2024 Paris Olympics: 50 Olympians to watch

Remember Jimmer Fredette? Well, if you've forgotten about him, you're about to get a reminder because Jimmermania is back and its heading to Paris.

The former BYU star is now trying his hand at 3x3 basketball, where he'll hope to bring gold back to the United States.

In all, some 10,500 athletes will be in Paris over the next three weeks to live out their dreams and, maybe, take home some hardware. The athletes include names you know (Simone Biles, LeBron James, Rafael Nadal) and many more you will get to know. That list includes Victor Montalvo, a medal favorite in ... wait for it ... break dancing — or breaking as its formally known.

Yep, the Olympics are changing.

Per Nielsen’s Gracenote Sports, the United States is expected to win 123 medals, including 37 gold. The U.S. is followed by China (87) and Great Britain (62) in Nielsen's predictor. Notably absent: Russia, which will send around only 16 athletes to Paris.

With the Games set to formally begin on Thursday, here are some names to know:

Archery

Brady Ellison (USA): Making his fifth appearance in the Olympics, Ellison will attempt to add to his Olympic haul of two silver medals and one bronze. One of the most decorated archers in American history, Ellison will face the challenge of competing at Paris’ picturesque Les Invalides, one of the many spectacular venues for Olympic events. — Jay Busbee

3x3 basketball

Jimmer Fredette (USA): Jimmermania is coming to the Olympics. The former BYU folk hero and NBA flop could still be starring for a club team in Europe or China if he wanted. Instead he has left behind traditional 5-on-5 basketball to reinvent himself as the world’s best-known 3x3 player. — Jeff Eisenberg

Basketball

LeBron James and Steph Curry (USA): You know the names, but you haven’t seen them play together (outside of an All-Star Game) ever. Curry, for all his accolades, has never competed in an Olympics, withdrawing from the 2016 Games with an injury. (LeBron wasn’t on the Rio roster, so they wouldn’t have played together there anyway.) That makes this the first and likely last time these two all-time greats will team up together. — Jay Hart

Victor Wembanyama (France): He may not yet be the face of the NBA, but he’ll certainly be one of the French faces of these Games. Wembanyama is the latest example of the continued internationalization of the NBA, with France becoming one of the league’s most prolific producers of foreign talent. — Jay Hart

A’ja Wilson (USA): Unlike the men’s game, where the world is catching up with the Americans, the U.S. women remain the class of the field by a wide margin. Leading the way — if you have to pick one — is Wilson, who is the WNBA’s leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. It will be a stunner if the Americans don’t win an eighth straight gold. — Jay Hart

Beach volleyball

Kelly Cheng/Sara Hughes (USA): Partners as teenagers who reunited in college only to go their separate ways ahead of the Tokyo Olympics where ... Hughes failed to qualify and Cheng bowed out in the Round of 16. They reunited two years ago, won the world championship in 2023 and head to Paris as medal favorites. — Jay Hart

BMX

Hannah Roberts (USA): The favorite in the women’s BMX freestyle, Roberts won silver in Tokyo. After fracturing a vertebra at age 10 that left her in a back brace for a month, she molded herself into one of the most dominant riders of her era. She has five world titles already and has owned the women’s BMX freestyle since 2017, but wants to snare that elusive Olympic gold. — Jay Busbee

Boxing

Morelle McCane (USA): One of America’s most promising medal contenders in boxing, McCane captured three international medals in 2023, including silver at the Pan American Games. The female welterweight is the latest in a long line of Cleveland boxers; “Believeland” has now sent boxers to five straight Olympics. — Jay Busbee

Breaking

Victor Montalvo (USA): Now 30, Montalvo grew up breakdancing ever since he fell in love with the sport at age 10, but the Olympics were never on his radar — mostly because breaking wasn’t an Olympic sport until this year. But Montalvo — who goes by just “Victor” in competition — is one of the stars of the sport that’s likely to be a marquee event this summer. He’s also a decorated champion, winning gold in the 2022 World Games. — Jay Busbee

