TRAINING LIKE JUST TRAINING, NO WI-FI, NO NOTHING. MORE THAN A YEAR LATER, HE IS OFFICIALLY HEADED TO PARIS, SITTING DOWN DURING THE U.S. OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC COMMITTEES MEDIA SUMMIT. HE SAYS HIS MAIN FOCUS IS TO SHATTER MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE SPORT. I FEEL LIKE ONE OF THE MAIN ONES ARE, UM, IS LIKE US DANCING ON THE ON, UH, WHATS IT CALLED? CARDBOARD FLOOR. ITS LIKE WE DONT DO THAT ANYMORE. THAT WAS LIKE BACK IN THE 80S. HIS FATHER AND HIS FATHERS TWIN BROTHER. TWO PILLARS IN HIS JOURNEY HERE. STILL HIS BIGGEST INSPIRATION TO THIS DAY. I REMEMBER, LIKE YESTERDAY WHEN MY DAD INTRODUCED ME TO BREAKING. I WAS, UH, IT WAS ME, MY COUSIN AND MY BROTHER, UH, BEAT STREET JUST CAME ON ON TV AND MY DAD WAS LIKE, YO, WE USED TO DO THAT BACK IN THE DAYS, AND MY COUSIN WAS LIKE, NO, YOU GUYS DIDNT LIKE YOURE LYING. MY DAD AND MY UNCLE LITERALLY GOING TO THEIR ROOM, PUT ON SOME HOODIES AND THEY JUST START BUSTING OUT WINDMILLS. HEADSPINS. AND WERE ALL LIKE, SHOCKED AND, UM, EVER SINCE THAT DAY, LIKE, WE WOULD JUST PUT ON BEAT STREET, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY, AND WE WOULD JUST, LIKE, MIMIC THE MOVEMENTS OF THE DANCERS IN MANY WAYS. MONTALVO SAYS HIS DAD IS NOW LIVING THROUGH HIM. HIS FATHER ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A BREAKING WORLD CHAMP. HE SACRIFICED A LOT FOR MY BREAKING CAREER. AND, UM, YEAH, IT JUST, LIKE, ALL WORKED OUT, LIKE, LOOK AT ME NOW IM PART OF TEAM USA. BREAKING IS IN THE OLYMPICS. IM LIKE, THE FIRST AMERICAN BREAKER TO GO TO THE OLYMPICS. SO IT, LIKE ALL WORKED OUT, IT WAS ALL WORTH IT. HIS FATHER, NOT THE ONLY ONE IN HIS CORNER. AS HE GETS READY TO HEAD TO THE SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES THIS YEAR. ALL OF CENTRAL FLORIDA CHEERING HIM ON IN JUST A MATTER OF DAYS. LOOK OUT FOR SUPER AMAZING EXPLOSIVE MOVES, BUT ALSO SO UM, DISTINCTIVE, YOU KNOW, CHARACTERS, YOU KNOW, BREAKING IS ALL ABOUT HAVING STYLE YOUR YOUR OWN IDENTITY AND YOUR OWN CREATIVITY, YOUR OWN ORIGINALITY. SO YOULL HAVE A LOT OF FUN WATCHING BREAKIN

Central Florida native ready to make debut as break dancing heads to Olympics for the first time

Updated: 9:52 PM EDT May 1, 2024

There's a lot of hype around the Olympics' newest sport. It's called breaking, but most of us know it as break dancing. The top American in the sport, Victor Montalvo, happens to be a Kissimmee native. He will be in Paris to compete this summer. "I'm just so excited for everyone to watch breaking and finally understand what it is," Montalvo said.It has been his passion since he was 10, but Montalvo says the Olympics were never on his radar. That all changed when the International Olympic Committee announced the sport would make its debut in Paris in 2024. In April of last year, Montalvo was determined to clinch his Team USA spot. "I'm planning to just go up to the mountains and training, just training. No Wi-Fi, no nothing," Montalvo said. Now, he is officially headed to the 2024 Olympics.He says his main focus is to shatter misconceptions of the sport. "I feel like one of the main ones are like us dancing on the cardboard floor. We don't do that anymore. That was, like, back in the '80s," Montalvo said. Montalvo says his father and twin brother are some of his biggest inspirations to this day. In many ways, Montalvo says his dad is now living through him. His father always wanted to be a breaking world champion. "He sacrificed a lot for my breaking career. It just all worked out. Look at me now, I'm part of Team USA, breaking is in the Olympics, the first American breaker to go to the Olympics. It all worked out. It was all worth it," Montalvo said. His father is not the only one in his corner as he gets ready to head to the games this year. All of Central Florida is cheering him on. "Look out for super amazing, explosive moves but also distinctive characters," Montalvo said. "Breaking is all about having style, your own identity, your own creativity, your own originality, so we will have a lot of fun watching breaking."

There's a lot of hype around the Olympics' newest sport. It's called breaking, but most of us know it as break dancing.

