As the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony took place down the Seine, boats featuring athletes participating in Paris 2024 were featured for those in attendance and watching on television.
You might be wondering: Exactly how many countries are represented, and how many athletes are there?
National Olympic Committees for nations and territories globally send athletes to the Olympics. Athletes from 200-plus (206 to be exact) NOCs will participate, including the IOC Refugee Team.
What is the IOC Refugee Team?
The IOC Refugee Team has been in place since 2016 in Rio, and provides a team for displaced refugees a team to compete with. Dakar will also feature an IOC Refugee Team in 2026.
The International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach, had this to say about the Refugee Team:
“The IOC Refugee Olympic Team sends a great signal about what an enrichment refugees are for our Olympic community and for society at large. Watching them compete is a great moment for all of us, and we hope everyone will join. The athletes are welcome in our Olympic community, among their fellow athletes – competing with them, but also living with them together under one roof.”
The IOC Refugee Team features 37 athletes this year.
The list is still being finalized, and can be seen here on the Olympics website. On Friday afternoon, nearly 11,000 athletes were listed as participants in the 2024 games.