24 for Paris 2024: must-watch Olympians who will light up the Games

Simone Biles (US)

27 | Artistic gymnastics | All -around, uneven bars, beam, floor, team

The 27-year-old from suburban Houston and face of Team USA is the most decorated women’s gymnast ever, with a combined 37 medals between the Olympics and world championships. And while it wouldn’t seem like there’s much left to prove for the oldest American woman to make an Olympic gymnastics team since the 1950s, Biles continues to toy with the outer limits of human potential while doing the hardest gymnastics of her life. Three years after pulling out of multiple finals at the Tokyo Games amid a bout of the twisties, Biles is the hot favourite to regain her all-around throne. “This is definitely our redemption tour,” she said at the US trials. “I feel like we all have more to give.” Bryan Armen Graham

Cindy Ngamba (Refugees)

25 | Boxing | Women’s 75kg

Born in Cameroon, Ngamba has lived in Britain since the age of 10 but cannot compete for Team GB because she does not possess a British passport, despite GB Boxing’s attempts to help her gain British citizenship. Ngamba is unable to return to Cameroon because she is homosexual, which remains a criminal offence in the country. She has been educated at school and university in the UK, where she gained a degree in criminology. She secured her Olympic place and heads to Paris with high hopes of becoming the first Refugee Olympic Team athlete ever to win a medal. Ben Bloom

Vahiné Fierro (Fr)

24 | Surfing | Women’s

Known in the surfing world as “The Queen of Teahupo’o”, Tahiti native Fierro will represent France in the Olympic surfing competition, which takes place on her home island. Born and raised in the French territory, Fierro learned to surf by the age of two and was crowned world junior champion in 2018. She will become the first Tahitian woman in her sport to represent France at the Olympics and will do so on the Pacific island she has surfed all her life. Her local knowledge – she won a WSL Championship Tour event there in May – makes her a gold-medal candidate. BB

Keely Hodgkinson (GB)

22 | Athletics | Women’s 800m

The 22-year-old from Atherton in Greater Manchester was a teenager when she won Olympic 800m silver in Tokyo, smashing Kelly Holmes’s British record in the process. And the 2024 version looks to be the best yet. She opened her season with a staggering 1min 55.78sec to set the fastest 800m time of the year, while her victory at the European Championships in June took her haul of major medals and titles into double figures. Hodgkinson doesn’t yet get the attention she deserves – even if Vogue magazine described her as the “new It girl of athletics” – but Paris could change all that. Sean Ingle

Rachael Gunn/Raygun (Aus)

36 | Breaking | Women’s

The debut of breaking as an Olympic sport in Paris provides one of the more tantalising culture clashes of the Games: just how will the corporatised Olympic movement handle a form of expression rooted in protest. No athlete is better attuned to these tensions than Australia’s female breaker, Rachael “Raygun” Gunn. The 36-year-old is a lecturer in cultural studies, and has done a PhD on gender in breaking. She says she sometimes feels “icky” as a suburban “white girl” being Australia’s face of breaking, but tries to use her position to advocate for the sport – which has been scrapped for LA 2028 – as much as possible. Jack Snape

Summer McIntosh (Can)

17 | Swimming | Women’s 200m IM, 400m IM, 200 free, 400 free, 200 fly

The 17-year-old from Toronto announced herself as a potential star of the Paris pool in February, when she finished nearly six seconds ahead of Katie Ledecky in an 800m freestyle at a meet in Orlando, ending the American superstar’s 13-year win streak at the distance in a time (8min 12.57sec) that would have topped the Olympic podium in Tokyo. Named after Summer Roberts, Rachel Bilson’s character in The OC – feel old yet? – the avowed Drake fan broke her own world record in the 400m individual medley at Canada’s Olympic swim trials in May. A runaway favourite in the 200m IM and 400 IM, McIntosh will also contend for medals in the 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle, likely sitting out an 800m showdown with Ledecky to budget her stamina. B A G

Matt Richards (GB)

21 | Swimming | Men’s 50m, 100m, 200m free, 4x200m free relay, and other relays

While British eyes in Paris will initially be on Adam Peaty, who goes for his third 100m breaststroke gold over the first weekend, don’t be surprised if talk quickly turns to Richards. The 21-year-old already has an Olympic gold as part of GB’s 4x200m freestyle relay team in Tokyo. And, having since claimed two golds and a bronze at the 2023 world championships, Richards has now set his sights on winning five medals in Paris – more than any Brit in history. Could he do it? SI

Noah Lyles (US)

27 | Athletics | Men’s 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay

From strutting the runway at Paris fashion week to squabbling with NBA players on social media, the wildly charismatic 27-year-old sprinter and the closest thing to Usain Bolt’s successor is on an evangelical crusade to bring track and field back into a cultural mainstream that hasn’t leaned forward to pay attention since the Jamaican superstar retired in 2016. That goal has no doubt been aided by a Netflix docuseries from the makers of Drive to Survive profiling his journey that premiered this month. Having reimagined his goals after a bronze in the 200m in Tokyo, Lyles swept the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay at last year’s world championship and could become the star of the Olympics by pulling off the same treble at the Stade de France. He could even add a fourth medal in the 4x400m, putting him in the company of Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens. BAG