The top American in the sport, Victor Montalvo, happens to be a Kissimmee native. He will be in Paris to compete this summer.

"I'm just so excited for everyone to watch breaking and finally understand what it is," Montalvo said.

It has been his passion since he was 10, but Montalvo says the Olympics were never on his radar. That all changed when the International Olympic Committee announced the sport would make its debut in Paris in 2024.

In April of last year, Montalvo was determined to clinch his Team USA spot.

"I'm planning to just go up to the mountains and training, just training. No Wi-Fi, no nothing," Montalvo said.

Now, he is officially headed to the 2024 Olympics.

He says his main focus is to shatter misconceptions of the sport.

"I feel like one of the main ones are like us dancing on the cardboard floor. We don't do that anymore. That was, like, back in the '80s," Montalvo said.

Montalvo says his father and twin brother are some of his biggest inspirations to this day. In many ways, Montalvo says his dad is now living through him. His father always wanted to be a breaking world champion.

"He sacrificed a lot for my breaking career. It just all worked out. Look at me now, I'm part of Team USA, breaking is in the Olympics, the first American breaker to go to the Olympics. It all worked out. It was all worth it," Montalvo said.

His father is not the only one in his corner as he gets ready to head to the games this year. All of Central Florida is cheering him on.

"Look out for super amazing, explosive moves but also distinctive characters," Montalvo said. "Breaking is all about having style, your own identity, your own creativity, your own originality, so we will have a lot of fun watching breaking."

Excerpt from:

Victor Montalvo represents U.S. in breaking Olympics debut - WESH 2 Orlando

At the Louvre, the Olympics Are More French Than You Might Think – The New York Times

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The flame is coming home, the director of the Paris Olympics, Tony Estanguet, told a crowd of reporters and critics gathered in the Louvres interior sculpture garden on Tuesday. The sun streamed through the vaulted glass roof, lighting up a bronze sculpture of a discus thrower installed beneath a lapis blue arch emblazoned with LOlympisme Olympism.

Estanguet, a former Olympic champion, might have been describing the Gamess centennial return to France. After the Olympic flame makes its way from Athens to Paris, via a handful of French overseas territories, it will be installed in the Tuileries Garden just beyond the Louvre, whose grounds will also be part of the marathon route this summer. But the museum itself holds a special connection to the birth of the modern Olympics, a relationship that is explored in the exhibition Olympism: Modern Invention, Ancient Legacy, running through Sept. 16.

The show brings together 120 artworks and artifacts that show how the quadrennial sporting events of 8th century B.C. Greece, devoted to the worship of Zeus, influenced the late-19th-century development of the modern Games. The first iteration of these new competitions took place in Athens in 1896, but Frenchmen and a French fascination with antiquity played a large role, and in 1900, the Games moved to Paris.

A wall of photographic portraits at the Louvre identifies six men, four of them French, who envisioned the revival. For the aristocratic Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, it was about sporting education; for his Greek counterpart, Demetrius Vikelas, it was a mix of business and history. This slightly dry introductory display gives way to a series of rooms that focus on the art of the Olympics: a mix of antique veneration and turn-of-the-century innovation.

Greek vases, plates, and cups from the 5th and 6th centuries B.C. illustrate the classical imagery, deeply rooted in mythology, that was associated with ancient Games. On the Lambros Cup (540-520 B.C.), nude runners black figures on red clay race around the ample vessel, their muscular legs frozen mid-stride. A cup from around 490 B.C. shows a discus thrower encircled by a decorative motif.

Many of these objects are from the Louvres collection, and it was one of its own curators, Edmond Pottier, who pioneered the study of ancient Greek pottery around the time that de Coubertin and his peers were seized with Olympic fervor. Pottiers profile features on a giant 1934 bronze medallion that hangs above a copy of his Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum a definitive catalog of Greek vases in collections around the world that began as an index of Louvre artifacts.

Herakles, the divine warrior credited with founding the ancient Olympics, also looms large in the exhibition as an embodiment of preternatural strength. A calyx krater (a tall bowl for mixing water and wine) from 515-10 B.C. shows Herakles, a son of Zeus, fighting the giant Antaois. On the black vessel, Herakles is a taut nude figure in red clay against black, wrestling his burly opponent into submission. Elsewhere, he is a portly infant struggling against a snake that coils above him, in a statue admired by mile Gilliron, the official artist of the inaugural modern Games.

Gillirons drawings for Olympic brochures, commemorative albums and posters hang alongside his sketches and studies for medallions, plaques and trophies. The artist also produced images of wrestlers, discus throwers, torch bearers and weight lifters for special-edition stamps whose colored sheets are on display in vitrines, as well as blown up on the gallery walls behind the statues that inspired them. Unlike the ancient ceramics, however, these are 20th-century replicas made to aid study: What is new can seem old, and vice versa.