Cycling and triathlon

Taylor Knibb (USA): Knibb is that rarest of athletes: an Olympian in two different sports. Knibb qualified for Team USA’s triathlon team in August 2023, and then a surprising cycling finish in May qualified her as an Olympian in road race and time trials. She surrendered her road race slot in early July to focus on the triathlon, but will still compete in the time trials. — Jay Busbee

Equestrian

Steffen Peters and Mopsie (USA): Make sure to find the equestrian’s individual dressage event; you won’t want to miss Mopsie, nicknamed the “Rave Horse,” and Peters, a six-time Olympian, in action. As they did in Tokyo, the duo will perform to club music in the individual dressage event. Versailles has never seen anything like this. — Jay Busbee

Golf

Scottie Scheffler (USA): The world’s No. 1 golfer takes on the world’s No. 1 sporting extravaganza. The reigning Masters champion, Scheffler has dominated the PGA Tour this season, and could expand his reign across the Atlantic. Playing in a familiar format against known opponents, Scheffler ought to be a medal favorite … as long as he stays on the good side of the French gendarmerie. — Jay Busbee

Céline Boutier (France): France’s most successful golfer owns an NCAA title from her days at Duke, and claimed a major last year at the Amundi Evian Championship. Now she wants to add an Olympic medal to that list, and she’ll be playing in front of a home crowd, on a course (Le Golf National) she grew up playing almost daily. Talk about a feelgood story in the making. — Jay Busbee

Gymnastics

Simone Biles (USA): The Greatest of All Time returns for her third Olympics seeking redemption after a case of the “twistees” overwhelmed her in Tokyo (she still won two medals). Unbeaten in 11 years of all-around competition, the degree of difficulty in her routines is incomparable and previously unimaginable. The likely star of stars in Paris. — Dan Wetzel

Sunisa Lee (USA): When Biles was unavailable in Tokyo, Lee stepped up to win all-around gold — the fifth consecutive American woman to be crowned Olympic champion. If both are on their game, she can’t beat Biles, but after a health scare and a couple seasons of college gymnastics, Lee will look to win multiple medals and help the US reclaim team gold. — Dan Wetzel

Hezly Rivera (USA): The 16-year-old from New Jersey is both the only new member of Team USA in gymnastics and its only teenager. She isn’t a big name with big expectations, but she should stand out on beam and bars and has a chance to break out as the next generation American star. — Dan Wetzel

Qiu Qiyuan (China): Biles' degree of difficulty makes her nearly impossible to beat, but if there is a challenger it could be this 17-year-old from China. Qiu defeated the GOAT in uneven bars at last year's world championships and is raising eyebrows with her own degree of difficulty. Paris may not yet be her time, but it appears to be coming. — Jay Hart

Judo

Teddy Riner (France): In terms you'll understand, Riner is the Muhammad Ali of heavyweight judo. He's an 11-time world champ, two-time individual gold medalist and an absolute legend in the sport. He was upset at the Tokyo Olympics, not even medaling. At 35, this is possibly his last shot at winning a third individual gold. — Jay Hart

Rugby

Ilona Maher (USA): Maher won worldwide social media acclaim during the Tokyo Olympics for her behind-the-scenes and offbeat TikTok videos. She and the rest of the Team USA rugby squad will look to improve on their sixth-place finish in Tokyo. — Jay Busbee

Shooting

Vincent Hancock (USA): Hancock is, quite simply, the most dominant skeet shooter in Olympic history, holding three gold medals in skeet; no other Olympian has won more than one. A former sergeant in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, he’s now competing in his fifth Olympics, and hopes to retire after LA28. — Jay Busbee

Skateboarding

Jagger Eaton (USA): Already famous in skateboarding circles long before he helped inaugurate skateboarding into the Olympics at Tokyo, Eaton enters the Paris Games as one of Team USA’s most well-known figures. The charismatic Eaton won bronze at the 2020 Olympics in street skateboarding (on a broken ankle, no less), and will look to improve on that this summer. — Jay Busbee

Rayssa Leal (Brazil): Known as the "Skate Fairy," the 16-year-old already has an accomplished résumé. She won silver in Tokyo when she was just 13 and has since added a couple world championships along with X Games gold. Again, she's only 16. — Jay Hart

