'I'm an Olympics super fan and here are the top Team GB athletes to watch out for'
EXCLUSIVE: Following an inspiring Olympic Games in Tokyo, Team GB are back in Paris and will be providing the new prospect of outstanding sporting talent.
The Olympics have returned to the continent 12 years after London 2012. Paris 2024 should be something spectacular, with four new sports making their debut, including break dancing and surfing.
Team GB will be hoping for some glory with big names such as Adam Peaty and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, but there are a number of other athletes to keep an eye out for.
As someone who has grown up watching the Olympics - and even attending London 2012 - it can feel weird without the likes of Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah being the face of Team GB.
However, Tokyo 2020 showed us that age knows no bounds and there are a number of youngsters who will be aiming to following their dreams and achieve success against the odds.
Here is who to watch in Paris 2024:
Emma Finucane (Cycling)
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21 year old Emma is being backed by Sir Chris Hoy to win up to three Gold Medals in Paris. But who is the British cyclist and how did she make her way to the greatest sporting stage?
Growing up in Carmarthen in Wales, she first started cycling with a £1 membership. After that, she visited the national indoor velodrome in Newport. She then started competing professionally in races when she was 16.
Rose Harvey (Marathon)
The extraordinary rise of Rose Harvey continues to astound people around the world. An ex-lawyer turned professional runner, Paris 2024 are her first Olympics.
The 31 year old will make her marathon debut after clocking 2:23.21 at last year’s Chicago Marathon. Rose only took up running more seriously at the start of lockdown, before joining a local run club. Definitely one to watch.
Matt Richards (Swimming)
21 year old Matt might not be the most famous Team GB swimmer heading into the pool, but individual glory awaits him in Paris. Having clinched Gold in Tokyo in the team relay, can Matt write a new chapter in sporting history?
Sky Brown (Skateboarding)
When you hear the word Olympian, many picture a twenty-something in the prime of their career. However, in Tokyo 2020 Sky Brown proved everyone wrong as she won the Bronze Medal in Skateboarding. She was only 13 years old.
The British-Japanese skateboarder is once again showing the world that you are never too young to achieve your dreams. Can she go all the way in Paris and win Gold?
Beth Potter (Triathlon)
Beth Potter has secured her spot in her second Olympics, with the Scot is being backed for Olympic Gold as she beat home favourite Cassandre Beaugrand at the World Championships last year. She previously did Athletics before switching sports.
Speaking about representing Team GB, she said: "Making a second team and in a second sport is really special so, I'm looking forward to a proper Olympic year once again."
Tom Pidcock (Cycling)
Multi-eventer Pidcock is a dark horse to watch out for and will be competing in the road race and mountain biking events. The 21-year-old will be defending his mountain bike gold he won in Tokyo.
Charlie Dobson (Athletics)
Olympic legend Colin Jackson has praised Charlie as the next Team GB breathrough athlete, especially after he grabbed silver at the European Championships in the Men's 400m. Can he make it Gold in Paris?
Remember - these are the Olympic Games and leaving empty-handed is part and parcel of the world of professional sports. Not everyone will be victorious. The important thing is not to win, but to take part.
The Olympic Games can be watched on BBC iPlayer.