Amid these elegant but somewhat staid arrangements are hints at the more idiosyncratic aspects of the Olympic Games as reimagined by the French. A contact sheet produced by the photographer (and rival of Eadweard Muybridge) tienne-Jules Marey shows how the technology of chronophotography, which captures frames of movement in quick succession, was used to reconstruct the movements of ancient Greek athletes, based on the still postures seen in relics. In Mareys stills, a nude man spins around and around, disc in hand, gathering speed, until he flings it into the distance.

Nearby, Jean Rovras 1924 film The Olympic Games as They Were Practiced in Ancient Greece stages the act of discus throwing as a slow-motion pantomime in which an artfully dressed modern-day Adonis theatrically lobs his disc with the elegance of a dancer. Another shot shows a still-life tableau of six spear throwers paused mid-movement, elapsing time from left to right, their arms shaking with effort as they hold their unmoving posture.

An attempt at including women in the history of the Games doesnt really work, mostly because they were hardly permitted to compete in the 1896 Athens Olympics, or those that followed in Paris in 1900 and 1924, London in 1908, Stockholm in 1912 and onward. While other international sporting competitions evolved, the Olympics continued refusing full participation to women until 1928. (London 2012 was the first time every participating country sent women to the Games, and this summer in Paris there will be quotas to ensure an equal number of female and male participants.)

There was one video of women competing in the 1896 Games on display, but it was broken, so I dont know what it showed: perhaps croquet or sailing, two of the sports available to female athletes. Elsewhere a curatorial stretch were some films of Isadora Duncan, the late-19th-century choreographer who admired neoclassical traditions, dancing in her garden. A few drawings and plates of Greek heroines hung in the same display Nike the winged goddess flying, or sowing seeds over a stadium but female allegories are not women.

An 1869 painting, The Soldier of Marathon, depicts the famous messenger who ran home shedding all extraneous objects, including clothes and shoes, along the way to announce the triumph of his compatriots over the invading Persians. As soon as he delivered the news, he dropped dead.

This legend inspired the French linguist and educator Michel Bral to conceive of the 26.2-mile marathon race as the ultimate physical test and a cornerstone of the 1896 Games. In a darkened Louvre walkway filled with relics and replicas of gleaming trophies, Brals Silver Cup, which he designed himself, is spotlit on a small plinth. It is a sparkling object, pure silver, but modest and slender. Reeds and flowers swirl around its base, just like the Marathon marshlands that foiled the Persian attack.

Olympism tells us much about the ancient history admired by the modern Frenchmen whose games return to Paris in July. During the ancient Games, it was decreed that all hostilities must cease for their duration. It is this sentiment, however utopian, that we still see in the Olympic emblem, with its five interlocking rings, designed by de Coubertin over a century ago. These five rings represent the five parts of the world now won over to Olympism, he wrote in 1913 in the Olympic Review. At the Louvre, you may be won over, too.

Olympism: Modern Invention, Ancient Legacy Through Sept. 16 at the Louvre in Paris; louvre.fr.

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At the Louvre, the Olympics Are More French Than You Might Think - The New York Times

Alex Morgan out injured for San Diego with Olympics looming – ESPN

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Apr 25, 2024, 05:35 PM ET

San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan will miss Saturday's National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) match against Bay FC due to an ankle injury, Wave head coach Casey Stoney confirmed on Thursday.

"She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there," Stoney said.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, NWSL more (U.S.)

Morgan was injured in the final minutes of the Wave's 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last Friday. She challenged for a loose ball in a goal-mouth scramble and fell awkwardly into the goal before rolling around and grabbing her left ankle. She eventually stood up and limped off the field gingerly.

The injury occurred less than 100 days before the 2024 Olympics. Morgan, who turns 35 prior to the Olympics, is seeking to compete in her fourth Games for the United States women's national team this summer.

Morgan was initially left off the USWNT's Concacaf W Gold Cup roster earlier this year but joined the team as an injury replacement ahead of the tournament.

Since then, she re-emerged as the USWNT's preferred center forward -- the role she has mostly held for over a decade -- starting in each of the last five games as the USWNT won the Gold Cup and the recent SheBelieves Cup. Morgan has scored 123 career goals for the USWNT.

The USWNT next gathers in late May ahead of a pair of June friendly matches against South Korea, which will be the first games in charge for new USWNT head coach Emma Hayes.

Morgan had featured in all four San Diego Wave regular season matches to date this season, tallying one assist. Her lone club tally of 2024 came in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 15, which the Wave won 1-0 behind that 88th-minute goal.

Morgan has been integral to the Wave since the team launched as an expansion side in 2022. That season was her most productive ever at the club level, with 15 goals and two assists in 17 games. Last year, she tallied seven goals and five assists to help the Wave win the NWSL Shield as the best team in the regular season.

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Alex Morgan out injured for San Diego with Olympics looming - ESPN

France wants to use Greece’s air defense system for the Olympics, report says – POLITICO Europe

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If our allies ask for a specific period of time in this case the Olympic Games a specific assistance, which does not in any way affects the country's defense capability, this will be done, but always after coordination and consultation between the two sides, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told reporters during a regular briefing on Thursday. But we are always talking and I make it clear about a limited specific time period.