Soccer

Mallory Swanson (USA): Swanson (née Pugh) went to Rio 2016 at age 17. She missed out on Tokyo amid a rocky path from starlet to consistent pro. Now, having recovered from a devastating knee injury that cost her the 2023 Women’s World Cup, she’s the USWNT’s chief attacking threat heading to France. — Henry Bushnell

Speed climbing

Sam Watson (USA): Don't blink because you'll miss the 18-year-old Watson, who just a few months ago set a speed climbing world record of 4.79 seconds. Climbing since he was 5, the Texan will be a gold medal contender in Paris. — Jay Hart

Swimming

Katie Ledecky (USA): The queen of consistency is back for her fourth Olympics, and still (likely) untouchable in the 800- and 1500-meter freestyle. She’s no longer favored in the 400, and won’t swim the 200 individually, but if she wins at the longer distances and medals in the 400 or 4x200 relay, she’ll break two Olympic records: most golds won by a female swimmer, and most medals won by a U.S. woman all time. — Henry Bushnell

Caeleb Dressel (USA): Dressel won five golds in Tokyo. Over the past three years, though, an internal struggle — essentially a battle against his own perfectionism — pulled him out of the pool, then onto a long, grueling, messy comeback trail. He knows he might never swim a personal-best time again, but he’ll contend in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 4x100 free relay. — Henry Bushnell

Léon Marchand (France): The French face of the Games chased down Michael Phelps’ last and longest-held world record, in the 400 individual medley, last summer. Marchand has spent the past three years training under Phelps’ longtime coach and mentor, Bob Bowman, in the U.S. He’s expected to medal in four different events (the 200 and 400 IMs, 200 fly and 200 breaststroke), and if most of the medals are gold, he’ll light up the host nation. — Henry Bushnell

Summer McIntosh (Canada): The 17-year-old Canadian sensation could be the breakout swimming star of these Olympics. She already owns a top-five all-time time in six different events. In February, she became the first person to beat Katie Ledecky in an 800 since 2010 … but McIntosh won’t even swim the 800 in Paris because she’s even better in the 200 IM, which is slated for the same night. She should also medal in the 400 IM, 200 fly and 200 free. — Henry Bushnell

Ariarne Titmus (Australia): The Aussie who dethroned Ledecky in the 400 in Tokyo is back, now as a double-world-record-holder in the 400 and 200 free. She’s part of an Australian team that could challenge the U.S. atop the overall swimming medal table. — Henry Bushnell

Regan Smith (USA): A former teen phenom, Smith struggled with the weight of world records she broke at age 17, and missed out on gold in Tokyo. Now 22, though, she has re-found herself; she reclaimed one of those records at U.S. trials last month. She’ll duel with Australia’s Kaylee McKeown in the 100 and 200 backstroke in Paris. — Henry Bushnell

Kaylee McKeown (Australia): In addition to her backstroke dominance, McKeown, 23, should contend for medals in the 400 and 200 IMs. The women’s 200 IM, in particular, might be the most anticipated race of the Games in swimming circles, with McKeown and McIntosh battling two U.S. world champions, Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass. — Henry Bushnell

Gretchen Walsh (USA): Walsh re-wrote NCAA record books this winter. The question was always: Could she make the leap from the 25-yard college pool to the 50-meter Olympic length? Could she prove she’s not “just a bathtub swimmer”? At U.S. trials, she did. She enters her first Games as the world record-holder in the 100 fly, a contender in the 100 and 50 free, and a weapon in multiple relays. — Henry Bushnell

Surfing

Carissa Moore (USA): A legend-in-the-making, Moore is the defending gold medalist in shortboard surfing and a five-time national champion. She will turn 32 just days after the end of the Olympics, but has been a member of the Surfers’ Hall of Fame since 2014. — Jay Busbee

Table tennis

Alexis and Felix Lebrun (France): They're brothers, but also rivals. Alexis, 20, has won three straight French national championships, defeating Felix, 16, the past two years. They will again compete against each other in singles, where Felix is actually seeded higher (3) than Alexis (11). — Jay Hart

