THE TOP TEN ATHLETES TO LOOK OUT FOR ACROSS THE PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS
Few sporting events capture the public imagination like the Olympics, and with the Paris 2024 Olympics just over the horizon, all eyes will be on the world’s greatest athletes as they compete for medals once more.
Representatives from virtually every country on earth will compete across a variety of sports and events for their chance to take home golden glory from the French capital and write their names into the history books.
From hosts France and perennial frontrunners the United States to regular heavyweights China and Great Britain, plenty of nations will be looking to top the medal table with a slew of impressive performances.
While any national success will be a team sport, there are still a variety of individual stars who will be leading the way and looking to see themselves up in the lights - from Olympic veterans to up-and-coming stars looking to impress.
So, who are the global superstars to look out for? GOAL takes you through some of the biggest names at the Paris 2024 Olympics and what they will compete in.
When and where is the Paris 2024 Olympics?
The Paris 2024 Olympics will take place in France between Friday, July 26, and Sunday, August 11, 2024.
The majority of the events will be held in Paris, the nation’s capital, but others will be held across the country and on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti.
How can I watch the Paris 2024 Olympics?
In the UK, the BBC is the official Olympic television broadcaster and will broadcast the action on BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer.
In the United States, the Paris 2024 Olympics will be covered by NBC and streamed through their Peacock TV streaming service.
With full coverage of the games, plus a host of other sports and entertainment coverage, subscribers can enjoy a rich selection of options with Peacock. Customers can subscribe to Peacock Premium with ads for $5.99 per month and Peacock Premium Plus without ads for $11.99 per month.
For further information, visit our in-depth guide to the Paris 2024 Olympics here.
Who are the global superstars to watch at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
With up to 10,500 athletes set to compete across 329 events in 32 sports, there will be plenty of big names and leading stars set to feature at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with a handful destined to head home with a shiny medal around their neck.
From homegrown heroes like soccer star Wendie Renard to veteran performers such as Simone Biles and through to rising stars like Sky Brown, here are just some of the talents you can expect to make a big impact in France.
List of Paris 2024 athletes
| Athlete | Sport |
|---|---|
| Simone Biles (United States) | Gymnastics |
| Sky Brown (Great Britain) | Skateboarding / Surfing |
| Ahmed Hafnaoui (Tunisia) | Swimming |
| Daiki Hashimoto (Japan) | Gymnastics |
| Rory McIlroy (Ireland) | Golf |
| Osmar Olvera (Mexico) | Diving |
| Wendie Renard (France) | Soccer |
| Sha'Carri Richardson (United States) | Athletics |
| Alex Yee (Great Britain) | Triathlon |
| Zheng Qinwen (China) | Tennis |
Simone Biles
Country: United States
Sport: Gymnastics
Eight years on from her terrific debut for Team USA at Rio 2016, when she took an impressive four gold medals, the 26-year-old heads to her third games on the back of a frustrating Tokyo 2020 tournament, where she could only pick up a silver and a bronze to take home with her.
But with seven medals across two games to date and multiple triumphs under her belt in the World Championships, too, she will be eying a return to form in France as she looks to cement her place as the premier female gymnast of her generation in impressive style.
Sky Brown
Country: Great Britain
Sport: Skateboarding
One of the youngest athletes set to take the field at Paris 2024, the British prodigy - who declared for the country over Japan ahead of Tokyo 2020 - picked up a bronze on debut three years ago in the park and won the World Championships last year to underline her credentials.
The biggest question has been whether it is the only event she will compete in. Having expressed an interest in competing in surfing, too, it remains to be seen whether it will be feasible for her to qualify for both, especially given the latter competition takes place in Tahiti, on the other side of the world.
Ahmed Hafnaoui
Country: Tunisia
Sport: Swimming
The only Tunisian to take gold at Tokyo 2020, the swimmer made a splash when he scored the top spot in the 400m freestyle and has only seen his standing soar since with a pair of gold medals at the World Championships in 400m freestyle and 1500m freestyle.
At just 21 years old, there’s a good chance he will remain on the scene for years to come, and he will have big hopes of delivering success for his nation again when they take the trip to France.
