Backdrop, debuts, comebacks and legacies make Paris Olympics essential viewing

July 23 (UPI) -- More than 10,000 of the Earth's best athletes are in Paris, ready to compete under the shadow of the iconic Eiffel Tower . Paris 2024 competitions will start Wednesday, though the opening ceremonies are Friday.

Simone Biles ' gymnastics comeback, Noah Lyles' attempt to run to 100- and 200-meter track golds and Katie Ledecky's quest to making swimming history will be among the top storylines for Team USA fans.

"The only thing I have to prove is to myself, that I can go out there and do it again," Biles recently told NBC. "I think we're going to get the job done. I feel really confident."

Olympic competition Wednesday will be just men's soccer and rugby matches. Handball, archery and morem soccer and rugby competitions will be Thursday. The opening ceremony is planned for 7:30 p.m. local time Friday on the Seine River. Coverage will air at noon EDT on NBC.

More than 1.5 billion people are expected to tune in, according to the network. About 600,000 are expected to attend the festivities Friday in Paris.

NBC will provide more than 5,000 hours of live Olympic coverage, including all 329 medal events. Fans can stay tuned on NBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, CNBC and E!. Spanish coverage will air on Telemundo and Universo.

Olympic events will stream on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, the NBC Olympics app, Peacock app and NBC app.

A broadcast schedule is available here .

More than 200 nations will participate in the 2024 Summer Games. If history serves as an indicator, they will be vying for second place in the medal count, chasing American Olympic dominance. The elite athletes will compete in 32 sports over nearly three weeks at 35 venues.

Team USA dwarfs the rest of the world in combined medal count. The Americans shine brightest in the Summer Games, but trail Norway in Winter Games medals.

Most of those American medals come from athletics, which includes track and field events, running and race walking. Team USA's dominance in swimming and gymnastics also fueled its medal count.

Some of the most decorated American athletes in history will return in Paris, attempting to add to their already lofty legacies.

Ledecky, who has won seven gold and three silver medals, could tie or surpass the record for the most Olympic gold medals won by a female athlete. She needs two more to tie the record total (9) that gymnast Larisa Latynina won for the Soviet Union.

Ledecky, 27, also could become the most-decorated female swimmer in history if she reaches the podium a few more times. With two more medals, she would tie the dozen won by current record holders Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin . Ledecky won two medals -- both silver -- at Tokyo 2020.

"I know someone is going to come along and break my records someday," Ledecky told NBC. "My goal is just to continue to try to raise the bar and be as consistent as I can be each year I'm competing."

Caeleb Dressel, who won five gold medals in Tokyo, should be the top U.S. men's swimmer to watch.

Biles is another name that will be at the top of many watchlists.

The 27-year-old, who withdrew from events in Tokyo for mental health reasons and didn't expect to compete in Paris, roared through preparations and appears primed to dominate the women's gymnastics competition. The most-decorated female or male gymnast in history will be looking to add to her record total.

Suni Lee and Fred Richards are among the other U.S. gymnasts to track in Paris.

Lyles, 27, earned his first Olympic medal with a third-place finish in the 200-meter event in Tokyo. The American record-holder in the 200 faces a tough task in beating out a speedy field in that event, in addition to the 100, including favorite Kishane Thompson of Jamaica.

Sha'Carri Richardson, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and 16-year-old Quincy Wilson will be among the other track athletes to watch in Paris.

LeBron James , who will serve as a Team USA flag bearer at the opening ceremony, and the Team USA men's and women's basketball teams also should provide must-see performances.

The U.S. men's team, which features Anthony Edwards , Stephen Curry and other stars, will start their quest for gold Sunday. WNBA star A'ja Wilson and the U.S. women, who also are gold-medal favorites, will debut July 29.

The U.S. men's and women's soccer teams will start play Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. American golfers Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda will look to defend their gold medals at Paris 2024.

Dancers also will compete in breaking for the first time at the Olympics. Sunny Choi and Victor Montalvo will be among the top American breakers to watch in the competition, which awards points for originality.

Skateboarding and sport climbing events also should draw eyes for those looking for a unique Olympic experience.

For the best venue backdrops, fans may want to watch surfing, the marathon swimming, cycling, the triathlon and beach volleyball. The latter competition will be held at Eiffel Tower Stadium, a sand-floored court constructed just outside the landmark, with breathtaking views.

Surfers will attempt to tame the brilliant blue waves of Tahiti. Marathon swimming, cycling and triathlon competitors will compete throughout Paris, with views of historic landmarks and unique natural landscapes.

The Olympic tennis tournament will feature a major aesthetic difference for tennis fans when compared to previous years.

Coco Gauff and Tommy Paul will be among the Americans aiming for the podium. They will do so on the clay courts of Roland Garros , the annual site of the French Open, instead of on grass or a hard-court surface.

In the two men's soccer matches Wednesday, Argentina will face Morocco in Group B. Tokyo 2020 runner-up Spain will face Uzbekistan in Group C. Reigning champion Brazil failed to qualify for the 2024 Summer Games.

The Argentina-Morocco match will air on USA Network and Telemundo. The Spain-Uzbekistan meeting will air on Universo and digital platforms.