An official at the French embassy in Athens declined to comment.

This is the first time a report has emerged about France requesting air defense material for the Olympics. Until now, it has been reported that foreign police and military would be present during the Games.

Although not directly linked to Ukraine, the French request is seen as an indirect enticement to Athens to unlock part of its air defense in the general European effort to strengthen Kyiv.

The United States is expected to pressure further pressure Athens in this regard on Friday during a planned teleconference on Ukraines assistance during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

The Crotale air-defense system in question is French-built and was integrated into the Greek air force in 2003. It has a firing range of 11-20 kilometers and a maximum engagement altitude of 6 km. It is described as ideal for the purpose for which the French want it.

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France wants to use Greece's air defense system for the Olympics, report says - POLITICO Europe

Gabby Douglas Is Making Her Gymnastics Comeback In Time For The Olympics – Yahoo Singapore News

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Gabby Douglas is on the road to a comeback.

The 2012 all-around Olympic gold medalist just qualified for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships at the end of May.

If she succeeds there, it could lead to her going to the Olympic Trials in June.

Gabby Douglas is on the road to a comeback! The 2012 all-around Olympic gold medalist just qualified for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships at the end of May. And if she succeeds there, it could lead to her going to the Olympic Trials in June. After that, she may be on to the 2024 Summer Olympics!

The 28-year-olds qualification came at the American Classic, which was her first pro competition since the 2016 Summer Olympics. Gabby shared video of herself from the event on Instagram. And while she said it still wasnt her best showing, she seems hopeful about the future.

Its been a minute since Gabby has been on the professional stage, and theres a reason for that: She previously retired-ish from gymnastics. Gabby told NBC that she never announced she was retiring. I didnt want to end this sport like I did in 2016. I wanted to take a step back and work on myself and my mental state, she said. "I love gymnastics and love pushing myself. I never wanted to walk away on a bad day."

Gabby has taken a step back from the public stage in the past for mental health reasons. In 2022, she shared on Instagram that she wanted to go dark on social media to work on her mental health.

I know I don't post a lot on social media, but I just wanted to let you guys know that I will be taking a step back from the socials to work on myself and focus on my mental health, she wrote. "My life has never been smooth or easy. I have carried a heavy weight on my back for quite some time and it has weighed me down, physically, mentally, and emotionally."

But Gabby said she was inspired to get back out there again after watching the 2022 championships. I was like, 'I miss competing,' she told NBC. I found myself in the gym, and I was like, 'Alright, maybe I could do this again.'

Gabby planned to get back out there in February, but had to bow out due to a COVID-19 diagnosis. Now, she's ready for the next step.

I really think that timestepping back away from the sport and figuring out myself, and lifehelped me, Gabby previously told Inside Gymnastics Magazine. Deep down, I really believe I didnt want to walk away from gymnastics.

Good luck, Gabby!

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Gabby Douglas Is Making Her Gymnastics Comeback In Time For The Olympics - Yahoo Singapore News

Anti-Israel protesters demand country be treated like Russia during Summer Olympics in Paris – Washington Examiner

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Anti-Israel protests are demanding that Israel be treated like Russia at this summers Paris Olympics and that Israeli athletes compete under a neutral flag.

Russian and Belorussian athletes have been barred from competing under their national flags at the 2024 Summer Olympics as punishment for Russias 2022 invasion, which was aided by Belarus, of Ukraine. Officials from both of those countries have also been banned from the Paris Olympics.

Protesters assembled outside the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, demanding Israel receive the same punishment, citing its war in Gaza with Hamas terrorists.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas terrorists committed multiple attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage. Several hostages remain with Hamas, even as the war approaches its eighth month.

Officials have resisted calls to punish Israel, with French President Emmanuel Macron telling the Associated Press earlier this month that, unlike the war in Ukraine, in which Russia attacked Ukraine, Israel did not start the war in Gaza.

We cannot say that Israel is attacking, Macron said. Israel was a victim of a terrorist attack which it is now responding to in Gaza.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said in March that there is no question about Israeli teams and athletes being allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics.

Separate Israeli and Palestinian teams are expected to compete at the Paris Olympics, which begin in July. Israel has competed at the Olympics since 1952, while a Palestinian team has competed since the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Conflicts between Israel and Palestinians have spilled into the Olympics in previous editions, infamously during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, West Germany. At those Olympics, Palestinian terrorists snuck into the Olympic village and held 11 Israeli athletes and coaches hostage. The incident, known as the Munich Massacre, resulted in the deaths of all 11 Israelis, along with a West German police officer, after a bid to rescue the hostages failed.

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The massacre had rarely been acknowledged at subsequent Summer Olympics, but during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in July 2021, a moment of silence was held.

Israeli athletes have also faced several instances in which athletes from countries that do not recognize Israel as a country have refused to compete against them.

