Paris Olympics: The standout athletes you won't want to miss during the games
A list of the top athletes you'll want to watch this summer - from fresh talents to seasoned stars and certified legends.
Saturday 27 July 2024 12:57, UK
The Olympic Games are upon us - 32 sports and an estimated 10,000 athletes all competing over a 16-day period.
Exciting? Yes. But it's also hard to know where to start in such a huge pool of talent.
All the athletes are immensely skilled, but there are a few standouts who you'll want to keep a particularly close eye on at the 2024 games.
That's why we've compiled a list of the top athletes you'll want to watch this summer - showcasing a mix of fresh talents, seasoned stars and certified legends.
Starting with some of Team GB's biggest talents:
Kieran Reilly - BMX freestyling (GB)
The 23-year-old has had a meteoric rise on the BMX freestyling scene - from winning a silver medal at the 2022 European Games, to going gold at the same games a year later, then clinching an even more prestigious title at the UCI Cycling World Championships two months later.
The cyclist from Gateshead is now BMX Freestyle World Champion - and you can watch the run that earned him that title below.
His previous wins earned him a spot in the Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai in May, where he finished third.
The athlete, who says he's "addicted to the adrenaline rush", is oozing confidence, and he'll be sure to showcase his unique style and flair in Paris.
Along with his medals, he also has the accolade of becoming the first person to perform a triple kick flair - three full backflips with a 180-degree rotation.
Why Reilly is one to watch
The freestyler has already proven himself to be a world champion, but he'll be looking to add Olympic medals to his collection when he makes his debut in the competition this summer.
Sky Brown - Park skateboarding (GB)
Sky Brown became Britain's youngest Olympic medallist of all time when she took bronze in Tokyo at 13 years and 28 days old.
The teenager, who has dual British and Japanese citizenship, became a world champion at 14, and at 16, after winning a world title and gold medal last year, she's again eyeing the podium at the Olympics.
She had hoped to compete in two sports, but was unable to qualify for surfing, at which she also competes at elite level.
But the Japanese-born talent is expected to have her hands full anyway with a long run in the skateboarding competition.
She might be young, but Brown's had to show more resilience than most to reach the world stage, having torn her medial collateral ligament in May 2024 and swiftly bounced back to qualify for the competition.
Why Brown is one to watch
Brown was already a huge talent at the 2020 games when she won bronze - but she's taken her skillset to new levels since. Can she use it to take silver or gold in Paris?
Josh Kerr: Running (GB)
Middle distance runner Josh Kerr isn't exactly playing down his chances of going for gold at Paris; he's said on several occasions that he fully expects to win.
He said the same thing just before smashing a 39-year national record to claim victory over Olympic 1,500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the mile race at the Diamond League in May, so who's to say the Scotsman won't be right again?
Ingebrigtsen won gold at the 2020 Olympics while Kerr got bronze, but the now 26-year-old Scot shocked him to win the 2023 world championship and, off the back of his Diamond League victory, Kerr seems to have an extra spring in his step.
"I've run a season's best, a personal best in every world and Olympic final since I've arrived on the scene. That shows me that I'm consistently good at that high level versus other people that haven't quite had the consistency," he told Sky Sports News.
"That's where that information comes from and that obviously adds to the confidence. I'm just looking to get medals home to the UK and I hope people get behind that."
Why Kerr is one to watch
Kerr and Ingebrigtsen have a rivalry on the track that seems to spur one another on. And off the track, the pair only add fuel to the fire, regularly exchanging not-so-subtle digs. Who can cross the line first on the sport's biggest stage?
Max Whitlock: Gymnastics (GB)
It'd be amiss not to mention the most successful British gymnast of all time, who has already announced Paris will be his fourth and final Olympic Games.
The 31-year-old already has three Olympic and three world golds, and is the most successful pommel horse worker in history.
One more medal on the pommel horse would make him the first gymnast in Olympic history to claim four medals on the same piece of apparatus.
Whitlock is used to the big stage - but he says his mentality is a little different this time around.
"I used to avoid thinking about winning medals and just focus on my job but it's actually really difficult to do that so now I'm trying to switch that mindset and use it as a new source of motivation for the first time," he told Team GB.
It's perhaps even more remarkable to hear Whitlock's fighting spirit considering he took a lengthy hiatus from gymnastics after the 2020 games due to mental health issues, with no intention of returning.
