The 2024 Paris Olympics officially starts today (Friday, July 26) with a historical opening ceremony to kick off the thrilling sporting event. Thousands of Olympians have arrived to compete for gold over the next few weeks. History has already been made as this year marks the first time the Opening Ceremony will not take place inside a stadium. Instead, the athletes will cruise in boats on the Seine River in front of thousands of fans. Tennis star Coco Gauff and NBA legend LeBron James were also tapped as this year’s flag bearers for Team USA.
The competitors, however, weren’t the only ones to arrive in the vibrant city for Friday’s opening ceremony. A bevy of celebrities also came to participate in the festivities and to see who will take home medals in the international games. Zendaya, Angel Reese, Serena Williams, Tyla, Snoop Dogg, Spike Lee, and Queen Latifah are just a few of the household names spotted Thursday night at the Prelude to the Olympics party at Fondation Louis Vuitton co-hosted by Vogue .
With several competitions underway over the next two weeks, keeping up with who to root for can be overwhelming. If you’re like us, you default to Issa Rae’s golden rule: root for everybody Black. Well, Unbothered has you covered to do just that. Here are some key Black contenders for Team USA to keep an eye out for during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Jordan Chiles
Sport: Gymnastics
Age: 23
Country: USA
Jordan Chiles knows what it takes to bring home an Olympic medal. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, the gymnast won a silver medal and was a part of a team that won gold at the 2022 World Championships. The high-level athlete also made history in 2022 as one of three Black women to stand victoriously on the winner’s podium at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Now, Chiles vies for gold as she prepares to compete in this year’s Paris Olympics.
Coco Gauff
Sport: Tennis
Age: 20
Country: USA
Coco Gauff continues to elevate the sport each time she competes on the tennis court. The Grand Slam champion has made significant strides in her athletic career. At 15 years old, Gauff became the youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon and defeated tennis icon Venus Williams in the first round. She became the first player to qualify for the 2024 Olympics and was selected as the United States female flag bearer.
Frederick Richard
Sport: Gymnastics
Age: 20
Country: USA
At 20 years old, Frederick Richard garnered national attention for his historic win as the first American male since 2010 to win bronze at the 2023 World Championships. The rising star has made a name for himself in real life and online with a massive following of nearly 1 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. In an interview with USA Today, the gymnast said he has goals of becoming the “Michael Jordan of gymnastics.”
Kennedy Blades
Sport: Wrestling
Age: 20
Country: USA
Kennedy Blades earned her spot on Team USA after winning the Olympic trials against six-time world champion and Olympian Adeline Gray. Her wrestling skills don’t end there; she is also the first woman to win a state title in Illinois while competing against a male team. Blades’ next stop is Paris, where she aims to take home the Olympic gold.
Shaine Casas
Sport: Swimming
Age: 24
Country: USA
Shaine Casas started competitive swimming at seven years old and has since soared in his athletic career. The professional athlete is an 11-time world champion who achieved his lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian. Casas earned the qualifying second spot during the Olympic trials in June with a time of 1 minute, 55.83 seconds.
Crystal Dunn
Sport: Soccer
Age: 32
Country: USA
Crystal Dunn became the youngest Most Valued Player (MVP) in soccer league history in 2015. Her excellence on the soccer field secured her place on her first Olympic team roster in 2016. She returned as an Olympic contender in 2020 and became a bronze medalist. The veteran soccer player continues to grow the sport as a world champion who is ready to take center stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ashleigh Johnson
Sport: Water polo
Age: 29
Country: USA
Known for: Ashleigh Johnson is considered one of the world’s best water polo goalkeepers. Her reigning title includes her historic achievement as the first Black athlete to qualify for the Olympic team in 2016 and win a gold medal. Four years later, she struck gold again at the Tokyo Olympics.
Maria Laborde
Sport: Judo (Martial Arts)
Age: 33
Country: USA
Maria Laborde left Cuba in pursuit of competing on Team USA. Within less than a year of receiving her citizenship in 2022, she ranked as the second-highest U.S. athlete in the world. The following year, she made history as the first U.S. athlete to win silver at the Masters World since 2016. All eyes are on Laborde as the first-time Olympian makes her long-awaited debut in Paris.
Morelle McCane
Sport: Boxing
Age: 29
Country: USA
Known for: Morelle McCane won a silver medal in the women’s 66 kg (146 pounds) boxing event at the 2022 Pan American Games in Chile, which qualified her for the Paris 2024 Olympics. She is the first female boxer from Cleveland to compete on the world stage.
Lauren Scruggs
Sport: Fencing
Age: 21
Country: USA
Lauren Scruggs’ has raised the bar of fencing with her four Junior World Championships. She is also the youngest fencer to win Junior Worlds. She took her talents to Harvard and became a sensation as a member of the Ivy League’s women’s fencing team. Scruggs Olympic debut follows many previous wins, including being the 2023 NCAA Women’s Foil Champion and 2024 NCAA runner-up.
Jeffrey Louis
Sport: Breaking (Break dancing)
Age: 29
Country: USA
Jeffrey Louis broke barriers when he became the first to represent Team USA in breaking, a new sport that was added to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The first-time Olympian is considered one of the best breakers in the world. He ranks fifth globally and has won several titles, including the Breaking for Gold Montreal Championship and the FISE Montpellier World Series.
Chiaka Ogbogu
Sport: Volleyball
Age: 29
Country: USA
Chiaka Ogbogu helped the U.S. women’s volleyball team win Olympic gold for the first time at the Tokyo Games. As a first-generation Nigerian-American, she continued to dominate the sport and was named the Best Middle Blocker at the 2022 World Cup Champion. This year, she plans to defend her Olympic title and lead her team to another gold win.
Simone Biles
Sport: Gymnastics
Age: 27
Country: USA
Simone Biles is regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. She has 30 World Championship medals, 7 Olympic gold medals, and many more winning titles. After taking a break from the sport to focus on her mental health, the decorated athlete has since become an advocate for mental health. Biles’ epic return is one of the most highly anticipated events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and there’s no doubt she’ll add another accolade to her resume.
Noah Lyles
Sport: Track and Field
Age: 27
Country: USA
Noah Lyles reached superstar status with his impressive track record of six world titles, an Olympic bronze medal, and four Diamond League Final trophies. At the 2023 World Championship in Budapest, he became the first man since Usain Bolt to win gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m races. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lyles revealed his goal of winning a fourth gold medal in the 4x400m relay.
Sha’Carri Richardson
Sport: Track and Field
Age: 24
Country: USA
Sha’Carri Richardson has made herself a crowd favorite for her lightning speed and upbeat personality. After winning first place at the Track and Field World Championships in Budapest, she was crowned the fastest woman in the world after her record-breaking sprint time of 10.65 seconds. After her disqualification in 2021, the track star persevered by earning her spot on Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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