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Anti-Israel protesters demand country be treated like Russia during Summer Olympics in Paris - Washington Examiner

You Can Win a Trip to the Paris Olympics Complete With a Visit to Champagne – Food & Wine

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All eyes are on Paris this summer for the 2024 Olympic Games. Flights are selling out, hotels are already getting booked up, and there's a palpable excitement in the Parisian air. But, if you haven't booked your ticket yet, that's OK, because Unforgettable Travel Company, a luxury experiential travel company, is sending one lucky winner and their guest to the games. And it's throwing in a side quest to the Champagne region of France too.

The prize trip, the company shared via email with Food & Wine, includes roundtrip flights with premium seats to the Olympics Opening Ceremony, tickets to an Olympic sporting event, a VIP tour of Paris, and that all-important trip to the Champagne region.

The journey begins on July 25 when the winner and their guest will fly to Paris, where they'll be picked up by a private chauffeur and transferred to check into the Victoria Palace Hotel, located in the 6th Arrondissement, where they can recover from any jetlag.

The next day, the winner will get to explore the best of Paris on food with a private walking tour, including stops at Montparnasse, Luxembourg Gardens, Montagne Ste Genevive, Latin Quartier, and St Germain Des Prs. That night, the winner will be escorted to their premium seats for the Opening Ceremony of the games.

On July 27, the winner will get to experience the Olympics first-hand with two tickets to a handball event and be whisked back to the hotel via their private transfer.

And, on July 28, the winner will get to toast to the games with a private full-day experience in the Champagne region with an expert driver-guide. Here, the winner and their plus-one will get to tour the cellars at Champagne Moet et Chandon, enjoy a guided tasting, and sit down for a private visit and tasting at one more regional Champagne producer. They'll also be treated to a three-course lunch and visit several UNESCO sites, including Champagne Scenic Road, Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, and Hautvillers (the village of monk Dom Prignon).

To enter, you just need to visit http://www.unforgettabletravel.com/olympics and submit the online form before May 31, 2024. And maybe think of me if you need a plus-one too.

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You Can Win a Trip to the Paris Olympics Complete With a Visit to Champagne - Food & Wine

Eliud Kipchoge and Peres Jepchirchir named in Kenya’s final Paris 2024 Olympics marathon squad – Olympics

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Olympic gold medallists Eliud Kipchoge and Peres Jepchirchir will lead Kenyas marathon team to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Athletics Kenya and the National Olympics Committee of Kenya named the final squad of six on Wednesday (May 1).

Two-time defending Olympic marathon champion Kipchoge headlines the mens list, following the death of world record holder Kelvin Kiptum. The two men were expected to challenge for the gold medal in the Olympic race scheduled for 10 August.

Kiptum died in a road accident aged 24 in February, five months after lowering the world record to 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

Former world record holder Kipchoge is joined by Benson Kipruto and the newly crowned London Marathon champion Alexander Munyao.

Timothy Kiplagat has been listed as a reserve.

Kipchoge, who will be targeting an unprecedented third consecutive title in Paris, headlines the team as the fastest marathoner alive. Kipruto, who was second behind the late Kiptum in Chicago, is the fifth fastest of all-time.

"I always say the Olympic dream is a special dream," said the Kipchoge.

He then added: "The Olympic Games is what we all dream of as little kids starting out with our sport and is what motivates us the most today. I am beyond proud to be selected for the Kenyan team for the 5th time in my life. After winning the marathon gold medal in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, my focus will now be on Paris!"

Munyao was included in the team following his victory at the Prague Marathon last year before rounding off his season with a second place in Valencia. Last month he beat Olympic campion Kenenisa Bekele in London, his first win in a World Marathon Major.

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Eliud Kipchoge and Peres Jepchirchir named in Kenya's final Paris 2024 Olympics marathon squad - Olympics

Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines – World Health Organization (WHO)

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Key points

The WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) meets regularly to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 evolution on the performance of approved COVID-19 vaccines. This includes meeting in person approximately every six months to determine the implications of SARS-CoV-2 evolution on COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition and to advise WHO on whether changes are needed to the antigen composition of future COVID-19 vaccines. The twice-yearly evidence review by the TAG-CO-VAC is based on the need for continued monitoring of the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the kinetics and protection of vaccine-derived immunity.

In May 2023, the TAG-CO-VAC recommended the use of a monovalent XBB.1 descendent lineage, such as XBB.1.5, as the vaccine antigen. In December 2023, the TAG-CO-VAC advised retaining the use of a monovalent XBB.1 descendent lineage, such as XBB.1.5, as the vaccine antigen. Several manufacturers (using mRNA, protein-based and viral vector vaccine platforms) have developed COVID-19 vaccines with a monovalent XBB.1.5 formulation which have been approved for use by regulatory authorities and introduced into COVID-19 vaccination programmes in some countries. Previous statements from the TAG-CO-VAC can be found on the WHO website.

The TAG-CO-VAC reconvened on 15-16 April 2024 to review the genetic and antigenic evolution of SARS-CoV-2; immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or COVID-19 vaccination; the performance of currently approved vaccines against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants; and the implications for COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition.