Rebeca Andrade (Br)

25 | Artistic gymnastics | All-around, uneven bars, beam, floor

Andrade’s profile has only grown since winning all-around silver in Tokyo to become the first female Brazilian gymnast in Olympic history to reach the podium, then following it up with gold in the individual vault. At last year’s world championships in Antwerp, the longtime crowd favourite from São Paulo denied Simone Biles a 22nd world title by pipping the American superstar in the vault competition after she over-rotated her signature Yurchenko double pike and fell backwards on the mat. While Biles is heavily favoured to regain the all-around title she relinquished in Tokyo, Andrade will be in hot pursuit throughout the week. BAG

Arisa Trew (Aus)

14 | Skateboard | Women’s Park

In July last year, the Australian skater landed the first 720 in a women’s competition at the Tony Hawk Vert Alert event – fittingly, the same move first landed by Hawk in 1985. In May, she went 180 degrees further, landing a 900 in training as she prepares for Paris. Hawk, again, wasn’t far away, posting her trick on Instagram, and saying: “Glass ceilings are so 2023.” The 14-year-old Australian performed the feat on a high-walled “vert” ramp, but this discipline won’t feature in the Olympics. Instead, Trew has qualified in the park event for Paris, which takes place in a modified bowl. JS

Léon Marchand (Fr)

22 | Swimming | 200m fly, 200m breaststroke, 200m IM, 400m IM

The weight of home nation pressure can work both ways for whoever wears the tag of “Face of the Games”. Jessica Ennis-Hill flourished at London 2012, while Naomi Osaka left without a medal at Tokyo 2020. For Paris 2024, all French eyes are on swimmer Marchand. Guided by Michael Phelps’s old coach Bob Bowman, Marchand claimed triple gold at last year’s world championships and he could go one better in Paris if he targets four individual events. He broke Phelps’s last-standing world record, in the 400m individual medley, last year and has been tipped to follow the American to greatness. France expects. BB

Chloé Dygert (US)

27 | Cycling | Individual track pursuit, individual road time trial

Dygert’s career nearly ended at the bottom of an Italian ravine after a horror crash that required three surgeries in 2022. And that was before a bout with the Epstein-Barr virus, which left her battling extreme fatigue. But the 27-year-old from Indiana has since laid her claim as the most talented American rider of her generation by reclaiming her world titles in individual pursuit on the track and individual time trial on the road at last year’s worlds in Glasgow. Now she hopes to repeat the double in Paris, splitting her time between the road and the velodrome. BAG

Delicious Orie (GB)

27 | Boxing | Men’s +92kg

Over the past two decades GB Boxing has been a medal machine. But while the sense is that the team isn’t as strong for Paris, at least on the men’s side, the exception is Orie. The 27-year-old super-heavyweight, who was born in Moscow to a Russian mother and a Nigerian father before moving to the UK at seven, has already been touted as the next Anthony Joshua. Having started boxing late at 18 – like Joshua – he won Commonwealth Games title in 2022 and intends to win gold before turning professional. He’s a smart lad too, having earned a degree in economics and management. SI

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (US)

24 | Athletics | Women’s 400m hurdles, 4x400m relay

One of the most dominant and enigmatic track stars in the world, McLaughlin-Levrone first broke the 400m hurdles world record at the 2021 US Olympic trials, shattered it at the Tokyo Games and has lowered it three more times since, including at the US Olympic trials . The 24-year-old from New Jersey has consistently teased the world with her broader potential; she’s raced in five different disciplines in five events this year, the 100m and 400m hurdles, the 200m and 400m flat and the 4x100 relay, posting world-class times across the board. But McLaughlin-Levrone confirmed before US trials she was narrowing her focus to her defence of 400m hurdles gold, the event she calls her “first love”. Victories there and in the 4x400m relay would give her four Olympic golds before her 25th birthday, perhaps clearing the way for greater goals at LA 2028. BAG

Min Woo Lee (Aus)

25 | Golf | Men’s golf

Australian golf’s poster boy Cameron Smith took his mullet to LIV in 2022 after winning the Open, triggering his slide down the world golf rankings due to the continuing schism in the sport. That opened the door to Paris for Lee, the 25-year-old who shifted from the European Tour to the PGA Tour last year, and is now into the world top 40. His video game-inspired mantra on his viral social media is “let him cook”, and he has been known to wear chef hats on the course. His sister, Minjee Lee, will also represent Australia in golf in Paris. JS

Jess Fox (Aus)

