Sports fans across the globe will be glued to their televisions this summer when the historic city of Paris hosts the Olympic Games. Beginning with the Opening Ceremony on July 26, the 2024 Olympic Games is sure to feature awe-inspiring athletic accomplishments that mark the culmination of years of hard work on the part of competitors.
Once the games commence, fans can keep an eye out for these five notable athletes who figure to put their stamp on this summer's competitions.
1. Simone Biles: Few athletes at this summer's Games are as recognizable as American gymnast Simone Biles. Biles's accomplishments are already too numerous to mention, but the 27-year-old can pad her legacy even further by earning just one more medal this summer in Paris.
Should she accomplish that feat, Biles will have earned more Olympic medals than any American gymnast in the history of the Games.
2. Daiki Hashimoto: A two-time gold medal winner at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (which were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Hashimoto, who will turn 23 during this summer's Games, will be seen as the athlete to beat in men's gymnastics.
Hashimoto is a four-time world champion, and NBC Sports notes three of those titles were earned in 2023.
3. LeBron James: The National Basketball Association's all-time leading scorer is no stranger to the Olympic Games, but the 39-year-old James has not played on the Olympic stage since 2012.
Over the last several years, James made no secret of his desire to return to Olympic competition, suggesting this summer's Games will be the last time to see arguably the greatest player of all time compete at this level.
4. Leon Marchand: Born in Toulouse, France, in 2002, Marchand figures to be the center of attention this summer. Some suggest Marchand could put on a performance not unlike his fellow swimmer Michael Phelps' efforts in the pool years ago, as the Frenchman is coached by Bob Bowman at Arizona State University.
Bowman famously coached Phelps during his time at the University of Michigan and beyond, and swimming fans will be curious to see how the hometown hero Marchand performs in the pools of Paris this summer.
5. Summer McIntosh: The pride of Canada made a name for herself at the tender age of 14 during the 2020 Games, where she was the youngest athlete named to the Canadian team.
McIntosh finished fourth in the 400-meter freestyle in Tokyo, narrowly missing a medal in that event but still breaking the Canadian national record. Now a seasoned 17-year-old, McIntosh returns to the Olympic stage this summer.
The Summer Olympics return this summer in Paris, and many talented, exciting athletes figure to make this year's competitions as exciting as ever.