An action-packed summer of sport is set to continue with the Olympics kicking off on Friday.
The world’s top athletes from across the world of sport will descend on Paris with the presitigious honour of winning a medal for their country at stake.
And with over 40 different sports in this year’s Games, supporters will not be short of something to tune into over the next month.
We have picked out the events every Team USA fan should be keeping an eye on at Paris 2024.
Basketball
Basketball has long been a staple of American sports culture, and the Olympics provide a stage for the US to showcase its prowess on the world stage.
As usual, the USA’s men’s team is packed full of legendary stars and upcoming talents. Two-time gold-medallist Lebron James, appearing at his first Games since guiding the USA to glory at London 2012, will feature alongside Olmypic debutant Steph Curry and three-time gold medallist Kevin Durant.
Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum is also a member of the squad fresh off winning the NBA with Boston Celtics.
While USA are unsurprisingly the favourites, there are plenty of stars to eatch out for elsewhere, not least 20-year-old France talent Victor Wembanyama, who won Rookie of the Year in the NBA last year.
Team USA are the team to beat in the women’s category too, with Breanna Griner, A’Ja Wilson, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi all arriving with an abundance of gold medals between them.
Just a kid from Akron leading his country at the Olympic Opening Ceremony.
🇺🇸 @KingJames x #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/bcvcVj6o9U
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 22, 2024
Artistic gymnastics
USA also have Olympic royalty leading the charge in the Gymnastics as Simone Biles looks to add to her bursting collection of medals.
The 27-year-old’s has redefined gymnastics since her emergence at Rio 2016, winning four golds in Brazil and seven overall before withdrawing from the women’s team final at the Tokyo 2020 Games, held in 2021, due to mental health issues.
After returning in 2023, Biles said: “I think it’s kind of obvious [why I’m continuing in the sport]. I mean, you saw what happened, pulling out of five finals whenever I know what I’m capable of and knowing what I can do.
“It was like a mental injury, you know, so something like that I knew I could – with the proper work and the proper help – I knew I could come back and hopefully have a shot.”
It is not only Biles looking to make a winning return for USA, with reigning Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee, Olympic floor exercise gold medalist Jade Carey and Olympic team silver medalist Jordan Chiles hoping to play a part in winning team gold after silver in Tokyo.
Swimming
Swimming is another Olympic event with US sucess stories throughout its history, with the likes of Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky icons in the men’s and women’s categories.
Ledecky will be hoping to add to her seven gold medals, same the figure Caeleb Dressel has including five in Japan three years ago.
Dressel will compete individually in the 50m free and 100 fly while Ledecky has a spot in 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m free.
Elsewhere in the men’s, rejuvenated Brit Adam Peaty is going for a record third consecutive 100m breast stroke title, while home star Leon Merchand will be hoping to make himself a national treasure.
The 22-year-old Frenchman won the 200m butterfly, 200m medley, and 400m medley world titles in 2023, and is even a world record holder in the 400m medley.
Just a few more weeks 💪🏼🇺🇸🇫🇷🏊🏻♀️ pic.twitter.com/zPFEYN7HUl
— Katie Ledecky (@katieledecky) July 9, 2024
Track and field
Whether USA can finish top of the medal table once again at the 2024 Games could depend heavily on their performance in the track and field events.
Sha’Carri Richardson and 100m world champion finally makes her Olympic debut after being controversially banned from the 2020 Games after testing positive for cannabis.
Sprinter Moagh Lyles and 400m hurdles world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone are also strong cotenders for success at the Stade de France.
Best of the rest
World No1 Scottie Sheffler will be looking to add an Olympic gold in the golf to his six triumphs this year, including the Masters, with Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda defending their Olympic titles. Surfer Carissa Moore is also hunting another gold after success at Tokyo.
Breakdancing, or breaking, will feature as an Olympic sport for the first time ever and US star Victor Montalvo – aka B-Boy – Victor starts as the men’s favourite over Canada’s Phil Wizard.
The USA women’s football team, now managed by former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes, are chasing their first Olympic gold since 2012, while Coco Gauff is a contender in the tennis at Roland Garros.
