Green and gold will soon swathe the City of Lights as over 460 Australian athletes compete for a metallic medallion at the Paris 2024 Olympics. From the Rive Gauche to the tip of Montmartre and every arrondissement inbetween, hometown glory will be on full display as our country’s best vie for podium positions across 33 sports.

It’s also a pinnacle year for female performers, as over half of the competitors taking to the French capital will be women—a stark contrast to the last Paris Olympics a century ago where no women played. But with an unflattering time difference and countless disciplines to keep up with, watching all these athletes at the acme of their fields bring it home is a difficult feat.

Ahead of the parade of racers floating down the Seine for the opening ceremony on July 26, GRAZIA has scoured every gymnasium, pool, track, field and arena for the athletes worth paying attention to. From our sunburnt country to the stylish city, behold our guide to the Australian athletes of note competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics below.

Australian Athletes Competing At The Paris 2024 Olympic Games

1. Emma McKeon, Swimming

As Australia’s most decorated Olympian, Emma McKeon is one to keep an eye on both in and out of the pool. The five-time gold medalist made her first splash at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but only two games and eight years later, the swimmer’s turn in the French capital will be her last.

At only 30 years old and one of Dior’s only Australian ambassadors, the world-class athlete will use her swan song to defend her titles and three world records. (Of course, there’s also a potential sighting of her popstar-turned-swimmer boyfriend, Cody Simpson, in the crowd to encourage you to tune in, should that be more aligned with your interests.)

McKeon will swim her first race on July 27 at the 100m butterfly heat. She’ll also defend the 50m freestyle Olympic record she set in Tokyo on August 3.

2. Ariarne Titmus, Swimming

Having made her Olympic debut a mere four years ago during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Ariarne Titmus made waves by taking home two golds, a silver and a bronze in her first championship alone.

The 24-year-old’s rivalry with US swimmer Katie Ledecky is set to heat up as both athletes compete in the 400m freestyle race, placing the two competitors head-to-head again after a fiery display at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

At the Australian Olympic invite-only swimming trials in Brisbane, Titmus broke the world record for the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:52.23. Truly one to beat. 

Titmus’ turn in the Paris La Défense Arena will take place on July 27 as she defends her world record and combats Olympic record holder Ledecky at the 400m freestyle. She’ll back it up with races in the 200m and 800m freestyle throughout the games, too.

3. Mollie O’Callaghan, Swimming

Mollie O’Callaghan might not have been old enough to see Australia’s smashing success at the Sydney 2000 Olympics or Athens 2004 Olympics. Yet, at 20 years old, O’Callaghan is a fierce competitor swimming laps around her age group.

Despite Titmus recently breaking her world record for the 200m freestyle, O’Callaghan dished out her aquatic revenge at the 2023 World Championships having defeated her self-described “idol”, Emma McKeon, at the 100m freestyle and trouncing Titmus in the 200m freestyle.

In 2022, O’Callaghan was the recipient of a Medal of the Order of Australia. History is watching her—and you can too from her first race in the 200m freestyle on July 28. 

4. Kaylee McKeown, Swimming

No, she isn’t the younger sister of swimming supernova Emma McKeon. (Though their similar-sounding last names do often draw this assumption.) Still, Kaylee McKeown is an athlete set to shape the trajectory of swimming Australia’s future, much like her contemporaries.

Known for her formidable backstroke, her entrance in three individual races in the division at the Paris Olympics—the 100m and 200m backstroke, as well as the 200m individual medley—could see McKeown become Australia’s most decorated gold medalist.

Having lost her father to brain cancer in the countdown to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, her return to the podium will ensure there won’t be a dry eye in the house. Mark your diaries for July 29 to see McKeown dominate the 100m backstroke, before backing it up in the 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley.

5. Ellie Carpenter, Football

Hailing from Central West New South Wales, Ellie Carpenter is the firecracker defender helping lead the Matildas to Olympic glory as vice-captain of the dominating team.

Carpenter is no stranger to the French pitch as she currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais. However, it was her performance on home soil during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup that captured the nation’s heart.