30 | Canoe slalom | Women’s C1, K1

The 30-year-old will compete in her fourth Olympics in France, the country of her birth. The paddler has won four Olympic medals, including gold in the women’s C1 canoe slalom in Tokyo. The performance catapulted her into the upper echelons of Australian sport, and with her French background she has become the face of her country’s team in Paris. Fox’s family is paddling royalty. Her gold medal run in Tokyo was broadcast with commentary from her father, Richard, a former UK Olympian and multi-world champion. Her mother, Myriam, won bronze for France in 1996, and her sister Noemie has also earned a place on the Australian team for Paris. JS

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix (GB)

19 | Diving | Women’s 10m platform, women’s 10m synchro

The hugely talented diver was one of the crossover stars of the 2022 Commonwealth Games – thanks to her two gold medals and being the daughter of TV personality Fred Sirieix, best known as the maître d’ on Channel 4’s First Dates. Incredibly it came after Spendolini-Sirieix considered walking away from the sport earlier in 2022 after she developed mental struggles which left her “terrified”. Expect the 19-year-old to make even bigger waves in Paris, having won three medals at the world championships this year – including gold in the team event with her partner Lois Toulson. SI

Kaylia Nemour (Alg)

17 | Artistic gymnastics | All around, uneven bars, beam, floor

Last year, Nemour became the first African gymnast ever to win a world hampionships medal when she claimed silver for Algeria in the uneven bars. This summer she could make history again by repeating the feat at the Olympics. Yet that barely scratches the surface of her story. Born and raised in France, she only switched allegiance in 2023 after an unsavoury standoff with the French Gymnastics Federation. Historic relations between the countries have been complicated and Nemour could now triumph for Algeria on French soil. She already has a move named after her and stands a good chance of at least one gold. BB

Emma Finucane (GB)

21 | Cycling | Women’s sprint, team sprint

Finucane has dreamed of going to the Olympics since she was nine after watching London 2012 on holiday in France with her family and seeing “Team GB literally win everything”. The 21-year-old has not only got her wish, but goes into Paris as one of British Cycling’s best shots of gold. It comes after Finucane’s stellar 2023, where she won her first world title in the women’s sprint, and also took silver in the women’s team event. Don’t be surprised if comparisons with Victoria Pendleton – one of the stars of London 12 years ago – only grow stronger. SI

Sunny Choi (US)

35 | Breaking | Women’s

The introduction of breakdancing to the Olympic programme has not been without scepticism. Critics have called it a “mockery” and a desperate stab by the IOC to attract younger audiences. None of that matters to Choi, the 35-year-old B-girl who left behind a corporate job with Estée Lauder and will lead a robust US contingent when the sport makes its debut at the historic Place de la Concorde. “Breaking doesn’t need the Olympics. It’s a nice thing for us because, again, we have more exposure, opportunity, corporate sponsorships. Stuff like that that we haven’t had before,” Choi said. “However, breaking will continue no matter what. Without the Olympics. With the Olympics.” BAG

Alex Yee (GB)

26 | Triathlon | Men’s triathlon, mixed relay

Yee is already a genuine star, having won gold and silver medals in the team and individual team events at Tokyo, and arrives in Paris as a favourite for double gold. He is famed for his running ability – as a youngster he was good enough to compete in the 2018 European Athletics Championships – but his improved swimming and biking was seen when he easily won the Olympic test event last year. “I definitely feel much more of a mature and complete athlete than I did in 2021,” he says. “I will throw the kitchen sink at it.” SI

Torrie Lewis (Aus)

19 | Athletics | 200m, 4x100m relay

Australia’s fastest woman broke a 10-year-old national record in the 100m this year, and followed that up in April by beating her international rivals over 200m, including Sha’Carri Richardson, in the season-opening Diamond League meet in China. Lewis was born in Nottingham, and moved to Australia at the age of six. Despite her proficiency over both 100 and 200 metres, she will focus on the longer distance in Paris, but will also need to juggle a role in the relay. Australia has qualified men’s and women’s 100m relay teams for the first time since Sydney 2000. JS

Kate Douglass (US)

22 | Swimming | Women’s 100m free, 200m breaststroke, 200m IM

Since winning bronze in the 200m individual medley on her Olympic debut three years ago, Douglass has blossomed into one of the world’s most versatile swimmers and could be the breakout American star at the pool. She led all Americans with six medals at last year’s worlds, before adding five more in Doha this year. Often overlooked on a team stacked with household names like Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel, the 22-year-old from outside Manhattan will be among the favourites in the 200m breaststroke, 100m free and a blockbuster showdown with Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, Canada’s Summer McIntosh and US teammate Alex Walsh in the 200m individual medley. BAG

Cameron McEvoy (Aus)

30 | Swimming | Men’s 50m freestyle

Despite Australia’s pedigree in the pool, no man from the country has won a medal in swimming’s great splash and dash: the 50m. McEvoy is hoping to change that, after winning the world championships last year and missing out by just a 100th of a second in this year’s meet in February. The 30-year-old, entering his fourth Olympics as the oldest member of the Australian team, has taken an unusual route. He took a break from the sport after Tokyo, and has returned with a revolutionary program, cutting his training load from 30km a week to just 3km, and focusing on 100% efforts. JS