With the 2024 Paris Olympics kicking off this weekend, the anticipation is high for fans and competitors alike. While there are dozens of participants in this year’s games, several Black athletes are looking to etch their names in the history books before everything comes to a close on August 11. Sports figures such as Simone Biles, Sha’Carri Richardson, Frederick Richard, and others have been preparing year in and year out for these moments—and now it’s time to perform.
Take a look at the Black athletes to watch at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Making her Olympic debut, the two-time world champion will be representing the United States in the 100 meters, along with aiming for the women’s 4×100 relay team.
Biles, who is arguably the greatest Olympian of all-time, hopes to return to form this summer in Paris. She’s a nine-time national champion, a six-time world champ and the 2016 Olympic all-around gold medalist.
This 20-year-old prodigy has won seven career singles titles, including the 2023 US Open, and nine career doubles titles, including the 2024 French Open. Gauff will be one of the most watched athletes at this year’s Olympics, so every match she competes in will be high-level entertainment.
At the 2016 Olympics, she became the first Black American swimmer to earn an individual Olympic gold medal. She didn’t make the 2021 squad due to overtraining, but now she’s back in the spotlight—the perfect redemption story.
The WNBA’s best player, and the centerpiece of the women’s U.S. team, Wilson wants to add to her list of accolades by winning a gold medal for America. She’s been one of the biggest winners in sports in recent years, and A’ja hopes to carry that momentum through the summer.
This six-time world champion is looking to become only the fifth man to win gold medals in three specific races—the 100, 200 and 4×100-meter relay—at a single Games. Known from his high level of confidence, Lyles is primed to bring back some hardware for the U.S.
James is a four-time NBA champion, MVP, and NBA Finals MVP. He also won two Olympic golds—one in 2008 in Beijing and one in 2012 in London—with hopes of taking home a third at the 2024 Olympic Games.
The New York native will represent the United States at the 2024 Olympics in the sport of fencing. As a star on Harvard’s squad, a 6x world champ and a 2x NCAA champ, Scruggs is aiming for the gold in Paris.
It’s been 20 years since Andre Ward won the gold medal for team USA—and he was the last man to do so, still. The young and talented Jahmal Harvey hopes to bring the U.S. back to prominence with a 1st place ranking in Paris.
Women’s rugby star Naya Tapper will serve as co-captain of the U.S. Sevens team for the upcoming Olympics. She’ll retire after the 2024 Olympics, so she’s hoping for the perfect swan song in Paris.
Richard burst onto the scene at this year’s Olympic trials, winning the all-around high bar. Last year, he earned a bronze medal at the 2023 world championships and became only the fourth U.S. man, and the youngest, to earn a medal there.
Smith won the NWSL’s MVP in 2022 and league’s Golden Boot the following year, so this 23-year-old forward is no stranger to making an impact on the field. Look for her to be aggressive early during this year’s Olympic Games.
Girma and Smith were teammates at Stanford, so the chemistry with them was instant when they hit the U.S. Women’s National Team. She was the female player of the year in 2023, and one of the best defenders in the world.