Having redeemed herself from a vital mistake during the semi-final defeat against England and in the recent friendly match against China, Carpenter gears up to make history with the Matildas at her third consecutive Olympic championship.

As we inch closer to the event, Carpenter’s commentary on her team’s “quite dangerous” training schedule makes it clear the team has a lot to prove—and won’t go down without a fight.  We saw this in a ferocious performance against Germany on July 26 at Stade de Marseille. Though the team lost 3-0, they’ll take the pitch again on July 29 against Zambia. 

6. Mary Fowler,  Football

Matildas midfielder Mary Fowler might have a very own miniature silicone version of herself after Mattel made her into a limited edition Barbie doll, but at 21 and one Olympics under her belt, her dream of taking the team to the finals is within her signature gloved reach.

Having been taken out of the starting lineup by coach Tony Gustavsson in 2023, Fowler revealed she’s indebted to the Swedish manager for igniting a fire within her. “I am able to look back at that time and see I changed as a player and as a person,” she said.

“It made me better. It was quite pivotal to me becoming more in form today. He has been good for me from a growth standpoint.” With her trademark bubble braids in tow, we can’t wait to see her skirt up and down the field in Paris.

7. Steph Catley, Football

Steph Catley is the embodiment of the Matildas’ ‘Till It’s Done ethos—a fitting tribute considering her role as team captain. Catching up with GRAZIA after the Olympic squad announcement, the elite athlete told us the pressure is on the team as competitors to reach the history-making milestone and bring home football Australia’s first-ever gold medal.

“We want success, we’ve worked so hard for so long to win something significant. We finished fourth in two tournaments now, so we put pressure on ourselves because we’re competitors,” she said.

“Ultimately, we have created a legacy in Australia and we should be proud of that. That’s something that we can always say we’ve achieved and always take with us. There is pressure, but we’re just going to do our best and take it one game at a time and hopefully make the country proud.”

Catley was pulled from an international friendly against Canada in Spain on July 13 due to an injury. Though Catley didn’t take to the field in the losing match against the world No.4 team, all eyes will be on the captain in their upcoming rival match against the US on August 1.

8. Hayley Raso, Football

The face of Oroton and a published children’s author aren’t qualities typically associated with an athlete. Yet as Hayley Raso heads to her second Olympics with the Matildas, it’s apparent the star is at the top of her game—irrespective of the field.

Her technical proficiency and prowess with the ball have led to some of the most memorable goals in the game. In Australia’s final group match against Canada in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Raso scored half of the goals in the 4-0 win, making her one of the most vital kickers competing at the moment. 

9. Jessica Fox, Canoe Slalom

Being an outlier in your field is an exceptional feat for any athlete. What’s more impressive still is Jessica Fox’s determination and grit, despite already being considered the greatest individual paddler in history.

Canoe slalom is an often underrated discipline, but Fox (along with her sister Noemie) is changing this course with each rapid they conquer. Of course, having optimised genetics does help, with the Fox sisters born to fellow Olympian and multiple world champion paddle parents.

Nevertheless, Jessica has usurped any expectations of a kayaking great, taking home her first gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Having competed at her first Olympics at the London 2012 games only a year after she topped her school as dux, Fox’s strength and persistence are a testament to paddling through whatever life throws at you.

As she’s performing a stone’s throw from the home of the French ballet, the Palais Garnier, you can entrust Fox to deliver aquatic pirouettes plenty. Fox will compete in three separate canoe events—the canoe single, kayak cross and kayak single,—with the latter being her first event on July 28.

10. Arisa Trew, Skateboarding

At only 14 years old, Arisa Trew is quite literally on a roll. After taking home gold in the women’s park final at the Olympic qualifier series in Shanghai and Budapest, the Queensland-born teenager will be counted on to continue her Rolodex of tricks since becoming the first and only woman to land two consecutive full rotations in the air.

