The 2024 summer Olympics are almost upon us, with this year’s Games taking place in Paris.
Three years on from the delayed, Covid-hit Tokyo Games, certain athletes will return to the Olympic stage in a bid to replicate previous glories, while others will seek to improve upon past performances.
Elsewhere, there will be athletes making their Olympic debuts, and below we’ve got you covered with some of the key athletes and events to watch.
Keep your eye out for one or two British medal hopes…
Noah Lyles – Men’s 100m (3-4 August) and 200m (5-8 August)
The favourite across the men’s 100m and 200m, Noah Lyles could be one of the biggest stars at Paris 2024. The American made his Olympic debut in 2021, securing bronze in the 200m. But the 26-year-old is expected to surpass that achievement in France, and across two events. The charismatic Lyles claimed 100m and 200m gold at the World Championship in 2023, setting him up for another golden double this summer.
Andy Murray – Men’s tennis (27 July – 4 August)
The Scot withdrew from the men’s singles at Wimbledon this year – his final Wimbledon, no less – to prioritise keeping himself fit for the Olympics. However, Murray did play in the doubles at the All England Club with his brother Jamie, and he is expected to partake in the men’s doubles in Paris as well. Murray, 37, may yet play in the singles, too, potentially looking to reclaim the gold medal he won in 2012 and 2016. In 2012, the former world No 1 also claimed silver in the mixed doubles.
Rafael Nadal – Men’s tennis (27 July – 4 August)
Just as Murray is preparing to finish his playing career, Nadal is on a farewell tour, and there is speculation that he could end it on his favourite court: the clay of Roland Garros. Nadal won a stupefying 14 grand slam titles at Roland Garros, and he claimed Olympic gold in the singles in 2008; can the Spaniard marry the two achievements to become an Olympic champion again? It would be the perfect end to the 38-year-old’s glittering career.
Simone Biles – Artistic gymnastics (28 July – 5 August)
At the age of 27, Biles is already an Olympic great. The American artistic gymnast claimed four gold medals and one bronze at Rio 2016, before adding one silver and another bronze in 2021. At the latter Games, Biles suffered from the “twisties” – miscuing several moves due to a kind of mental block – and did remarkably well to come away with two medals, given the circumstances. In any case, the American – who has a remarkable 23 World Championship gold medals to her name – appears to be back to her best. She claimed four world titles in 2023, and she will feel she can achieve more Olympic glory in Paris.
Sha’Carri Richardson – Women’s 100m (2-3 August)
The American is set to make her Olympic debut after being suspended ahead of Tokyo 2020, when a drug test suggested recent cannabis use. Richardson, now 24, actually served her suspension in time to compete in Japan, but her failed test meant she was not selected by the USA anyway. Now, however, she is ready to build upon her World Championship gold from 2023, as she enters the women’s 100m for the US.
Shericka Jackson – Women’s 100m (2-3 August) and 200m (4-6 August)
One of Richardson’s chief rivals in the 100m will be Jamaica’s Jackson, who will look to take the mantle from Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – her compatriot who will also feature in the 100m. Fraser-Pryce, 37, claimed 100m gold in 2008 and 2012 before taking silver in 2021; Jackson, 29, will fancy her chances of beating her countrywoman here, and she will also look to triumph in the 200m. Last year, Jackson claimed World Championship gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m, and at the last Olympics, she finished third in the 100m – one place behind Fraser-Pryce.
LeBron James – Men’s basketball (27 July – 10 August)
One of the greatest basketball players of all time is looking to improve his already impressive Olympic record. James, 39, will be joined by fellow superstars Steph Curry and Kevin Durant in pursuit of gold – the colour medal James won at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, after an initial bronze at Athens 2004. In the NBA, James is a four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP; can he be Team USA’s MVP en route to another Olympic title?
Adam Peaty – Men’s swimming (27 July – 4 August)
The English swimmer has five Olympic medals to his name, but he won’t be content there. Having picked up 100m breathstroke gold in 2016 and 2021, 4x100m relay silver at both Games, and mixed-medley relay gold in Tokyo, Peaty will look to maintain form in certain events and improve it in others. At 29, he may yet have another Olympics in him after this summer, but he won’t want to wait for another haul.
Eliud Kipchoge – Men’s marathon (10 August)
The Kenyan is not the only man to have won two Olympic marathons, but he can become the only man to win three if he triumphs in Paris. Kipchoge, who won gold in Rio and Tokyo, also held the world record for marathons outright until last year. At 39, he surely doesn’t have many more great runs left in him, but a gold-winning effort in Paris would rank highly among his already considerable achievements.
