
Forget the Euros. The ultimate sporting event of the summer starts shortly. Kicking off July 26 (ends August 11), thousands of athletes from hundreds of nations will be competing for gold, silver and bronze across the two weeks. It’s the Paris 2024 Olympics – with Team GB looking to continue its unique record of winning a gold medal at every edition of the Summer Olympics.
Team GB brought home 64 medals from Tokyo, but the Paris 2024 team – made of 327 athletes across 24 different sports – will want to write its name in history by doing even better. But with so many British athletes competing we can’t literally support them all, even if we try!
That’s why we’ll prioritise setting aside time to support our hometown heroes – those representing Birmingham and the West Midlands at the Paris 2024 Olympics – and quickly learning the rules of their respective sports. So if you watch nothing else at the Paris 2024 Olympics this year, throw your support behind these Brummie Olympians!
Joe Fraser, Gymnastics Artistic
Joe Fraser was interestingly born with six fingers on each hand. But this fact has nothing on that he won Great Britain’s first-ever gold medal on the parallel bars at the World Gymnastics Championships in 2021 – also becoming the first black male to win a gold medal in the competition.
His time in Tokyo wasn’t much to write home about. After reaching the final of the all-around competition, he finished ninth, and took eighth in the parallel bars, but helped the British men’s team place fourth. In 2022, however, he became the first British man to be crowned European all-around champion and led the GB team to World Championship silver in Liverpool.
Artistic gymnastics’ men’s qualifications are 10:00-1230; 14:30-17:00 and 19:00-2130 on Saturday, July 27; while the final is on Monday, July 29 from 16:30-1930.
Laura Roper, Hockey
The Sutton Coldfield native is the only player to win three Olympic medals in hockey and would make British Olympic history if she were to reach the podium at a fourth – a feat achieved only by British former rower, Dame Katherine Grainger. After winning bronze at London 2012, she claimed gold in Rio before another bronze in Tokyo.
Team GB Women’s Hockey will play Spain (July 28) at 12:15, Australia (July 29) at 16:00, South Africa (July 31) at 09:30, USA (August 1) at 16:00 and Argentina Women (August 3) at 09:00. The quarter-finals will happen on August 5, the semi-finals on August 6-7 and the final on August 9.
Daniel Evans, Tennis
Dan Evans was due to make his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 until a positive COVID-19 forced him to withdraw. He’ll finally get his chance this summer, playing in the Men’s singles as part of Team GB’s tennis squad (Andy Murray is also in the team). Growing up in Hall Green, the 34-year-old is currently ranked 59th (achieving his highest ranking last year of 21st) and has won two ATP titles and the Davis Cup, as part of Great Britain in 2015.
Men’s tennis singles will be played from Monday, July 29 to Sunday, August 4.
Matt Hudson-Smith, Athletics
The Wolverhampton sprinter has become one of the world’s best 400m runners in recent years but has failed to set the Olympics alight… yet. After finishing eighth at Rio 2016, injury ruined his chances of a medal in Tokyo. But he now heads to Paris with two World Championship medals and a Commonwealth Games silver under his belt.
On top of the 400 sprint, Matt Hudson-Smith will compete in the Men’s 4x400m Relay too. He won 4x400m gold at both the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the European Championships in 2014, and bronze at the World Championships in London in 2017. All eyes will be on him in Paris for both events.
The Men’s 400m round 1 is at 18:05 on Sunday, August 4; the 400m semis is at 19:35 on Tuesday, August 6; and the 400m final is at 20:20 on Wednesday, August 7. The Men’s 4x400m relay round 1 is on Friday, August 9 at 10:05; the final is on Saturday, August 10 at 20:12.
Delicious Orie, Boxing
Born in Moscow to a Nigerian father and Russian mother, Delicious Orie (what a name, hey!?) moved to Wolverhampton to escape racism when he was seven. He’s often compared to his sometime sparring partner Anthony Joshua, but Orie will want to carve out his own name in Paris. After winning super-heavyweight bronze at the European Championships in Yerevan and Commonwealth gold in Birmingham in 2022, he’s got every shot.
Men’s Super-Heavyweight (+92kg) takes place on Monday, July 29; with quarters on Friday, August 2; semis on Wednesday, August 7; and the final on Saturday, August 10.
Lucy Renshall, Judo
Hailing from Walsall, Lucy Renshall became the first British judoka in five years to reach the top of the world rankings in 2022. Since making her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, exiting in the round of 3, she has racked up 15 Grand Slam medals. She’ll compete in the Women’s -63kg Judo category at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Women’s -63kg Judo elimination rounds (9:00-13:00) and medal rounds (15:00-18:00) are on Tuesday, July 30.
Chelsie Giles, Judo
Coventry’s Chelsie Giles earned Team GB’s first medal of Tokyo 2020 by winning bronze in the 52kg judo category – and will be hoping to do even better this summer. In 2022, she became world number one for the first time, took home World Championship silver, was crowned European champion, and has reached the podium in seven of the 10 Grand Slam events since the last Olympics. We wouldn’t bet against her.
The Women’s -52kg Judo elimination rounds (9:00-13:00) and medal rounds (15:00-18:00) are on Sunday, July 28.
To see the full Paris 2024 Olympics schedule head here.