Top 10 Must Watch Moments in the Paris 2024 Olympics

To keep things fresh, the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, likes to add new sports and events. Hoping to grab the attention of younger viewers, for 2024, they decided to add Breaking. First added at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, the best breakdancers will battle it out in the men’s and women’s categories to become its first medal winners. Over in Canoeing, a new event will make its inaugural appearance with the men’s and women’s Kayak Cross. More brand-new events to check out are in the Sailing department. They’re introducing the Formula Kite event, which features kiteboarding, and the iQFoil, a Windsurfing class. Both Sailing introductions will be for men and women.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, US Track and Field prospect Richardson was set to debut in the competition after finishing first in qualifications. However, THC was found in her system. While the sprinter agreed to a counseling program, she was banned from competing for a month, ruling her out of most of her events. Finally, Richardson was not selected for the Women's 4 × 100 relay, taking her out of the Olympics completely. When Richardson returned to the track in 2021, her performance at the Prefontaine Classic was below par as she finished last. However, in 2023, she came back with a bang by taking two golds and a bronze at the World Championships, readying herself for Paris 2024 to take the world by storm.

From 2008 to the rescheduled event in 2021, López has been undefeated at the Summer Olympics. During this time, the Cuban wrestling legend has taken gold in each of his events. For the first two, it was the Men's Greco-Roman 120 kilograms. The others were for the 130-kilogram class. As a result, López is tied with several other iconic athletes for the record of the Most Consecutive Wins in the Same Individual Event. The wrestling juggernaut has the opportunity in 2024 to be the first to achieve this sensational feat 5 times. On top of that, at the age of 41, López would edge out the previous record holder, Finland's Adolf Lindfors, and became the oldest wrestler to win an Olympic medal.

Every so often, a sport produces a generational athlete whose talents appear to be seemingly unbeatable. For the realm of Pole Vaulting, that’s Sweden’s Armand Duplantis. After making his Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, he reached the final and, on his first try, took gold by clearing 6.02 meters. Away from medals, another big part of the Olympics is seeing World Records smashed. And with Duplantis, there’s a good chance that could happen. After all, so far in his career, he’s broken the World Record 8 times, mostly defeating himself. Duplantis most recently reached 6.24 meters at the 2024 Diamond League meet. In the Olympics, we could witness the springing Swede set it for the ninth time!

In 2020 Tokyo, the British diver captured our hearts as he showcased his knitting skills, alongside adding gold and bronze medals to his collection. Yet afterward, he disappeared from the sport and appeared to have retired, something which has been rumored for years. In 2023, Daley announced his return to diving for 2024 after his son’s encouragement. However, this could be the last time we see the pop culture icon compete. Another British legend leaving athletics behind is gymnast Max Whitlock. The three-time gold and bronze winner said 2024 will be his last Olympics. Finally, we could see the possible retirement of France’s legendary judoka, Teddy Riner. With 3 Olympic golds and bronzes alongside many World Championships, this could be the 35-year-old's last appearance.

As well as the world-class athleticism on display, 2024 Paris will also showcase the city and France’s most historic locations for us to enjoy as a backdrop. For example, Beach Volleyball will be taking place with the iconic Eiffel Tower in view The Château de Versailles, also known as the Palace of Versailles, will be surrounded by Equestrian and 5 Modern Pentathlon events. The beautiful bridge Pont Alexandre III will be involved in the Triathlon, Cycling, and Marathon Swimming events. The country’s largest stadium, the Stade de France, will host Rugby Sevens and Track and Field. Other prestigious venues include the Grand Palais and the Marseille Marina. To top it off, the French overseas country Tahiti will be running the Surfing events.

The 2024 Olympics could be the setting for ending the 60-year-long record of the legendary gymnast Larisa Latynina. Back in 1964, she won her final gold medal, bringing her total to 9, becoming the Most Gold Medals Won By a Woman. Coming into the 2024 event, the USA’s swimming sensation Ledecky is sitting on 7 golds. On top of this, should she win 3 more medals -- and she took 4 in Tokyo -- she would become the Most Successful Woman in Aquatics History. However, hot on Ledecky’s heels for the second record is Australia’s Emma McKeon in her last Olympic outing. She only needs 2 medals to take that aquatic crown. As such, Ledecky-McKeon could be the rivalry of the summer to watch out for.

Team sports can be overlooked at the Summer Olympics in favor of individual success. Yet they shouldn’t be snoozed on, especially when it comes to the USA Women’s Basketball team. Since the event’s debut in 1976, the team has won 9 Olympic Golds. They’ve won 7 consecutively since 1996! Diana Taurasi was recently announced for the squad, becoming the first women’s basketballer to play in 6 Olympics and the oldest to play the sport in the tournament at 42. Over to the men, the USA's basketball player Kevin Durant is battling France’s handballer Nikola Karabatić. If either of their sides take the top prize, they’ll become the first individual to achieve 4 golds in men’s team sports.

At Tokyo 2020, the USA’s Biles struggled with her mental health and made the tough and brave decision to withdraw from competing. One of the best gymnasts of all time, even with the weight of expectations burdening her, Biles still picked up 2 medals at the event, adding to her collection of 4 golds and 1 bronze. After taking time to recover, Biles has come back fiercely. At the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, she picked up multiple gold medals and a silver to become the most decorated gymnast in history! After highlighting the mental health struggle of athletes and taking a courageous stand, we’re super excited to see Biles return to the Olympics and showcase her phenomenal skills.

At every Summer Olympics, the opening ceremony sets the stage for what’s to come. Filled with pageantry, cultural nods, and art, this is always a must-see. And this time, it might be the biggest yet with Thomas Jolly as its artistic director. For the first time ever, the ceremony will be conducted outside a stadium. Instead, the river Seine will be the theater, giving even more people the opportunity to witness it in person. Around 10,500 athletes will be onboard boats designated to their nations. They'll travel about 3.7 miles, along the winding Paris river, taking in the spectacular sights. The procession will finish in the Trocadéro for the final touches, ushering in the Summer's sporting spectacle.

Who’s the greatest athlete to have taken part in the Summer Olympics? Usain Bolt? Michael Phelps? Larisa Latynina? Or someone else? Let us know below!