For many observers, including this writer, the Olympics don't really begin until the track and field athletes enter the Olympic Stadium. For the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris, that moment finally arrives on Friday 2nd August, and will continue until the Closing Ceremony brings the curtain down on Sunday 11th August 2024.

The Olympic Triathlon has whetted our appetite, with Beth Potter's brilliant bronze and Alex Yee's breathtaking gold. Will our voracious appetite for medals be sated when the Olympic flame is extinguished in 11 days?

The first athletics medals to be decided will be in the 20K Race Walk, with the men starting at 6:30am (UK time) and women at 9:20am on Thursday 1st August. This event will be held on a road loop at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

The Athletics gladiators enter the 77,000-seat Stade de France Olympic Stadium (pictured above) at 9:05am on Friday with the opening event of the men's Decathlon – the 100m. Watch for the introduction of the repechage round in some track races. Athletes who do not automatically qualify for the semi-finals from the heats will have a second chance by running an extra race. This replaces the former 'fastest loser' qualification.

We have previously reported on the cash prizes for Olympic Athletics Champions, with $50,000 being awarded to all Paris gold medal winners, but other rewards set these Games apart. Eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed each medal winner receives a long gold box plus the usual cuddly toy mascot.

Our first thoughts were this box might contain a mini Olympic torch, but runABC can now reveal it is a beautiful poster created by Parisian artist Ugo Gattoni, which took more than 2,000 hours toil over six months to produce. Each poster has a border in the appropriate medal colour and portrays Paris as an Olympic paradise through minuscule details.

The cuddly toy for this year is 'Olympic Phyrge' and has a gold, silver, or bronze emblem to match the athlete's medal, with the word 'Bravo' on its back.

Finally, those medals. They are extra special this year. Each medal contains a hexagonal piece of the actual Eiffel Tower, preserved during maintenance of the structure in the 1900s. They are presented on Louis Vuitton trays, designed by 240-year-old Maison Chaumet, manufactured at the French Mint, which also made the Paris 1924 Olympic medals, and are hung on ribbons made in Saint-Étienne, featuring the Eiffel Tower's geometric patterns.

The Olympic Stadium is ready; the medals and mementos are ready; athletes, officials, and spectators are ready so Let The Games Commence!

Photo of Stade de France via Wikipedia courtesy Like Tears in Rain