Taekwondo

CJ Nickolas (USA): At the 2020 Tokyo Games, the United States didn't qualify a single man for Taekwondo. Nickolas not only qualified this year, but enters as ranked No. 2 in the 80kg division after winning silver at the 2023 world championships. — Jay Hart

Track and field

Sha'Carri Richardson (USA): Three years after she tested positive for marijuana and an Olympic berth slipped through her fingers, Richardson has earned another. She owns the world-leading time in the women’s 100 this year and heads to Paris as the gold-medal favorite. — Jeff Eisenberg

Noah Lyles (USA): The reigning world champion in the 100 and 200 meters will try to pull off the Olympic sprint double in Paris. Lyles is a heavy favorite in his signature 200. The 100 projects as the tougher challenge, especially after 23-year-old Kishane Thompson threw down a world-leading time of 9.77 seconds to win Jamaica’s national title earlier this summer. — Jeff Eisenberg

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA): McLaughlin-Levrone is the most dominant athlete in her sport, what Tiger Woods was to golf, what Serena Williams was to tennis, what Michael Phelps was to swimming. At U.S. Olympic Trials, she further entrenched herself as the gold-medal favorite in the 400-meter hurdles, lowering her world record for the fifth time since June 2021. — Jeff Eisenberg

Quincy Wilson (USA): Wilson, the 16-year-old phenom who captivated fans during Trials, is the youngest male to make the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team. The rising high school junior will go to Paris as part of Team USA’s 4x400-meter relay pool. — Jeff Eisenberg

Gabby Thomas (USA): The nine fastest women’s 200-meter runners this year are all Americans. Thomas established herself as the class of that group during Olympic Trials when she comfortably claimed first place in a world-leading time of 21.81 seconds. — Jeff Eisenberg

Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya): No marathoner in Olympic history has won three straight golds. Kipchoge has a chance. Now 39, he won at Rio and Tokyo and will be a favorite in Paris. Sadly that's because fellow countryman Kelvin Kiptum, who set the marathon record in Chicago in 2023, died in a car accident in February. Kipchoge will be racing with a heavy heart but also with a chance to make history. — Jay Hart

Tennis

Coco Gauff (USA): Gauff was supposed to make her Olympic debut in Tokyo but she got COVID and missed the Olympics altogether. Now ranked No. 2 in the world, she heads to Paris with gold in her sights. — Jay Hart

Rafael Nadal (Spain): A name every tennis fan knows, the question here is this: Will this be Nadal’s final tournament in Paris? Ending his brilliant career with gold at Roland Garros, a place where he’s won a record 14 times, would be fitting. His best chance may be in doubles, where he'll team up with World No. 3 and fellow countryman Carlos Alcaraz. — Jay Hart

Novak Djokovic (Serbia): There is only one hole on Djokovic's résumé and that's Olympic gold. He won bronze in 2008 but, surprisingly, that's it for the 24-time major winner. If he wins gold, he'll join Andre Aggasi as the only men to win the "Golden Slam," all four majors and Olympic gold. — Jay Hart

Water polo

Maggie Steffens (USA): The U.S. women have won three straight golds in large part because of Steffens' goal-scoring prowess. At 31, Steffens is now an "elder" on a team going for a fourth straight gold. Oh, and she has the support of hype man Flavor Flav. So she's got that going for her, which is nice. — Jay Hart

Wrestling

Amit Elor (USA): She missed the Tokyo Olympics by one day. Born on Jan. 1, 2004, she was a single day shy of the age cutoff for those Games. She has since won world championships in 2022 and 2023. Despite being unseeded, she actually heads to Paris as the wrestler in the 68kg field. — Jay Hart

Mason Parris (USA): Seeded third among the big boys, Parris is on a collision course with three-time world champion Geno Petriashvili. The Georgian beat Parris 8-6 in the semis at last year’s world championships. Another semifinal meeting is probable in Paris, with the winner earning a chance to go for gold. — Jay Hart

Kyle Dake (USA): He’s a four-time world champion, but he’s never won Olympic gold. He won bronze in Tokyo. At 33, this is likely Dake’s last shot. — Jay Hart