West Virginia University senior Ivan Puskovitch was the fifth American man to qualify for the 10K Olympic marathon open water swim, since it became an event in 2008. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Security. at every venue. The possible pollution of the Seine River where long-distance swimming will take place. The United States sending a delegation of 592 athletes. Russia mostly on the sidelines, because of doping incidents at previous Olympic Games.

And then all of the inexhaustible number of story lines will be momentarily eclipsed by the event’s opening ceremonies.

This evening, a saturated television schedule of the most popular sports, story lines and most-noted athletes will begin to command the world’s attention.

The United States is sending 314 women and 278 men to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. It will be the fourth-straight Olympics where there have been more women than men competing for the USA team.

No fewer than 66 of those athletes have already won gold medals at previous Olympics.

Out of those 592 athletes, three of them — Perry Baker from Fairmont State University in rugby, Mary Tucker from West Virginia University in shooting and Ivan Puskovitch from West Virginia University in swimming — have any ties to the state of West Virginia.

The famed City of Lights has the eyes and critiques of the world for about a fortnight. If there are only in-the-moment efforts and winning, most people will remember these Games as a success. No deaths or injuries from security-beached incidents will bring smiles and large sighs of relief from everybody concerned.

Just let the appointed count the medals. Just get to the closing ceremonies in one piece.

And then hand out the back slaps, self-congratulations and tired smiles in every direction.

The USA has its favorite sports in basketball, track and field, gymnastics and swimming.

Team handball, rugby and badminton take a back seat.

All the medals are counted by most of the public. Gold is the currency of the day. A few countries deem The Games a roaring success if they do well in the sports they care about exclusively.

The International Olympic Committee will report, “All went well,” if controversy comes only in drips and dabs and there are no horrific problems with breached security.

Can the world get this right? It has before. Vive la France.