The Paris Olympics are set to deliver sporting excellence in abundance; blink and you’ll miss something extraordinary on the biggest stage in sport.
As records fall and the pages of the sports history books are frantically rewritten over the course of two action-packed weeks, the individuals who will rise to seize the spotlight, forging memories for generations, will do so primarily by tying their sporting prowess to a human story. That’s why there is such feverish anticipation for Simone Biles and his Olympic return.
Widely recognized as the greatest gymnast of all time, having racked up 37 Olympic and world championship medals, Biles is ready to dominate again.
But that trip to Paris, which included a 732-day break, has made the 27-year-old an inspiration beyond the arena.
The intrigue surrounding Biles’ return to Bercy Arena on Sunday for team qualifying has much to do with the ghosts of Tokyo. She succumbed to “twisties,” the condition that leaves gymnasts suffering from mental block and a dangerous loss of spatial awareness during performance.
“A big disaster,” as Biles recently described it, happened three years ago as the American could no longer contain her trauma. Biles had emerged as a leader in the years leading up to it, forcing USA Gymnastics to change in 2018 after she spoke out as a survivor of sexual abuse by former U.S. team doctor Larry Nassar. Her voice led to the closure of Karolyi Ranch, the training facility where many gymnasts were abused, while Mary Bono later resigned as president of USA Gymnastics.
Diagnosed with depression and anxiety, Biles has become more approachable and says “nothing can break her” ahead of the Paris Games.
After ending her hiatus last June, Biles has had a smooth transition. She landed a double Yurchenko pike at the world championships last year, an impressive move that no other woman had ever attempted in competition. Her dominance was further underscored in the all-around event at the U.S. Olympic qualifiers, outscoring her opponents by an astonishing 5.5 points. Biles is poised to win a second Olympic all-around title and become the first gymnast to win the event multiple times at non-consecutive Games. It will be a compelling contest, but Biles versus herself will be one of the defining images of Paris 2024.
The diversity of the Games will allow other stars to compete for the title of the fortnight. France is indeed hoping to see one of its own emerge, and there is no shortage of options. The first to set off is Antoine Dupont In rugby sevens, he will have the opportunity to set the tone for Saturday’s men’s final. Ahead of the opening ceremony, which will take place across the Seine, Dupont has already dazzled Les Bleus with a ruthless try against Uruguay. Other formidable challenges await them, including defending champions Fiji, but a nation so often captivated by rugby could see Dupont leave an indelible mark on the Games.
Leon Marchandhe too brings an electric atmosphere to the eclectic mix of venues in the capital, including La Défense Arena. Already a five-time world champion, “the new monster” is following in the giant footsteps of Michael Phelps, whose former coach guides the Arizona State University student. Marchand even dethroned Phelps’ 15-year-old 400m individual medley world record last year, and will be aiming to win four individual gold medals. The 22-year-old’s ultimate goal, however, is an unprecedented double in the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke, a daring feat given that the events are taking place on the same day.
Teddy Riner is another hugely popular French star who is generating huge expectations. The 2.03m judoka, nicknamed “Teddy Bear”, went undefeated for nearly a decade before his surprise semi-final defeat at the Tokyo Games three years ago. He has complained of being “robbed” by the judges and is desperate to redeem himself in Paris by winning gold.
France also has big ambitions in basketball and is placing its hopes in Victor Wembanyamafacing a behemoth in the American team, led by the legendary Lebron James“The Alien”, aged just 20 and measuring 2.23 metres, could become a real superstar if he can guide the hosts past the big favourites.
In the pool, all eyes will be on the women’s 400m freestyle final when two giants of the sport – the great American Katie Ledecky and the reigning Olympic champion, the Australian Ariane Titmus – face to face, with a third contender in the mix in the form of the prodigiously talented 17-year-old Summer McIntosh From Canada.
There will be tennis nostalgia in Paris – as there should be, in the home of one of the sport’s four Grand Slam tournaments – with Andy Murray ending his career alongside Dan Evanswhile the Spanish pair Rafael Nadal And Carlos Alcaraz offer a captivating doubles prospect. But the latter’s dominant victory over Novak Djokovic At Wimbledon earlier this month, the pressure is mounting on the 37-year-old to add the only major prize missing from a glittering career in what will likely be his last chance.
Athletics will still produce fireworks given its place in the second week of the calendar, for the last time before an intriguing switch to Los Angeles 2028. Potential world records may remain in the minds, although Usain Bolt can probably rest for now.
Kishane Thompson is the new star of Jamaican men’s sprinting, even if he is not yet Bolt. He will face Noah Lyles who is looking to achieve a famous double in the men’s 100m and 200m, while the eccentric Sha’Carri Richardsonabsent from Tokyo due to a positive doping test for cannabis, seems ready to achieve her redemption in the women’s 100m. Shellfish–Ann Fraser–Prycecompeting in her fifth and final Olympic Games, alongside her Jamaican teammate Shericka Jacksongives rise to an exciting women’s 100m final, even if Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 10.49 remains elusive.
The field events also bring their share of stars. Watch out for the Indian javelin champion Neeraj Choprawho has nine million followers on Instagram, and a battle with Pakistan Arshad Nadeemwhile Sweden Armand “Mondo” Duplantis resumes his fascinating attack in the pole vault, attempting to break the world record for the ninth time.
But if sporting greatness depends on a dance partner, look no further than the men’s 1,500m and the simmering rivalry between the Norwegians Jakob Ingebrigtsen And Josh Kerrwho beat the Olympic champion at last year’s world championships. But if too much focus is placed on the other, an outsider could win, such is the strategic nature of the event and the increased quality in recent years. Paris is ready to deliver a festival of sport.