Teen prodigies, an alien and some GOATs: 10 athletes who’ll blow your mind in Paris

More than 10,500 athletes from 200 countries will descend on Paris for the Olympic Games across the next two weeks.

But with 329 events across 35 venues (not to mention the time difference), it’s difficult to keep track of every athlete and every medal.

To make things a little easier, here are 10 athletes we think you should keep an eye out for in Paris and why.

1. Victor Wembanyama (basketball)

Fresh from taking the NBA by storm and being crowned rookie of the year in his debut season with the San Antonio Spurs, this once-in-a-millennium physical specimen known mononymously as “Wemby” will be one of the faces of these Olympic Games.

He is one of France’s most recognisable athletes; being recognisable comes with the territory when you’re 7′4″ (2.24 m) tall, have an 8′ (2.4 m) wingspan, and appear to be of an entirely different species. He is also the reason why the host nation has such high hopes of winning basketball gold.

Three years ago in Tokyo, Les Bleus delivered Team USA their first Olympic defeat in 17 years, only to fall five points short in the gold medal match. This time, as the Americans bid for a fourth straight crown, they’ll have to get past Wemby, widely regarded as basketball’s biggest talent since LeBron James.

Events: Men’s basketball - France play their first match at 1.15am (all times AEST) on Sunday.

2. Summer McIntosh (swimming)

Summer McIntosh is the teenage sensation who could topple Ariarne Titmus at the Olympics. The 17-year-old from Toronto is one of the most exciting prospects in world swimming, and broke Titmus’ 400m freestyle world record in March last year.

Titmus has since reclaimed that record, but McIntosh is a threat nonetheless. She competed at her first Olympics in Tokyo at 14 years old – the youngest Canadian athlete in 45 years – and will compete in four individual events in Paris after deciding to drop the 200m freestyle from her schedule to give herself an extra day off.

Events: 400m freestyle, 400m individual medley, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley. The first swimming heats get under way at 7pm Saturday.

3. Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz (tennis)

Two of the best tennis players in the world – Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal – are teaming up to play doubles for the Olympics.

Arguably the two best male players on clay, and with 26 grand slam titles between them (plus two Olympic golds already for Nadal), they’ll be a force in the doubles and the singles draw.

Nadal, who decided to skip Wimbledon and play exclusively on clay leading up to the Olympics, was runner-up at an ATP 250 event in Sweden last weekend, and these are almost certainly his final Games.

He teams up with the Spanish young pup, Alcaraz, who most recently won back-to-back grand slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon. He’s kind of a big deal. He’s also the favourite to win gold in the men’s singles, while reigning Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic are also tipped to be on the podium.

Events: Men’s doubles, men’s singles – men’s competition starts at 8pm on Saturday.

4. Aitana Bonmati (football)

Twelve months ago, she was at the heart of Spain’s charge to victory at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. A couple of months later she won the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s The Best award, and this year she was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, the first footballer to claim that honour.

Oh, yeah – in 2023-24, she also won the continental quadruple with Barcelona, capped off with her (and their) third UEFA Champions League title in four seasons.

This is her first Olympics; Spain’s women have never qualified before, and you’d be mad to bet against them adding a gold medal to their increasingly long honours list in the international game, next to their fresh success in the men’s Euros. Bonmati is their best player and creative heartbeat, and was once described by Pep Guardiola as the female reincarnation of Andres Iniesta.

Any chance you get to watch her, you must take.

Events: Women’s football – Spain play their next match against Nigeria at 3am on Monday.

5. Armand Duplantis (athletics)

At 24, there’s not much Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis hasn’t achieved in his career.

Olympic gold? Tick, he did that at Tokyo in 2020. World championship gold? He’s done that too, in 2022 and 2023. World record? You bet – he’s the current record holder for the men’s pole vault with a jump of 6.24 metres, which he landed in China this year.

Sure, pole vault isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s something strangely captivating about watching someone launch themselves into the air using a stick and their own strength.

We’ll also have an Aussie in the mix for a medal – Kurtis Marschall – who won Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham two years ago.

