The Paris Olympics are almost here and the best athletes in the world are putting in the final touches on their preparations to win the greatest prize sport has to offer.
From injury-ridden superstars to youngsters producing never-seen-before numbers and veterans who have been at the top of this stage and still remain there, here's a list of the top 10 international athletes to look forward to at the 2024 Olympics.
Rafael Nadal
If one had to pick an athlete most synonymous with sport in Paris, Rafael Nadal would be among the first names to come to mind. The Spaniard is well into the twilight of his career, with it becoming clear that his body isn't cooperating with him as it has for the best part of two decades.
Nadal will step into Roland Garros - where he has won a whopping 14 Majors - one more time for the Olympics, playing in both singles and doubles. It might seem a hectic schedule which his body is ill-equipped to face, but even the most ardent Nadal fan would say that his best opportunity lies in the doubles. Partnering the incredible Carlos Alcaraz, reigning French Open champion, the king of clay is looking for a third Olympic medal, having won gold in singles and doubles already.
Simone Biles
Biles nearly didn't compete at the Tokyo Olympics, prioritizing her mental health. Eventually, she competed only in the balance beam event (where she won bronze) to ensure USA won the silver medal in the team event. Prior to that, she'd won five medals at the Rio Olympics, four of which were gold.
In a star-studded American contingent, Biles is still one of the biggest draws, as she heads into her third Olympics. She remains at the top of her sport, is the most successful gymnast ever with four golds at last year's World Championships and will look to add to this tally.
Ma Long
There has never been a table tennis player quite like Ma Long. His dominance of the world stage should say everything one needs to know about his caliber. But the fact that he's heading into his fourth Olympics as part of a Chinese team notoriously difficult to get into speaks of his consistency and longevity.
The 35-year-old has won five Olympic gold medals already, but can only add one this time, unlike the two each he won at Rio and Tokyo. He won't play in the men's singles but will compete alongside Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong in the team event.
Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis
If ever there was a gold medal guaranteed in any Olympic event, it would probably be the men's pole vault in Paris (as it was in Tokyo). The competition at the end of most pole vault events in the last few years has been reduced to Duplantis vs Duplantis, and for good reason. Since he first broke the world record in 2020, the Swede has gone on to better that mark seven times - the latest being a monster 6.24m jump earlier this year.
That Duplantis will win gold isn't up for debate, it's only whether he will break the world record or not. Interestingly, Duplantis doesn't hold the Olympic record which was set by Thiago Braz in 2016, with a jump of 6.03m. So that's one box to tick off an incredible career, which he hasn't already done.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Another incredible athlete at the top of her powers, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is the overwhelming favourite for the women's 400m hurdles title in Paris.
Much like Duplantis, a large chunk of McLaughlin-Levrone's battles over the last couple of years have been against herself. She's one of only two women to ever run the 400m hurdles in less than 51 seconds, and her personal best (also the world record, of course) is three tenths of a second quicker than anyone else. Just how much further can she push the mark in Paris?
LeBron James
One of the many superstar faces in the USA basketball team, James faces a stiff test in leading his side to the top of the podium against a field that has consistently closed the gap between them and the USA.
However, throughout his career, the star of James has shone brightest when all eyes have been on him. In what could be his last hurrah playing for his country, another Olympic gold to sign off would be a perfect bookend after an indifferent season with the Lakers, which was interrupted by injuries as well.
The 39-year-old has been warming up nicely for the Olympics, most recently helping the US avoid something of an embarrassment against South Sudan. He is still the man they will turn to if they find themselves in adversity.
Aitana Bonmati
World champion, defending Champions League winner, best player in the world - there's only an Olympic gold medal missing in Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati's career so far. After a historic tournament last year when she helped Spain win their first senior FIFA Women's World Cup, Bonmati went from strength to strength for her club, as Barcelona Femeni won La Liga and the Champions League last season.
Spain will face stiff competition from both the USA and hosts France, but Bonmati's all-round excellence in midfield is a notch above every other midfielder in the world and that could be the difference.
Leon Marchand
Olympic viewers might be used to the men's 400m individual medley being one of the must-not-miss events of the 21st century owing to a certain Michael Phelps. Phelps might not be an active sportsman anymore but the excitement is still there ahead of the Paris Games, and it's thanks to a local star in Leon Marchand.
Phelps set a world record at the Beijing Olympics that stood nearly 15 years. Enter Marchand. He shaved nearly a second and a half off that in a stunning swim last year. His form since has been pristine as well, making him an Olympic debutant to keep a keen eye on.
Katie Ledecky
Ledecky is on the other end of the spectrum to Marchand. She's been there, done it, gone back and done it again. She is a ten-time Olympic medallist, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, and a bonafide legend in swimming.
Even though Ledecky has qualified for the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events, it's not yet a certainty that she will start in all four. While the 800m and 1500m events are ones she has owned for a number of years, there's a potential race for the ages waiting in the 400m final. At her fourth Olympic Games, Ledecky has a chance to further write her legend into Olympic history.
Eliud Kipchoge
Widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner ever, Kipchoge is the two-time defending champion and stands on the cusp of a sensational hat-trick at Paris.
In circumstances that he would've hoped were different, Kipchoge's biggest competitor - fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum - lost his life in a road accident earlier this year. In fact, Kiptum is the current world record holder, having snatched the mark away from Kipchoge last year.
The legendary Kenyan will have a long-time rival in the incredible 42-year-old Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele though, as Kenya and Ethiopia fight each other for long-distance running supremacy again.