Who are the Top Medal Prospects at the Summer Olympics?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Yunchu Li
From emerging talents to seasoned professionals, the 2024 Olympic Games promises to be one of the most competitive in history, and our sports experts at SportyTrader have assembled a short list of the athletes we feel have the best chances of claiming a medal in Paris this summer . Let's take a look at some of our top medal prospects below.
King James to lead Team USA Basketball to gold
Basketball at the Olympics saw its 20th edition unfold in Tokyo in 2020. Team USA won the competition beating France in the final, marking their 16th overall and fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the sport.
The US arrive in Paris as the favourites again this year, led by the legendary LeBron James, who will be competing in the fourth Games of his incredible career, and he will be joined by the likes of former NBA MVPs Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid, as well as rising stars Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum.
France, led by Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic's Serbia are also among the frontrunners to secure a medal in Paris this year, with the latter drawn in the same group as the US. Serbia and the USA are set to face off in the first match of the group stage and you can check out all the Men's Olympic Basketball predictions from our experts.
Check out the latest Olympic Basketball odds
Alcaraz and Djokovic to battle for the top step in Paris
Less than two weeks before stepping onto the clay at the Stade Roland Garros, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic locked horns in an epic battle on the grass at Wimbledon, where the youngster emerged victorious with one of the best performances of his career.
The 20-year-old Spaniard will be making his Olympic debut this year having only turned pro in 2018, and he will be among the favourites to add a gold medal to his already impressive title collection, which includes two Grand Slams.
Standing in Alcaraz’s way, though, is the formidable Novak Djokovic, who is widely considered the greatest men’s player to grace the court. The Serbian has won almost every top honour the sport has to offer, including 24 Grand Slam titles and a career Golden Masters. However, the only prize that has eluded him to this point has been an Olympic gold medal, with his best-ever finish being third back in 2008.
The tennis competition looks set to be an incredible battle this year, and you can check out our Paris 2024 Olympic Games Tennis predictions right here on SportyTrader throughout the tournament.
Les Bleus to shine on home soil
Barcelona and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry will lead Team France to their home tournament this summer and they will be determined to put on a better showing than in Tokyo, where they finished in seventh place.
Les Bleus have been drawn into a favourable-looking Group A in the 16-team tournament alongside New Zealand, USA, and the winner of the AFC-CAF playoff. With the home crowd behind them, the French are the current pre-tournament favourites according to most bookmakers.
While Kylian Mbappe will not be featuring for the host nation this year, Henry still has plenty of class at his disposal, including the likes of Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace and veteran striker Alexandre Lacazette. With a squad oozing in talent and the 12th man behind them, it’s hard to see Les Bleus missing out on a medal at Paris 2024.
If you're unable to watch every match live, you can keep up to date with all the football action from Paris via our Men's Olympic Football predictions.
Take a look at Vbet's Olympics bonuses
PV Sindhu set for first Olympic gold
Hoping to bring home gold for India is two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu. The badminton ace will also serve as the nation’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony alongside table tennis veteran Sharath Kamal.
The star shuttler represented India at the Olympics in Rio in 2016, where she won the silver medal, and followed that up with a bronze medal in the last edition in Tokyo. The 28-year-old is ranked 13th globally and 10th in the Olympic draw.
Sindhu has been drawn alongside Estonian shuttler Kristin Kuuba and Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq of the Maldives. Kuuba is ranked 75th and Razzaq is 111th, meaning the Indian star comfortably outranks her upcoming opponents, giving her an excellent chance of reaching the round of 16, where she could face two-time World Championships medallist He Bingjao.
Follow our Olympic badminton predictions for more information.
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Simone Biles to make Olympic history
Often referred to as the greatest female to ever participate in gymnastics, Simone Biles comes to Paris looking to etch her name into history. Returning to the grandest stage of them all is a true testament to her resilience and hard work after suffering from the petrifying mental block known as the “twisties” in Tokyo 2020.
Biles stole the show in 2016 in Rio, securing gold medals in the all-around, floor exercise, vault and team events. After taking a two-year break to focus on her mental health, the 27-year-old returned to competition last year and now owns 37 medals, including an incredible six world all-around crowns.
With seven Olympic medals to her name, if Biles can win one more in Paris 2024, she will become the most successful American gymnast in the history of the Games, surpassing Shannon Miller, who also won seven medals between 1992 and 1996. It is probably worth pointing out that Biles will be competing for five medals in Paris and we expect her to win gold in at least one.
Follow our Olympic athletics predictions for more information.