Events: Men’s pole vault - qualification is at 6.10pm AEST on August 3.

6. Simone Biles (gymnastics)

Simone Biles ... need we say any more?

She’s the most decorated gymnast of all time, she’s a freak athlete, and she’s already a seven-time Olympic medallist.

But this year really will be something special. At 27, she’s already a bit older than your typical gymnast, which means this really could be her last Olympic Games. Not only does she head to Paris as the undisputed GOAT, she also returns to rewrite her Olympic story after pulling out of most of her events in Tokyo.

Biles withdrew from the competition in Tokyo after experiencing the “twisties” – a sensation where gymnasts get lost in the air. It’s super unsettling, and Biles stepped away from the sport for two years afterwards. The fact that she’s back, after sweeping gold in every event at the US championships, proves what a fierce competitor she is.

Events: Women’s artistic gymnastics – the first of the women’s qualification is at 5.30pm Sunday.

7. Ma Long (table tennis)

It’s time to get weirdly into table tennis again. This guy is the GOAT you’re looking for: they call him “The Dragon” (or “The Dictator”, such is his domineering style of play).

He is a 14-time world champion, the holder of the record for longest time spent as world No.1, and also a five-time Olympic champion, having won gold medals in the men’s singles in Rio and Tokyo – although he won’t be able to defend them in Paris. Because he is only ranked third in the world, he did not make China’s singles roster.

There is speculation this could be Ma’s last hurrah at Olympic level. It’s unlikely anyone will ever eclipse the magnitude of his achievements.

Events: Men’s team – preliminary rounds begin at 6pm on August 5.

8. Sha’Carri Richardson (athletics)

The first time you heard of Sha’Carri Richardson was probably when she was ruled ineligible to compete at the Tokyo Olympics because of a positive cannabis test at the US trials. She had just run a personal-best time of 10.72 seconds in the 100-metre sprint, which she’s since improved to 10.65, while at the most recent Olympic trials she ran it in 10.71, the fastest by anyone in the world this year.

Now 24, she is the red-hot favourite to win gold in one of the Olympics’ most iconic events, but she’s more than just a track star. She’s a cultural icon in the United States, lauded for her openness and public vulnerability in discussing her failed drug test and the death of her biological mother, while her colourful hair, long nails, tattoos and brash attitude has made her a symbol of authenticity and empowerment, particularly within the African-American community.

Just don’t call this a comeback. For the last year, she’s repeated the following mantra: “I’m not back, I’m better.” This could be her moment.

Events: Women’s 100m, women’s 4x100m relay – preliminary rounds will start at 6:35pm AEST on August 2.

9. Eliud Kipchoge (athletics)

He is the twice-reigning Olympic marathon champion but is possibly better-known as the first person in recorded history to break the two-hour barrier over the 42km distance.

Kipchoge’s run of 1:59:40.2 in late 2019 would have been regarded as a world record - but because it wasn’t an open race, and because it was crafted specifically for him (and for Nike, since it was also a marketing event for their controversial ZoomX Vaporfly 4% shoes, which he wore), it wasn’t recognised by World Athletics. Since then, the 39-year-old’s actual world record has been broken by compatriot Kelvin Kiptum, who tragically died in a car accident earlier this year.

Nobody has ever won the Olympic marathon three times. If he can, he will cement himself as a legend in his caper as the greatest to ever do it.

Events: Men’s marathon - the marathon will start at 4pm on August 10.

10. Sky Brown

We had to have a skateboarder in there – and a teenage Olympic medallist at that. The 16-year-old from Great Britain picked up bronze in Tokyo, and is just one of many teenagers dominating the women’s competition.

She started skateboarding at the age of four and made her professional debut by 11. Five years later, she’s been through the highs and lows of the sport, including overcoming a ligament tear in her knee two months ago during the first Olympic qualifiers in Shanghai.

Never one to balk at the first hurdle, Brown secured her spot after an epic run in Budapest, and she’s not shy about what she wants from the Games this year: “I want that gold medal, it’s a big goal, but I think I can do it.”

Event: Women’s park – the preliminary round begins at 8.30pm AEST on August 6

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