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.
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.
Nadal will step into Roland Garros – where he has won a whopping 14 Majors – one more time for the Olympics. Nadal won an Olympic singles gold medal in Beijing in 2008 and a doubles gold in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Stephen Curry:
USA Basketball will field a star-studded men’s roster for the Paris Olympics, and one of the most exciting names on the list is Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. At age 36, Curry is already a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, and the NBA’s all-time three-point leader by a significant margin.
Noah Lyles:
At the Paris Olympics, US sprinter Noah Lyles is focused on achieving more than he did at last year’s World Championships.
Following his triumph in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay in Budapest, Lyles is setting his sights on these same events in Paris, adding the 4x400m relay to his list of goals.
Lyles equaled his 100m personal best of 9.83 seconds and won the 200m in a world-leading 19.53 seconds. In early May, he anchored the USA to victory in the 4x100m relay at the World Relays, setting a world-leading time of 37.40 seconds.
Julian Alvarez:
The tournament’s star name is undoubtedly Manchester City forward Alvarez.
The 22-year-old was in prolific form last season for Pep Guardiola’s side, who he helped to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.
That all came after the Cityzens lifted five trophies in 2023 – in Alvarez’s first season – by completing the league, FA Cup, and Champions League treble before claiming the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Born in Calchin in Cordoba Province, Alvarez joined City in 2022 from River Plate, where his performances drew the attention of Europe’s elite and the coach of Argentina’s 2020 Olympic team, who selected him for the Tokyo Games.
Alvarez has just flown into France for the Olympics after winning Argentina the Copa America title on July 14 – he would like nothing more than to add an Olympic gold medal to his long list of achievements.
LeBron James:
Lebron James hasn’t played for the U.S. Olympic team since 2012, but he’s been very vocal about his desire to play at the Paris Games. He’s also reportedly been working behind the scenes to get other top American stars to commit to the Olympics. James already has two Olympic gold medals (and a 2004 bronze) to go with his four NBA titles and four NBA MVP awards.
Carlos Alcaraz:
The 21-year-old from Spain has already won four Grand Slams and is coming off back-to-back major titles with triumphs at the French Open and Wimbledon. He is now the favorite to earn gold at his first Olympics.
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