Olympics 2024 LIVE: Paris Games schedule gets underway with football and rugby sevens as Dujardin backlash continues

World Athletics is the first international governing body to award prize money at the Olympic Games as it rewards gold medal winners at Paris 2024.

The governing body has confirmed that it would provide a total prize pot of $2.4m (£1.9m) in the capital of France, with gold medallists receiving $50,000 (£39,400) and relay quartets splitting the reward.

Record medal hauls may be mooted for Team GB when the Paris Olympics get underway in the French capital, but there are some Games venues at which the Union flag will be conspicuous by its absence.

The tentacles of sustained podium success, spread liberally by almost £250m of UK Sport funding for the Paris Olympic cycle alone, have yet to reach the wrestling mats of the Champ-de Mars-Arena or the glittering fencing venue at the Grand Palais.

Just two tennis icons hanging out in Paris – what more do you want?

Carlos Alcaraz will be representing Spain and Andy Murray is there for Team GB – and the Scot has confirmed he’ll be retiring after the Olympics.

Viewers may remember from Tokyo 2020 that the BBC’s coverage was not as extensive, with the national broadcaster limited to showing live action on a single linear channel and online live stream. That agreement remains in place for Paris 2024:

With live action getting underway today, here’s your reminder of the faces you can expect to see on your telly boxes in the United Kingdom over the next three weeks or so.

The build-up to the aquatics events has been somewhat overshadowed by a doping scandal involving a large portion of the Chinese team at Tokyo 2020. Jack Rathborn explains the situation:

Courtesy of stalwart BBC commentator (and 1988 butterfly bronze medallist) Andy Jameson, here’s a detailed look at the rather impressive swimming venue for Paris 2024. The La Defense Arena is usually home to French rugby club Racing 92 and is quite the place, boasting the world’s largest interactive big screen and a thumping sound system.

Team GB’s prospects in the pool look promising, too. Among their many medal contenders is Matt Richards, who has a relay gold in his pocket from Tokyo but now seeks individual success. Jack Rathborn went to meet the freestyler:

Now Great Britain look favourites to top the medal table on the water in Vaire-sur-Marne. Tom Harle details how they’ve engineered a remarkable turnaround.

France was conditionally picked as the host of the 2030 Winter Games on Wednesday and must now deliver key financial guarantees in a timeline to be set by the International Olympic Committee, the IOC said.

The French Alps bid was the IOC’s preferred choice since June but due to elections and a current caretaker government had been unable to deliver the necessary state and regional financial guarantees in time.

Bids from Salt Lake City, Switzerland and Stockholm were also in the running, but back-to-back Winter Olympics are now set to be held in Europe with preparations well under way for Milano Cortina 2026.