The published and unpublished evidence reviewed by the TAG-CO-VAC included: (1) SARS-CoV-2 genetic evolution with support from the WHO Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE); (2) Antigenic characterization of previous and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants using virus neutralization tests with animal antisera or human sera and further analysis of antigenic relationships using antigenic cartography; (3) Immunogenicity data on the breadth of neutralizing antibody responses elicited by currently approved vaccine antigens against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants using animal and human sera, including modelling data; (4) Vaccine effectiveness estimates (VE) of currently approved vaccines during periods of circulation of XBB.1 and JN.1 lineages; (5) Preliminary immunogenicity data on immune responses following infection with circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants; and (6) Preliminary preclinical and clinical immunogenicity data on the performance of candidate vaccines with updated antigens shared confidentially by vaccine manufacturers with TAG-CO-VAC. Further details on the publicly available data reviewed by the TAG-CO-VAC can be found in the accompanying data annex. Unpublished and/or confidential data reviewed by the TAG-CO-VAC are not shown.

The TAG-CO-VAC acknowledges several limitations of the available data:

As of April 2024, nearly all circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants reported in publicly available databases are JN.1 derived variants. As virus evolution is expected to continue from JN.1, future formulations of COVID-19 vaccines should aim to induce enhanced neutralizing antibody responses to JN.1 and its descendent lineages. One approach recommended by TAG-CO-VAC is the use of a monovalent JN.1 lineage (GenBank: OY817255.1, GISAID: EPI_ISL_18538117, WHO Biohub: 2024-WHO-LS-001) antigen in vaccines.

The continued use of the current monovalent XBB.1.5 formulation will offer protection given the neutralizing antibody responses to early JN.1 descendent lineages, and the evidence from early rVE studies against JN.1. However, it is expected that the ability for XBB.1.5 vaccination to protect against symptomatic disease may be less robust as SARS-CoV-2 evolution continues from JN.1. Other formulations and/or platforms that achieve robust neutralizing antibody responses against currently circulating variants, particularly JN.1 descendent lineages, can also be considered.

In accordance with WHO SAGE policy, vaccination programmes should continue to use any of the WHO emergency-use listed or prequalified COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination should not be delayed in anticipation of access to vaccines with an updated composition. WHO stresses the importance of access to and equity in the use of all available COVID-19 vaccines.

Given the limitations of the evidence upon which the recommendations above are derived and the anticipated continued evolution of the virus, the TAG-CO-VAC strongly encourages generation of data on immune responses and clinical endpoints (i.e. VE) on the performance of all currently approved COVID-19 vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, and candidate vaccines with an updated antigen over time.

As previously stated, the TAG-CO-VAC continues to encourage the further development of vaccines that may improve protection against infection and reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

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Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines - World Health Organization (WHO)

Use of an Additional Updated 20232024 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose for Adults Aged 65 Years: Recommendations of … – CDC

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Summary

What is already known about this topic?

In September 2023, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccination for all persons aged 6 months.

What is added by this report?

On February 28, 2024, ACIP recommended that all persons aged 65 years receive 1 additional dose of any updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech).

What are the implications for public health practice?

Adults aged 65 years should receive an additional dose of the updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccine to enhance their immunity and decrease the risk for severe COVID-19associated illness.

COVID-19 remains an important public health threat, despite overall decreases in COVID-19related severe disease since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19associated hospitalization rates remain higher among adults aged 65 years relative to rates in younger adults, adolescents, and children; during October 2023January 2024, 67% of all COVID-19associated hospitalizations were among persons aged 65 years. On September 12, 2023, CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccination with a monovalent XBB.1.5-derived vaccine for all persons aged 6 months to protect against severe COVID-19associated illness and death. Because SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate throughout the year, and because of the increased risk for COVID-19related severe illness in persons aged 65 years, the protection afforded by updated vaccines against JN.1 and other currently circulating variants, and the expected waning of vaccine-conferred protection against disease, on February 28, 2024, ACIP recommended all persons aged 65 years receive 1 additional dose of the updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccine. Implementation of these recommendations is expected to enhance immunity that might have waned and decrease the risk for severe COVID-19associated outcomes, including death, among persons aged 65 years.

Since June 2020, CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has convened 39 public meetings to review data and consider recommendations related to the use of COVID-19 vaccines (1). On September 12, 2023, ACIP recommended that all persons aged 6 months receive updated (20232024 Formula) monovalent, XBB.1.5 component (updated) COVID-19 vaccination to protect against severe COVID-19associated illness and death (2).