Daiki Hashimoto
Country: Japan
Sport: Gymnastics
Elevated to his nation’s gymnastics team while still in school, there might not be many athletes with more on the line in Paris than Hashimoto, who brings a record he will be keen to defend after picking up success on his games debut at Tokyo 2020.
With two individual gold medals and a silver in the team event, he is looking to match his haul, or perhaps even better it, when he heads to France. A trio of gold medals at last year’s World Championships in Antwerp only underlines his credentials as the frontrunner for success once again.
Rory McIlroy
Country: Ireland
Sport: Golf
The Northern Irishman has looked back to the best form of his career over the past year and a half, racking up the honors and a Ryder Cup success on the course while fighting the LIV Golf split off it. But aside from putting the Masters to bed if he can, an Olympic gold might be top of his list.
Having skipped out on the event’s return at Rio 2016, McIlroy came close to a bronze finish at Tokyo 2020, having finished tied for third at the end of regular play, but his exit in a seven-man sudden-death competition saw him miss out on a podium finish to Pan Cheng-tsung.
Osmar Olvera
Country: Mexico
Sport: Diving
The youngest member of Mexico’s diving team three years ago at the postponed Tokyo 2020, the teenager will turn 20 just before the games in France and will be out to build on his first appearance at the games.
Since then, he has burst through onto the world scene, taking double silver medals at the World Championships in Fukuoka last year in both 1m springboard and 3m springboard. That success could well pave the way for a medal finish in Paris and put him even more on the sporting map.
Wendie Renard
Country: France
Sport: Soccer
For a player with the reputation and domestic success the France captain has found across her career, Renard has failed to translate that level of success onto the world stage with her nation. This is in part thanks to the dominance of the United States but also down to a few big missed opportunities.
At 33, there might not be many more chances for her to take one of the top team prizes at an international level, and with the benefit of home advantage, she will be determined to help her side put the disappointment of a frustrating Australia/New Zealand 2023 World Cup campaign.
Sha'Carri Richardson
Country: United States
Sport: Athletics
Having missed out on Tokyo 2020 through suspension after an adverse drug test, the sprinter has ensured she has kept expectations in check since, returning with a slew of impressive performances as she looks to put the ghosts of what could have been to rest.
The 23-year-old will be one of Team USA’s flagship names after winning three medals at the World Championships last year. She will be firmly among the favorites to pick up at least one, and maybe more, when she takes to the track in France in the coming months.
Alex Yee
Country: Great Britain
Sport: Triathlon
After tournaments dominated by the Brownlee brothers, the triathlete broke out with his performances at Tokyo 2020, taking home two medals, including a gold in the very first staging of the mixed relay alongside Jess Learmonth, Jonny Brownlee, and Georgia Taylor-Brown.
He’ll hope he can go one better in the men’s race after a silver three years ago and enters France as one of Great Britain’s biggest hopes for medal success - though he will have a hard fight to ensure he takes the gold, with plenty of competition sure to fight him tooth and nail.
Zheng Qinwen
Country: China
Sport: Tennis
On the back of a maiden grand slam final at the Australian Open, Zheng will be out to see if she can back it up with a similarly impressive performance at Paris 2024, with the WTA star hoping it can help to further underline her credentials near the top of the sport.
While her loss to Aryna Sabalenka might have been a setback, there will be hopes she can use it to fuel a successful campaign on the tour building towards France. She will not be the only tennis player likely with high hopes however, with Novak Djokovic still missing a gold with Serbia despite his decades of success.
FAQs
Has Paris hosted the Olympics before?
The Paris 2024 Olympics will be the third time the city has hosted the games, joining London as the only other host to welcome it on as many occasions.
They previously welcomed the event in 1900 and 1924, making it a full century since they last played host.
What sports will make their debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Four new sports will make their debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with sport climbing, skateboarding, surfing, and breakdancing all added to the programme of the games.
However, karate and baseball have both been dropped from the programme, with fewer individual events on the schedule than in Tokyo 2020.
Where will the 2028 Olympics be held?
Following the Paris 2024 Olympics, the next games will be held in Los Angeles, with the United States set to welcome them back for the first time since Atlanta 1996.
It will mark the third occasion that the city has hosted the games, following London and Paris, having brought them to California in 1932 and 1984.