The feat known as a ‘720’ piqued the interest of skating legend Tony Hawk, with the bona fide pro skater extending his congratulations on social media in front of his 8.8 million Instagram followers. As the 90s icon said himself: “Glass ceiling SHATTERED”. Trew’s first run at the Park prelims will be on August 6, but watch out for youngster Chloe Covell, who will be competing in the street segment, too. 

11. Charlotte Caslick, Rugby

While women’s rugby hasn’t had its moment in the spotlight quite like women’s football has, Charlotte Caslick is one such player shifting the needle when it comes to gaining global attention. As the current captain of the Australian Women’s 7s and the country’s longest-serving women’s Rugby 7s player in history, Caslick’s decade-long career and devotion to the sport will shine in France as she marks her third Olympics.

In 2022, Caslick co-captained the team to a historic triple crown—the World Rugby Sevens Series title, Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham and the Rugby Sevens World Cup in South Africa—but it was their gold medal win at Rio 2016 that set the benchmark for their success. Nevertheless, Caslick has the distinct honour of being Australia’s all-time leading try scorer. Australia’s first game against Fiji will take place on July 29.

12. Nina Kenndey, Athletics

Scratching the empyrean sounds like the plot of a folktale or mythological fable. For world champion Nina Kennedy, reaching death-defying heights is something that occurs each time she takes to the sky in pole vaulting.

After battling several injuries and the mental toll of COVID-19 prompted isolation during Tokyo 2020, Kennedy will return to the field in Paris where she will contend to take home her first Olympic medallion. As the adage goes, when you shoot for the moon, you’ll land amongst the stars. Qualifiers for the discipline will begin on August 5.

13. Tyler Wright, Surfing 

In the turquoise foam of French Polynesia, Australian surfing champion Tyler Wright will be cutting through barrels far from the Olympic home of Paris during the competition in Tahiti.

After the virtuoso returned to competition in 2021 after suffering from a chronic illness, the two-time World Surf League champion will contend for her first-ever gold alongside fellow female surfer Molly Picklum on what is regarded to be the world’s deadliest wave: Teahupo’o.

Translating to “place of skulls”, there were concerns for Wright’s well-being after she underwent a “life-changing” procedure that involved inserting seven screws into her head along with a maxillary palatal expander. If her performance after her battle with post-viral syndrome is anything to go by, Wright is only one wave away from bringing home gold. Watch the first round on July 28. 

14. Torrie Lewis, Athletics

By way of England and a brief stint as a national-level gymnast, Newcastle-raised sprinter Torrie Lewis is blazing a path to glory—and in quick succession, too. After a diagnosis of coeliac disease prompted her to switch to track, the British-born Lewis holds the distinct privilege of being Australia’s fastest woman after breaking a national record in the 100m sprint.

In April this year, she beat Sha’Carri Richardson (the American wunderkind and current fastest woman in the world) at a 200m heat in China. Catch her if you can in 200m and 4x100m relay on August 4 and 8, respectively. 

15. Lauren Jackson, Basketball

Considered Australia’s greatest female basketballer of all time, Lauren Jackson will make her return to the court with the Opals for her fifth Olympic games.

Having worn the green and gold uniform in each tournament since the milestone millennium tournament in Sydney, save for a brief retirement which saw her skip Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, Jackson will grace a stadium 500 kilometres away from where she made her last Olympic appearance 12 years ago in London.

Jackson has Swiss timekeeping house Tissot on her side, along with her former teammate-turned-coach Sandy Brondello. “Where I invest my time and passion is of paramount importance to me,” Jackson noted. “My ambition is to advance gender equality within the sport.” The Opals will jump start the tournament with their first match against Nigeria on July 29.  

16. Tina Rahimi, Boxing 

Olympic firsts don’t often get more heartwarming than Tina Rahimi—Australia’s first-ever female hijab-wearing Muslim boxer to make it to the premier ring. Rahimi pivoted from amateur makeup artist to novice boxer after picking up the sport as a fitness outlet. Now, with a bronze medal from the Commonwealth Games under her belt, Rahimi and her perfectly filtered complexion are headed to the City of Lights to make history. Watch the showdown on August 3 as Rahimi goes toe-to-toe in the ring.