As of February 3, 2024, approximately 6.7 million COVID-19associated hospitalizations and 1.1 million COVID-19associated deaths had occurred in the United States (3). Although the overall risk for COVID-19associated hospitalization and death has decreased, severe illness related to COVID-19 continues to be a public health problem, especially among older adults. COVID-19associated hospitalization rates remain higher among adults aged 65 years relative to rates among younger adults, adolescents, and children. During October 2023January 2024, 67% of all COVID-19associated hospitalizations were among persons aged 65 years (4). Further, COVID-19 death rates during January 1, 2023January 31, 2024, were highest among adults aged 75 years, followed by adults aged 6574 years (5,6). Whereas approximately 98%99% of the U.S. population has measurable antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 from infection, vaccination, or both (hybrid immunity), adults aged 65 years are less likely to have immunity resulting from infection (including immunity from infection only or hybrid immunity), compared with adults aged 3049 years and 5064 years (7). In addition, immunosenescence, the age-related decline in the functioning of the immune system, results in a less complete immune response to novel antigens and a reduced ability to develop robust immunity after infections or vaccination (8). The pool of naive T-cells diminishes with age, and this insufficient naive T-cell pool affects the ability to generate neutralizing antibody responses and cytotoxic T-cells in response to SARS-CoV-2 (9).

Thus, adults aged 65 years are more likely than are younger adults, adolescents, and children to rely upon vaccination to increase immunity that might have waned and might need more frequent vaccine doses to maintain protection. Coverage with the updated COVID-19 vaccine among adults aged 65 years was 42% as of February 3, 2024 (10,11). Adults in this age group are more concerned about COVID-19 disease and had higher confidence in COVID-19 vaccine safety and vaccine importance than did younger adults (5). A nationally representative survey conducted during November 2023January 2024 indicated that 68.4% of adults aged 65 years who had received an updated COVID-19 vaccine dose definitely would get another updated vaccine if it were recommended, 27.2% probably would or are unsure if they would get another updated vaccine, and 4.4% said they probably or definitely would not. COVID-19 vaccines are currently on the commercial market, but access-related barriers and disparities in vaccine coverage remain (5); in the absence of any recommendations for an additional dose, access to vaccine would be limited among persons unable to pay out of pocket for the vaccine.*

On February 28, 2024, ACIP voted to recommend that all persons aged 65 years receive 1 additional dose of any updated COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech). This recommendation was based on continuing SARS-CoV-2 circulation throughout the year, increased risk for severe illness attributable to COVID-19 in adults aged 65 years, protection provided by the updated vaccines against JN.1 and other currently circulating variants, the expected waning of SARS-CoV-2 immunity, and additional implementation considerations, including facilitating clear communication and equitable access to vaccine (5).

In 2018, ACIP adopted the Evidence to Recommendations framework to guide the development of vaccine recommendations. Since November 2023, the ACIP COVID-19 work group met seven times to discuss the current policy question, i.e., whether adults aged 65 years should receive an additional dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine. Work group membership included ACIP voting members, representatives of ACIP ex officio and liaison organizations, and scientific consultants with expertise in public health, immunology, medical specialties, and immunization safety and effectiveness. Work group discussion topics included COVID-19 disease surveillance and epidemiology; COVID-19 vaccination coverage; and the safety, effectiveness, feasibility of implementation, and cost effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. This report summarizes the ACIP recommendation for an additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine for persons aged 65 years and the rationale, including evidence reviewed by the work group and presented to ACIP (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/recs/grade/covid-19-additional-dose-adults-etr.html).

No clinical trial immunogenicity data on an additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccines exist; however, the initial dose elicits a robust neutralizing antibody response and provides protection against JN.1 and other circulating variants (12,13). Early vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates demonstrate that updated COVID-19 vaccination provided increased protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19associated emergency department and urgent care visits and hospitalization, compared with receipt of no updated vaccine dose (12,14). Although these early VE estimates show no substantial waning, based on data on effectiveness of original and bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, waning of vaccine-conferred immunity is expected. Effectiveness of an additional dose in older adults has been demonstrated for previously recommended additional original COVID-19 vaccine doses (15). Among adults aged 50 years who were eligible to receive a second original monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, VE against COVID-19associated emergency department and urgent care encounters during the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2/BA.2.12.1 period 120 days after the third dose was 32% but increased to 66% 7 days after the fourth dose. VE against COVID-19associated hospitalization 120 days after the third dose was 55% but increased to 80% 7 days after the fourth dose (15). In addition, in a large cohort of nursing home residents during circulation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants, receipt of a second original monovalent mRNA COVID-19 booster dose 60 days earlier was 74% effective against severe COVID-19related outcomes (including hospitalization or death) and 90% effective against death, compared with receipt of a single booster dose (16).

COVID-19 vaccines have a favorable safety profile as demonstrated by robust safety surveillance during 3 years of COVID-19 vaccine use (17). Anaphylactic reactions have rarely been reported after receipt of COVID-19 vaccines (18). A rare risk for myocarditis and pericarditis exists, predominately in males aged 1239 years (19). No new safety concerns have been identified for the updated COVID-19 vaccine (5). Among adults aged 65 years, overall reactogenicity after COVID-19 vaccination is less frequent and less severe than among adolescents and younger adults (20). A statistical signal for ischemic stroke after Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was detected in the CDC Vaccine Safety Datalink among persons aged 65 years, and information about this detection has been presented at previous ACIP meetings. Ongoing efforts to evaluate the signal have not identified any clear and consistent evidence of a safety concern for ischemic stroke with bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines either when given alone or when given simultaneously with influenza vaccines (21). A recent VE study indicated that the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine was 47% effective in preventing COVID-19 related thromboembolic events (ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and deep vein thrombosis) among persons aged 65 years (22).

