The Paris 2024 Olympics promises to be a landmark event, blending one of the world’s most iconic cities with the inspiring spirit of the Games. As the first Summer Olympics hosted by Paris since 1924, the 2024 Games is set to captivate audiences worldwide with a mix of traditional and newly introduced events, along with a new generation of athletes poised to make their mark. This year’s Games marks the third time that Paris has hosted the Olympics, with an approximate of 10,500 athletes from 184 countries travelling to compete. An electrifying watch is promised and as the excitement for the Games builds, it is essential to navigate the key moments: here’s a look at the key events and rising stars to watch.
Athletics has always been the centrepiece of the Olympic Games, and Paris 2024 will be no exception. The men’s 100m, with the winner often called the “fastest man in the world”, will draw significant attention with Noah Lyles (USA), Kishane Thompson (Jamaica), Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Italy) as the main names to watch. Although Thompson has never competed in an Olympic Games or World Championships, the 23-year-old has not lost a 100m race this year and at the Jamaican Championships in June 2024 Thompson ran a personal best of 9.77, 0.06 ahead of Lyles the current World Champion. This makes for an intense rivalry and an exciting watch, scheduled to take place on August 3rd (preliminaries) and August 4th (Final).
Likewise, the women’s 100m predictions bet on a close race with Sha’Carri Richardson ranked number one in the world with a personal best of 10.65. Despite facing several challenges in her career, such as being suspended from the Tokyo Olympics, Richardson won the US Olympic Trials in a time of 10.71, solidifying her status as the one to beat in Paris. Sherika Jackson, however, is close behind as the Diamond League Champion in 2023. Likewise, we must not forget Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who arguably is the most successful Olympic athlete over this distance with 4 medals to her name. Although in Paris she is 37 years-old, she has reaffirmed herself as a medal contender in her fifth and final Olympics. The Preliminary Round will take place on August 2nd, and the Final on August 3rd. Both the men’s and women’s 100m are expected to be exhilarating races with the best athletes in the world fighting it out for the esteemed podium positions on the world stage!
Swimming has also created a major sensation for the Paris 2024 Games and will be held at the state-of-the-art aquatic centre in Saint-Denis. All eyes will be on the men’s 200m freestyle and the women’s 100m butterfly. Both races will feature intense competition from seasoned champions and new talent alike. The ones to watch in the men’s 200m freestyle include David Popovici (Romania), Lukas Martens (Germany), and Duncan Scott (GB). With Popovici competing this could be a historic moment for Romania in the pool as the 19-year-old stands solid odds to win gold as he is just one of three swimmers ever to have a personal best in the 200m under 1.43.00 and the first to break this barrier since the ban on full-body polyurethane suits. Close behind is Germany’s Lukas Martens and Great Britain’s Matthew Richards who won the world title in this event last year at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka.
The women’s 100m butterfly also promises to be a thrilling event! Gretchen Walsh (USA) qualified for the Games by beating her previous American record, and defeating fellow American Torri Huske who was the 2022 world champion in this event. However, both Americans face intense competition from Zhang Yufei of China who is the 2023 world champion. Emma McKeon remains a wildcard in this event, with all swimmers competing for the podium. Tune in on July 28th to watch!
In the Gymnastics world Simone Biles remains a perennial favourite as one of the most decorated and celebrated gymnasts in history. Her performance in these Games has created both excitement and anticipation for Paris. After her mental health took a toll from the intense pressure of the media and her exhausting appearance on the world stage in Tokyo 2020, Biles is expected to enter Paris 2024 with a balance on both aspects of her health. Historically, Biles has dominated the All-Around competition due to her versatile excellence on all apparatus and is favourite for gold after returning from her two-year break and winning the All-Around at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp. However, if Biles is to take gold she will have to beat Suni Lee of the USA who won the All-Around in Tokyo 2023 and Rebeca Andrade of Brazil who is extremely strong in all four events. One element of the All-Around is the women’s floor and this is the final event for the women, consisting of powerful tumbling and beautiful lines. Biles once more is the favourite in this event as the six-time World floor Champion. Andrade again follows closely behind and presents a strong challenge for the podium as well as a significant opportunity for Brazil. She became the first female artistic gymnast representing Brazil to finish on the podium at the Olympic Games as she claimed the silver in the individuals All-Around Games in Tokyo 2020.
Meanwhile, the men’s vault will probably be the most competitive men’s gymnastics event in Paris with Jake Jarmen of Great Britain competing as the reigning European and World Champion. But the sheer consistency of Armenia’s Artur Davtyan provides serious competition as one of only four gymnasts to have competed in the last three Olympic Games, and with a steady improvement from 11th place in vault in 2016 to 3rd place in 2020 in Paris anything could happen. Ignor Radivilov also qualifies as second on this list and is going for the podium as well. The avid competition in this event should make for a gripping watch between July 27th and August 4th.
Touted as the next big thing in tennis, Carlos Alcaraz has been making waves on the ATP Tour with his powerful game and big wins at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year. His performance in Paris is expected to be thrilling as the hostilities of the clay courts of Roland Garros provide special advantages to the experienced. Novak Djokovic, however, remains the world number one and a three-time winner on the Paris courts, although he has never won gold at the Olympic Games. Another favourite of these Games is the Italian Jannik Sinner who has had a formidable start to 2024 having already won the Australian Open. Predicting how Paris will go for these athletes remains extremely difficult, however Alcaraz has a good chance for gold as he is a player who excels on clay and has beaten his main rivals recently. Additionally, the layout of matches in Paris being best of 3 sets lends itself to Alcaraz when competing against Djokovic. The tennis starts on July 27th and is scheduled to end on August 4th so tune in for an exhilarating watch!
The Paris 2024 Olympics are set to be an extraordinary blend of historic charm with modern athleticism. This edition of the Games promises unforgettable moments and new legends in the making. As athletes from around the world converge in the ‘City of Light’, the spirit of competition and unity will once again inspire and enthral audiences worldwide.