7 British and Irish athletes to watch at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Keely Hodgkinson is among the British stars to watch in Paris.

With 100 days to go until the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the PA news agency picks out seven top British and Irish athletes to watch.

Keely Hodgkinson

World Athletics Championships 2023 – Day Nine – Budapest — Keely Hodgkinson is determined to go one better than silver in Paris (Martin Rickett/PA)

Hodgkinson could be forgiven for feeling sick of silver linings. The 800m star has finished second to either Athing Mu or Mary Moraa at a series of big events including the Tokyo Olympics (to Mu), and last year’s World Championships (to Moraa). It will take a Herculean effort to go one better in Paris, but all eyes will be on what should prove one of the most competitive events of the track and field programme.

Kimberley Woods

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Day Four — Kimberley Woods is set to capture plenty of attention in kayak-cross (Martin Rickett/PA)

Woods heads to Paris as the reigning world champion in the exhilarating and brand new Olympic discipline of kayak-cross, involving heats in which four competitors hurtle down the same whitewater course simultaneously. Despite its inherent unpredictability, the 28-year-old from Rugby also won the overall World Cup title in 2023 and has proved a cut above her closest rivals.

Bradly Sinden

World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final 2023 – Day Two – Manchester Regional Arena — Bradly Sinden was disappointed with taekwondo silver in Tokyo (Tim Markland/PA)

The Doncaster taekwondo star was disappointed with a silver medal in the men’s -68kg category in Tokyo and vowed to learn from his mistakes. He will return to Olympic competition with a second world title in the bag and as a strong favourite to finally make good on his lifelong ambition and turn that agonising silver into gold in the French capital.

Bryony Page

FIG Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships 2023 – Day Four – Utilita Arena — Bryony Page has won medals at each of the last two Olympics (Bradley Collyer/PA)

A surprise silver medallist on the women’s trampoline in Rio, Page returned to the podium with a bronze medal in Tokyo. At the age of 33 her confidence continues to rocket, and World Championship gold in Birmingham in 2023 – where she shunted Olympic champion Zhu Xueying into second place – suggests Page has what it takes to complete the set in Paris.

Tom Dean

Double Tokyo gold medallist Dean set himself the staggering target of five medals in Paris only to find the recent British Championships did not go to plan. Likely to be denied the chance to defend his 200m freestyle title, Dean nevertheless remains determined to make multiple visits to the podium as he heads up one of the most promising British swimming squads in decades.

Emma Wilson

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Day Eight — Windsurfer Emma Wilson is looking to improve on her bronze medal in Tokyo (PA Media)

Wilson, who won windsurfing bronze in Tokyo, is well placed to land gold in Marseille after making a stunning statement at this year’s World Championships, in which she won 15 of 20 qualifying races before finishing second in the winner-takes-all final race. Her consistency at the top level makes her arguably the best medal bet among the traditional surge of British sailing contenders.

Rhys McClenaghan

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Day Nine — Rhys McClenaghan will once again go head to head with pommel rival Max Whitlock (Mike Egerton/PA)

The Irish pommel ace finally ascended to the top of his sport after winning the 2022 World Championships in Liverpool, and went on to repeat the feat in Antwerp last year. McClenaghan, who was denied a medal in Tokyo after an early error, will relish the prospect of renewing his long-time rivalry with defending Olympic champion Max Whitlock in Paris.