PARIS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- As around 10,500 athletes gather by the River Seine for the Paris Olympic Games, the world will again witness the immortal incarnation of the Olympic motto - "Faster, Higher, Stronger_Together." While the charm of sports lies in uncertainty, some stars are set to shine at Paris 2024.
NEWCOMERS NOT SHORT OF AMBITION
The first Olympic appearance is always special, even for the most experienced athletes. US basketball superstar Stephen Curry finally brings his three-point skill to the Olympic Games at the age of 36 and tries to add an Olympic gold medal to his four NBA titles and two NBA MVP awards. Curry and fellow basketball legends LeBron James and Kevin Durant will seek to carry on the US dominance in basketball. One of the potential spoilers may be the hosts France with the towering Victor Wembanyama making his Olympic debut on home turf.
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz is no stranger to Roland-Garros, the Olympic tennis venue where he clinched the French Open title in June. The 21-year-old is setting his eyes on the top of the podium in his first Olympic Games. He could thwart what is likely to be the last opportunity for Novak Djokovic to achieve a Golden Slam with an Olympic gold medal for Serbia to go with a record-high 24 Grand Slam titles. Alcaraz could also help two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal for another as the two team up for the men's doubles.
Sha'Carri Richardson's Olympic debut was delayed by three years after missing the Tokyo Olympics due to a positive drug test. The reigning world champion from the United States is looking to consolidate her position in the women's 100m on the purple track in Paris. Still, she would need to outsprint others like Jamaica's veteran Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who is expected to make the last dance of her magnificent career at Paris 2024.
Breaking is making its Olympic debut in Paris, joining sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing as additional sports that are set to catch the attention of the youth with the combination of creativity and athletic skills.
VETERANS EYE ON MORE GLORIES
The experience at the Olympic Games is like no other. Veterans strive to step onto the Paris Olympic stage for another taste of the glory.
Kenya's two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge may not be the first ever to complete a sub-two-hour marathon. However, in Paris, he will still have the opportunity to achieve something singular - winning the Olympic marathon on three consecutive occasions, hence distinguishing himself as the greatest of all time with a victory in Paris.
Armand Duplantis of Sweden vaulted into the spotlight at Tokyo 2020, clearing 6.02 meters to win the gold medal in the men's pole vault. Now, as a two-time indoor and two-time outdoor world champion, Duplantis could go beyond defending his title and set another world record at the Olympic Games, something he failed to do in Tokyo three years ago.
U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky remains a force to be reckoned with in women's distance freestyle events in her fourth Olympic Games appearance, as the 27-year-old could well leave the pool with more tally in her collection of Olympic gold medals.
At the same age, American gymnast Simone Biles is staging a comeback in Paris, after suffering maybe the greatest setback of her career following a failed vault in Tokyo. She would try to reclaim the women's individual all-around champion.
CHINESE ATHLETES TO LEAVE NEW LEGACY
China is sending 405 athletes, including 42 Olympic champions, to the Paris Games. Among the 236 disciplines in which it will compete, Chinese athletes are expected to win multiple golds in traditional sports like gymnastics, diving, shooting, table tennis, badminton and weightlifting.
Reigning world champion Sun Yingsha is favored to continue China's perfect record in the table tennis women's singles event, while teenage diver Quan Hongchan will again demonstrate her "splash disappearing technique".
Since returning to the Olympics at Los Angeles 1984, Chinese athletes have made constant breakthroughs. In Paris, some may come from the post-00s athletes.
At just 17, Liu Qingyi, better known as B-Girl 671, is among China's brightest hopes in breakdancing. In 2022, she won Outbreak Europe in Slovakia and PortoBattle in Portugal, both prestigious international breakdancing competitions. In 2023, Liu continued her success with another world silver and a triumph at the WDSF Breaking for Gold World Series in Montpellier, France, defeating both the reigning European champion and the world number one.
15-year-old Yang Siqi will take on the great waves in Teahupo'o, Tahiti as China's first-ever Olympic surfer, while 22-year-old Weightlifter Liu Huanhua has a chance to capture China's first-ever gold medal in categories above 100kg. ■
