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With 10,500 athletes from 206 NOCs to compete at the Paris Olympics, we take a look at the 10 biggest names to watch out for. read more
 "10 biggest athletes to watch out for")
(Left to Right) Simone Biles, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Rafael Nadal will be three of the biggest names in action at the Paris Olympics.
Paris Olympics 2024 will mark the first Summer Games to see representation from equal number of men and women. With approximately 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOC) to descend on the French capital, the challenge will be stiff for medals and glory.
Paris Olympics Complete Coverage: Click here for news, schedule, explainers and more
The Olympic programme includes 32 different sports, 339 events in total with something for everyone who will be attending the Games.
We take a look at some of the biggest athletes who will compete at the Paris Olympics:
Simone Biles
Considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all-time, Simone Biles will make her third straight appearance at the Olympics. She booked her spot in the US team after her all-round victory at the trials in June.
The four-time Olympic gold medallist will grab plenty of attention not just for what she can produce on the mat, but also for her mental readiness for such an event. She had pulled out of multiple events in Tokyo due to the “twisties”, a temporary loss of spatial awareness in mid-air.
LeBron James
NBA’s all-time leading scorer is the leading face in USA’s basketball team and will make his fourth Olympic appearance. It will be his first Games since London in 2012.
When he, at 39 years old, steps up to the court, he will become the first US men’s basketball player to compete in the Olympics across three different decades.
Rafael Nadal
The 22-time major champion is quite possibly in his final year of a storied career. Fittingly for him and his legacy, the tennis event of the Paris Olympics will be played on the red clay at Roland Garros where he’s won a record 14 titles.
The 38-year-old, who has won two Olympic golds, will play singles and doubles both. He will take to the court alongside four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz who recently won both the French Open and Wimbledon.
Nadal has won Olympic gold medals in 2008 (singles) and 2016 (doubles alongside Marc Lopez).
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Jamaica’s sprint queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will compete in her fifth and final Olympics in the women’s 100m. The 37-year-old has won eight Olympic medals, including three golds.
Fraser-Pryce will retire after Paris 2024, heading into the sunset as one of the greatest sprinters of all time.
“You have to think about the next generation that’s coming after you, and give them the opportunity to also dream – and dream big,” she told Eurosport.
Known as the “Pocket Rocket”, she will find tough competition from USA’s debutant Sha’Carri Richardson and fellow Jamaican Shericka Jackson.
All three will hope to break Florence Griffith Joyner’s 36-year record in women’s 100m (10.49).
Katie Ledecky
It is expected to be USA vs Australia in the pool at the Paris Olympics. Spearheading USA’s medal chances is Katie Ledecky.
Having qualified in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle disciplines – the targets will be on winning a fourth straight 800m freestyle gold, another 1500m gold, but also on regaining her 400m free crown.
With seven Olympic golds and 21 World Championship titles, Ledecky is already one of swimming’s all-time greats and is widely expected to add to her medal tally in France.
Also one to watch out for is Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, who stunned Ledecky in the 400m freestyle in Tokyo. She holds the world record and clocked the second-fastest time in June.
Eliud Kipchoge
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge can speak positively about his chances at the Paris Olympics. In Paris he will target a historical third consecutive Olympic marathon gold.
The 39-year-old said in April that his disappointing 10th-place result in the 2024 Tokyo Marathon, and his relatively advanced age, have not made him question his chances. “I still have something in my legs, and I will still be there to run for the gold medal.”
In 2019, Kipchoge became the first person to cover the 42.2km (26-mile) marathon in under two hours, though the record was unofficial as he was accompanied by multiple teams of pacers and the time was not set in an open competition.
Armand Duplantis
At the Tokyo Olympics, Armand “Mondo” Duplantis brought himself into the limelight, clearing 6.02 meters to win the gold medal in the men’s pole vault.
The Swedish pole vaulting prodigy is now a two-time indoor and two-time outdoor world champion. He holds the provisional world record with a clearance of 6.24 metres and has come close to clearing 6.25 metres this season.
Victor Wembanyama
France’s Victor Wembanyama, the NBA rookie of the year, has been one of the biggest sensations to hit American sport in some time. His spectacular one-handed dunks will propel the team’s chances at home.
France lost to the United States in the gold medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, but hopes are high of avoiding a repeat this time.
Standing a towering – even by basketball standards – 2.24 metres (7 feet 4 inches), Wembanyama is the tallest competitor at Paris 2024.
Thanks to Wembanyama, France are considered the favourites for gold alongside the US, Canada, Serbia and world champions Germany.
Rayssa Leal
Brazil’s teenage skateboarding sensation Rayssa Leal will look to impress with her advanced grinds, airs and flips during the women’s street competition.
Nicknamed the “little fairy”, she’ll look to create a magical moment in Paris and do better than a silver from Tokyo Games.
She won’t be the only teenage prodigy in skateboarding in France. Great Britain’s Sky Brown will also look to upgrade her bronze medal from Tokyo 2020, which she won as a 13-year-old.
Caeleb Dressel
Caeleb Dressel won five gold medals at Tokyo 2020 then shocked the swimming world in 2022 by abruptly stepping away from the sport to tend to his mental health.
In his comeback, the 27-year-old hasn’t qualified to defend his 100m freestyle gold, but he won the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly, meaning he will get a chance to defend two of his three individual gold medals at the Paris Olympics.
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English (US) ·