"I was adamant that I was done with gymnastics after Tokyo," he told Team GB.
"Now coming back, I've given myself that opportunity to make four Olympic Games and a big source of motivation for me is to retain that title.
"I think I can do more and I wouldn't have come back if I didn't have the potential to win gold."
Why Whitlock is one to watch
There's plenty on the line for Whitlock going into his last games. Not only does he want to retain his Olympic title, but just one more medal on the pommel horse would make him the first gymnast in Olympic history to claim four medals on the same piece of apparatus.
Tom Daley: Diving (GB)
Speaking of emotional returns...
Adored diver Tom Daley will be making his fifth Olympics appearance after finally winning gold at Tokyo 2020, having also accrued three bronzes since his games debut aged 14.
The now 30-year-old took a two-year break from diving after he ended his long wait for gold, which he managed alongside synchro partner Matty Lee, who is missing out on Paris after undergoing spinal surgery.
Daley did consider retiring, but he'll instead return to the big stage alongside partner Noah Williams - albeit with very different motivations to those of Max Whitlock.
"My whole life I've been wanting to win that Olympic gold medal and being able to do that in Tokyo makes this time around feel like I'm going there to have fun and enjoy it," he told Sky Sports News, after explaining it was his five-year-old son's wish for him to return to diving that made him take the plunge.
Why Daley is one to watch
Seeing Daley dive this summer is a rare chance for you to watch one of Britain's most beloved sporting personalities try to double his number of Olympic golds. He says he's going to Paris to have fun - and what's more fun than walking away with a medal?
Rayssa Leal: Street skateboarding (Brazil)
It wouldn't feel right to include GB's Sky Brown without at least mentioning Rayssa Leal, whose trajectory on a skateboard is uncanny.
Leal, like Brown, was just 13 when she won a medal - hers silver - at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Not only has she gone on to win events on the global skateboarding stage, but she's also become something of a celebrity, amassing more than six million followers on Instagram alone.
This time, Leal says she's feeling stronger both physically and mentally than ever before.
Why Leal is one to watch
Three years after winning silver aged 13, Leal's growth and gym training have helped her master tricks that were beyond her size back then - and that surely puts her in a strong position to earn another medal. Could this one be gold?
Kauli Vaast: Surfing (France)
This might be 22-year-old Vaast's first Olympics - but his reputation precedes him.
The Frenchman was born and raised in Tahiti and put the waves there to good use from a young age. By the age of eight he was winning competitions out on the waves of the French Polynesian island and impressing even the most experienced surfers.
He became a three-time World Surf League (WSL) European Junior Champion in 2017, 2019 and 2020, helping pave the way for his senior career - the high point coming in 2022, when he surfed his way to second place in his second ever world championship event.
Now, with the Olympic surfing competition taking place at the legendary surfing spot Teahupo'o in Tahiti, Vaast will be competing where he originally learnt his trade.
Why Vaast is one to watch
He's been throwing himself into some of Tahiti's most challenging waves since he was eight - the very same waves he'll face this summer. It's no wonder he's considered a favourite for gold.
Leon Marchand: Swimming (France)
Marchand came sixth in the men's 400m individual medley at his debut Olympics three years ago, but his profile is a totally different one going into Paris.
The 22-year-old from Toulouse is a five-time world champion and holds the world record in the men's 400m individual medley.
It's literally in his blood, being the son of Xavier Marchand, a former world silver medallist and Olympian, and Céline Bonnet, a French record-holder who featured in the 1992 Olympics.
But Leon is building a legacy of his own now - and he gets to do that in front of a French crowd cheering him on at the Paris La Defense Arena.
Why Marchand is one to watch
He's considered a master of all four strokes: freestyle, breast, back and butterfly. He'll be showing them off as he goes for his first ever Olympic medal and, if he succeeds, it will bring an end France's 12-year gold medal drought in the pool.
Simone Biles - Gymnast (USA)
Olympians don't come much more coveted than Simone Biles.
At 27, she is the most decorated gymnast of all time, with a record nine all-round national titles and 37 world and Olympic medals.
She won her first gold at the 2013 World Championships aged 16 and has gone on to be a complete trail-blazer, with five skills being named after her in the gymnastics code of points.
The 2016 Olympics in Rio was electrifying from Biles, seeing her win four golds and a bronze medal. But her last Olympic appearance shocked the world for different reasons, as the star bowed out of multiple events to focus on her mental health - albeit winning a silver and bronze beforehand.
