Here is a look at international stars to watch at Paris 2024.
SIMONE BILES
After announcing herself to the world at Rio 2016 and shocking the world by stepping down from events in Tokyo 2020, it’s all about proving a point for Simone Biles at Paris 2024.
Biles was an athlete on top of the world as a 19-year-old in Rio. Four gold medals in one Olympic Games was always going to grab everyone’s attention, especially in a sport as graceful and impressive as gymnastics.
From that pedestal, her withdrawal from certain days in Tokyo got such intense spotlight from the media and plenty of public reaction that lacked compassion for her mental health issues or for her physical battles resulting from “twisties”.
A part of her Tokyo story that didn’t get the focus it deserved was the medal she did win. After feeling like she had recovered enough to compete in the balance beam and with a clearly safe, less risky routine, she still pulled off a podium finish with a bronze performance. An incredible testament to her talent.
Everything suggests that her competitive drive is sky high when it comes to her own performances as well as the team for Paris. Whatever her results are, the story her career provides will keep captivating us.
ARMAND DUPLANTIS
An athlete on top of the world and at the height of his game. It’s a height of 6.24m to be precise in a pole vault world record that Armand Duplantis has broken no less than eight times.
No current athlete can claim to be as dominant in their discipline as the Swede. His father created a pole vault setup in their garden when his son was three years old, creating a familiarity and obsession you don’t find in others.
His main motivation doesn’t seem to be winning. He’s been winning non-stop for four years. He seems more motivated by raising his own standards than getting ahead of the competition. If he does that, the reality is the winning will take care of itself.
SHERICKA JACKSON
While Jamaica has a proud and well-known history of naturally producing plenty of sprinters, the journey of Shericka Jackson towards the sprinting disciplines has been less natural than others.
Originally a specialist in the 400m, she eventually found herself specialising in the 100m and 200m with great success. She’s the fifth fastest women to run the 100m of all time and the second fastest in the 200m.
Jackson attributes her aggressive nature to an unsettled childhood that involved a lot of moving. That aggression has certainly served her well on the track.
Her compatriot and two-time double Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah won’t be competing in Paris due to injury. Could the stage be set for Jackson to emulate a heroine?
ANTOINE DUPONT
Anyone who’s watched Antoine Dupont can tell that rugby comes naturally to him. From his endless range of passing to his array of pinpoint kicking from scrumhalf, his influence in a game of rugby union is clear in a position where one touches the ball the most.
His temporary switch to sevens in pursuit of home Olympic glory has been seamless and his influence on the French team has been immense. He was named international rookie of the season as he led France to their first ever major sevens trophy.
Dupont’s original plan was to taste double success at home in the form of the Rugby World Cup as well as gold in the Olympic rugby sevens. After agonisingly missing out on the former, the determination will be unparalleled to achieve the latter.
KATIE LEDECKY
In terms of the range of swimming accomplishments one can achieve, there simply isn’t a more impressive career than that of Katie Ledecky.
Her Olympic history is the stuff of dreams. It started with an astounding gold medal win as a 15-year-old at London 2012.
In case anyone though that might have been a once-off, she then added four more freestyle gold medals at Rio 2016. With two more added in Tokyo 2020, that takes her total up to seven over four different distances.
It’s the addition of the 1 500m freestyle to her repertoire that has proved the most challenging, but it has still brought success. She has decided to drop her focus from the 200m to not stretch herself too thin.
Ledecky’s constant evolution in her technique has come about through a passionate training and a personal fascination on self-improvement. At the age of 27, the stage is set for potentially her most impressive Summer Games of all in Paris.