ACIP considered whether an additional dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged 65 years is a reasonable and efficient allocation of resources. The societal incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged 65 years was $255,122 per quality-adjusted life year saved for the base case estimate. ICER values were sensitive to probability of hospitalizations, costs, and seasonality assumptions. Estimates of ICER values that approximate cost effectiveness for those with higher risk for COVID-19associated hospitalization, such as persons with underlying conditions or those aged 75 years, were more favorable (23).

On February 28, 2024, ACIP recommended that all persons aged 65 years receive 1 additional dose of any updated COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech). This additional dose should be administered 4 months after the previous dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine. For initial vaccination with Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, the 2-dose series should be completed before administration of the additional dose. Because Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is currently authorized under Emergency Use Authorization, the recommendation for the updated Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is an interim recommendation.

Persons aged 65 years who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, have completed an initial series, and have received 1 updated COVID-19 vaccine dose should receive 1 additional updated COVID-19 vaccine dose 2 months after the last dose of updated vaccine. Further additional doses may be administered, guided by the clinical judgment of a health care provider and personal preference and circumstances. Any further additional doses should be administered 2 months after the last COVID-19 vaccine dose. Additional clinical considerations, including detailed schedules and tables by age for all age groups and vaccination history for those who are or are not moderately or severely immunocompromised, are available at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html.

Adverse events after vaccination should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). For licensed COVID-19 vaccines administered to persons aged 12 years, reporting is encouraged for any clinically significant adverse event even when whether the vaccine caused the event is uncertain, as well as for vaccination errors. For COVID-19 vaccines given under Emergency Use Authorization, vaccination providers are required to report certain adverse events to VAERS. Additional information is available at https://vaers.hhs.gov or by telephone at 1-800-822-7967.

Karen Broder, Mary Chamberland, Demetre Daskalakis, Susan Goldstein, Aron Hall, Elisha Hall, Fiona Havers, Andrew Leidner, Pedro Moro, Sara Oliver, Ismael Ortega-Sanchez, Kadam Patel, Manisha Patel, Amanda Payne, Huong Pham, Jamison Pike, Lauren Roper, Sierra Scarbrough, Tom Shimabukuro, Benjamin Silk, John Su, Evelyn Twentyman, Eric Weintraub, David Wentworth, Melinda Wharton, Michael Whitaker, JoEllen Wolicki, Fangjun Zhou, CDC. Voting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (in addition to listed authors): Wilbur Chen, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Sybil Cineas, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Camille Kotton, Harvard Medical School; James Loehr, Cayuga Family Medicine; Sarah Long, Drexel University College of Medicine. Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices COVID-19 Vaccines Work Group: Beth P. Bell, University of Washington; Edward Belongia, Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Population Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute; Henry Bernstein, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Cohen Childrens Medical Center; Uzo Chukwuma, Indian Health Service; Paul Cieslak, Christine Hahn, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists; Richard Dang, American Pharmacists Association; Jeffrey Duchin, Infectious Diseases Society of America; Kathy Edwards, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Sandra Fryhofer, American Medical Association; Jason M. Goldman, American College of Physicians; Robert Hopkins, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Michael Ison, Chris Roberts, National Institutes of Health; Lisa A. Jackson, Jennifer C. Nelson, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute; Denise Jamieson, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Jeffery Kelman, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Kathy Kinlaw, Center for Ethics, Emory University; Alan Lam, U.S. Department of Defense; Grace M. Lee, Stanford University School of Medicine; Lucia Lee, Anuga Rastogi, Adam Spanier, Rachel Zhang, Food and Drug Administration; Valerie Marshall, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dayna Bowen Matthew, George Washington University Law School; Preeti Mehrotra, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America; Kathleen Neuzil, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Sean OLeary, American Academy of Pediatrics; Christine Oshansky, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; Stanley Perlman, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa; Marcus Plescia, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; Rob Schechter, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases; Kenneth Schmader, American Geriatrics Society; Peter Szilagyi, University of California, Los Angeles; H. Keipp Talbot, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Jonathan Temte, American Academy of Family Physicians; Matthew Tunis, National Advisory Committee on Immunization Secretariat, Public Health Agency of Canada; Matt Zahn, National Association of County and City Health Officials; Nicola P. Klein, Kaiser Permanente Northern California; Cara B. Janusz, Lisa Prosser, Angela Rose, University of Michigan.

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Use of an Additional Updated 20232024 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose for Adults Aged 65 Years: Recommendations of ... - CDC