She subsequently took two years out from the athletics scene, but she came back with a bang and had a phenomenal 2023. Surely she'll be electrifying to watch as she returns to the Olympic scene.
Why Biles is one to watch
Amazingly, for all of Biles's accomplishments, it's been eight years since she won Olympic gold. Now back in the game and back in form, she'll look to once again show the world why she's considered an all-time great.
Rebeca Andrade: Gymnastics (Brazil)
This is widely tipped to be the Olympics for America's gymnasts - with their last three Olympic all-around champions - Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee - all competing.
But if anyone can give them a run for their money, it's Andrade.
At 25, she's been on the scene for some time, having been launched on to the international scene in front of a home crowd when she qualified in third place for the 2016 Olympic all-around final.
The Brazilian ultimately struggled in the final, and a then 19-year-old Biles overshadowed her when she won the all-around gold medal in Rio.
Four years later, Andrade won silver in women's artistic gymnastics all-around final to become the first woman from Brazil to ever win a medal in the sport. It was even more impressive considering she'd suffered three ACL injuries in the years leading up to it, almost ending her career entirely.
Now another four years on, Andrade and Biles both go to Paris in peak form, meaning a thrilling face-off is expected in the all-around, vault and floor finals.
The Brazilian has also been teasing a new vault that's never been performed by a female gymnast: a triple-twisting Yurchenko.
Why Andrade is one to watch
If Andrade's rivalry with the US and her underdog status isn't enough to pique your interest, winning gold would help her cement her legacy as the greatest Brazilian gymnast of all time.
Enzo Lefort: Fencing (France)
At the age of 32 and going into his fourth Olympic Games, Lefort isn't like some of the shiny new stars you'll see on this list. And with only two team medals to his name (a gold and silver from Tokyo and Rio respectively) and no individual accolades, he hasn't hit the heights of some other competitors with his experience.
But now, with the Frenchman on home soil and with plenty of experience on the big stage, he says it's the "chance of a lifetime" to win an individual gold medal and another team gold medal.
The Olympic Games organisers themselves have highlighted Lefort as one to watch, sharing details of his rigorous training regime.
But it's the fencing champion's creativity that will make him such a joy to watch. Lefort, who is also a keen photographer, thinks it might just give him an edge on his opponents.
"I don't like to control everything. Depending on the situation, I like to go off the beaten track and take my opponent by surprise," he told Olympics.com.
Why Lefort is one to watch
He's admitted himself that he's getting on in age a little bit at 32. This might be the Frenchman's last chance to win an individual Olympic medal, and he can do it in front of a home crowd.
Sha'Carri Richardson - Track and field (USA)
Sprinter Richardson is going into her Olympic debut with expectations through the roof after she won the Olympic trials in 10.71 seconds - the best time in the world this year.
If that sentence sounds somewhat familiar, it might be because the 24-year-old smashed the Olympic trials in 2021 too ahead of the delayed Tokyo games. Much like now, Americans hoped she would challenge Jamaica's longstanding dominance in the 100m.
But Richardson ended up being barred from competing after testing positive for THC (cannabis), a substance banned under World Anti-Doping Agency rules.
The suspension evoked arguments about race, drugs, anti-doping rules - all talk that Richardson wasn't particularly interested in.
The Texan has spoken briefly about the death of her biological mother and a subsequent bout with depression, telling Leading wesley' US partner NBC News she smoked marijuana as a way of coping.
But three years on she's a world champion and, as she confidently put it: "I'm not back, I'm better."
In moments where she isn't sprinting, keep an eye out for Richardson's signature long nails.
Why Richardson is one to watch
Most athletes of Richardson's stature and skill have Olympic medals to their name at her age. Circumstances haven't allowed that for the sprinter, but now is her time to shine. Will she seize the moment and go for gold?
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce - Track and field (Jamaica)
Paris 2024 isn't only Fraser-Pryce's fifth and last Olympic Games - it's also the final event of her career.
The 37-year-old is a three-time Olympic champion and eight-time medallist, and while she might be a veteran of the sport, keeping up the pace in the twilight of her career is nothing new for the Jamaican.
In 2019, she became the oldest woman to claim the 100m World Championship title in Doha. She further solidified this achievement by winning the title again at the age of 35 in Eugene in 2022, 14 years after her initial Olympic gold triumph.
She had a third-place finish with a time of 10.94 seconds in the 100m at the Jamaican trials at the end of June, but opted not to race the 200m, registering as a DNS, instead focusing solely on the 100m.
So she's still got plenty of pace and power left in her, and will be looking to finish on the strongest possible note.
Why Fraser-Pryce is one to watch
Retirement can't come more dramatically than this. A fifth Olympic Games, team captain for your country and a load of younger competitors looking to stop you getting your ninth medal. This is what the games are all about.
Faith Kipyegon - Athletics (Kenya)
In just under 50 days last year, Faith Kipyegon smashed three world track records in three events, and is now poised to make history in Paris.
At 30 years old, she has two Olympic gold medals under her belt.
Last year proved to be one of her best yet, where she broke the women's 1,500m world record at the Diamond League meeting in Florence, Italy, at 3:49.11.
Less than a week later, Kipyegon shattered the 5,000m world record at the Diamond League event in Paris, France, with a time of 14:05.20.
To cap off her streak, she then annihilated the one-mile world record with a time of 4:07.64 at the Diamond League meet in Monaco.
Why Kipyegon is one to watch
Already a two-time gold medallist in the 1,500-meter run - winning top spot in the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games - she could be the first athlete in Olympic history to win three of the events back-to-back.
Shigeyuki Nakarai - Breaking (Japan)
Also known as Shigekix, the 22-year-old will be one of Japan's flagbearers during the opening ceremony, before going on to compete in the new Olympic sport.
Nakarai began breaking when he was seven. He went on to win a bronze medal in the 2018 Youth Summer Olympics in Buenos Aires, aged 16.
He then won gold for the men's breakdancing event in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last year.
Breaking will make its debut as an Olympic sport on 9 August at La Concorde, a historic square at the end of the Champs-Elysees. Shigekix will perform a day later.
Why you should watch Shigekix - and breaking
Four years ago, Nakarai became the youngest winner of the Red Bull BC One World Final in breaking, and looks set to continue his rise.
While the USA's Victor Montalvo is considered the gold-medal favourite for breaking, the sport may be a one off, as it isn't set to feature at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Catch it while you can.
Familiar faces looking to impress
While the Olympics is arguably the biggest stage of all time, there are some sporting legends who have made a name for themselves outside of the competition - and many of them will be hunting for medals in Paris.
The Olympics will mark the swan song of Andy Murray's career, after his last Wimbledon ended in lacklustre fashion and he announced the Games will be his "last ever tennis tournament".
He might be best known for his three grand slams, but the Scotsman was also first player to retain singles gold at the Olympic Games, winning the singles competition in both London and Rio.
He has pulled out of the singles at the Paris Games, but will compete in the doubles with Dan Evans.
Tennis greats Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will be looking to reach the final at Roland Garros, with the former in search of his first Olympic gold medal at the fifth time of asking.
The sport's latest powerhouse Carlos Alcaraz, who just swept Djokovic aside in the Wimbledon men's singles final, will also feature in the singles, as well as alongside Spanish counterpart Nadal in the doubles.
There will also be basketball royalty on display with LeBron James returning for his fourth Olympic Games in hopes of leading Team USA to their 17th Olympic gold medal in men's basketball.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Leading wesley
Tap hereThe four-time NBA champion will have the help of Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, but the Americans will do well not to be complacent with the likes of 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama playing for France.
Men's football is restricted to players under 23, with only three over-aged players allowed on each side.
But with international powerhouses like France, Spain and Argentina involved, there's bound to be quality on display.
Keep an eye out for Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez, new Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise and older heads like Alexandre Lacazette.
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Leading wesley app for free
Women's football is a senior competition, meaning the very best talents across the world will be on display - though England's Lionesses narrowly missed out on qualification.
You'll still see a British star on the sidelines though, with highly-decorated former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes leading gold-hopefuls USA.
Her side will be wary of 2023 Women's World Cup winners Spain, who have two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas and one-time winner Aitana Bonmatí among their ranks. Keep an eye out for Real Madrid defender Olga Carmona too, who scored the only goal in the World Cup final against England.
At the Golf National venue near Paris you'll see world number one Scottie Scheffler feature for the US along with Xander Schauffele, who's coming off the back of his second major victory of the season at the 152nd Open.
You'll also see world number two Rory McIlroy in action and Tiger Woods, who won at Valhalla back in 2000.