The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
More than 10,000 Olympians set their sights on Paris
The names have been trickling in, one or two at a time. Over the next two months, that trickle will turn into a flood.
By the time the festivities begin in Paris on July 26, some 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries will be able to call themselves 2024 Olympians.
From archery to wrestling, each of the 32 sports on the Olympic program has different qualifying criteria.
Some athletes have been racking up wins, or points, over the past year and already have secured their spots. Many more — for instance, more than 85% of the spots on the U.S. team have yet to be filled — won’t know their fate until May or June, when they compete at their own country’s Olympic trials. At dozens of meets around the world, even the best will have to prove themselves one more time to officially be placed on their country’s Olympic roster.
A glance at who’s in and who still has work to do:
ARCHERY
Teams are still being formed, but the most shocking result so far is that three-time gold medalist An San of powerhouse South Korea did not make the team in national trials. Her teammate, Lim Si-hyeon, is in.
BADMINTON
Defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark and world champion An Se-young of South Korea are near sure bets.
BASKETBALL
The four-time defending Olympic champion United States and 2023 World Cup winner Germany are among eight confirmed in the 12-team men’s tournament. The Serbia team that could include two-time NBA MVP Nikola Joki also is in. The 12 women’s teams are finalized, led by the seven-time defending champion U.S.
BASKETBALL 3-ON-3
Jimmer Fredette and Canyon Barry, the son of Rick Barry, are on the U.S. men’s team, which did not even qualify for the Olympics in this discipline’s debut in 2021. The U.S. women are the defending champions and will announce their squad later.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Only host France and the current world champions — Czech Republic for men and the U.S. women, including the top team of Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng — are in so far. The rest are decided in June.
BOXING
Cuba’s Julio César De La Cruz and Arlen López return for title defenses, along with Kellie Harrington of Ireland. American qualifiers include welterweight Omari Jones and featherweight Jahmal Harvey, the 2021 world champion.
BREAKING
The U.S. so far has qualified men’s world champion Victor Montalvo and the women’s PanAmerican champion, 35-year-old Sunny Choi. Most spots will be locked up in May and June.
CANOEING
In the 16 medal events, only Spain, Germany and Australia have qualified so far in at least 13 of them.
CYCLING
Most of the 500 spots for 22 events won’t be determined until May and June.
DIVING
China won seven of eight golds in Tokyo, where Britain won the other, in men’s 10-meter synchronized platform, where Olympic veteran Tom Daley should be back to defend in Paris.
EQUESTRIAN
Specific names have not been determined, but this is one of two sports (also taekwondo) in which Palestine has earned a spot.
FENCING
A standout sport for France, which won two gold medals in Tokyo. Olga Kharlan of Ukraine was guaranteed her entry by the IOC after an incident at the 2023 world championships where she refused to engage with a Russian opponent she beat.
FIELD HOCKEY
The United States is in only the women’s competition and India is in only the men’s. All action will take place at the Colombes stadium, which was the “Chariots of Fire” track and field venue at the 1924 Olympics.
GOLF
Qualification is based on the world golf ranking as of June 17 for the men and June 24 for the women. Scottie Scheffler is the only American to have clinched a spot. The Americans are likely
to have four players again. Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu lead the women’s standings.
GYMNASTICS
Seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles and reigning allaround champion Sunisa Lee will be part of a talented field at Olympic trials in Minneapolis in late June. The five-woman team that emerges is likely to be heavy favorites to win gold in Paris, especially with defending champion Russia out since it was not allowed into the qualifying events because of the war in Ukraine. The men’s field is likely to be led by Japan and reigning Olympic all-around champion Daiki Hashimoto.
HANDBALL
The 12-team tournaments include Denmark and Norway, qualified in both the men’s and women’s lineup, and host France is the defending champion in both. Neither event will include the United States.
JUDO
World championships in May decide the entry list. Leading U.S. candidates include Maria Celia Laborde in the women’s 48-kilogram category, Angelica Delgado in 52kg and Jack Yonezuka in the men’s 73kg.
Defending champion Joe Choong of Britain and Jessica Davis of the U.S. are in for the competition at Versailles Palace. Equestrian is on its way out of this sport after this year.
ROWING
Final qualification regatta is in May in Switzerland. Emma Twigg
of New Zealand is expected to defend her title in single sculls at her fifth Olympics and her first as a parent.
RUGBY SEVENS
Rugby powers Australia, Ireland and New Zealand are in men’s and women’s competitions.
SAILING
Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze of Brazil will target a third straight title in the women’s 49erFX class. A last-chance qualification regatta is held in France in late April.
SOCCER
Most of the men’s teams have qualified — 12 of 16, awaiting the Asia qualifying event — but which players can they pick? France could have 2018 World Cup winners Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann among three overage players allowed in what is an under-23 event for men. Argentina wants to pick Lionel Messi. The final call is with clubs, which do not have to release players for the Olympic tournament that cuts into the European preseason and, in Messi’s case at Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer schedule.
Canada’s women will defend their Olympic title, but Tokyo Games men’s gold medalist Brazil did not qualify after losing to Argentina. European soccer also sends Israel, Spain and Ukraine to the men’s lineup.
SHOOTING
On the American team, three-time Olympic champion Vincent Hancock is confirmed to defend his title in men’s skeet and Mary Tucker is in the women’s 10-meter air rifle. IOC member
Danka Barteková of Slovakia has qualified as the skeet world champion. She was a bronze medalist in 2012.
SKATEBOARDING
Entry for 80 athletes will be decided by world rankings on June 23. Japan’s Sora Shirai is just ahead of Nyjah Huston of the U.S. in men’s street. Kokona Hiraki, a 12-year-old silver medalist in Tokyo, leads the women’s park rankings. Britain’s Sky Brown, the 2021 bronze medalist, is third. She will not try for the surfingskateboarding double, as she failed to qualify in surfing.
SPORT CLIMBING
Defending champion Janja Garnbret of Slovenia is qualified as the current world champion for the combined event that also includes 2023 Pan-Ams champion Natalia Grossman of the U.S. Colin Duffy of the U.S. is in the men’s combined as the worlds silver medalist last year.
SURFING
Most of the spots for an event that will take place in Tahiti have been locked up. Olympic champion Carissa Moore of the U.S. qualified to defend her title alongside teammates Caitlin Simmers and Caroline Marks. The men’s silver medalist in Tokyo three years ago, Kanoa Igarashi, returns in a competition that will include two Americans, Griffin Colapinto and John John Florence.
SWIMMING
Just like anyone else, Katie Ledecky will have to make it through U.S. Olympic trials before knowing how many chances she’ll have to add to her seven Olympic gold medals. The women’s 100 butterfly is considered one of the most competitive events, and American Torri Huske, the 2022 world champion, could be pushed even to earn one of the three spots on the U.S. team.
TABLE TENNIS
China won four of the five gold medals in Tokyo three years ago though could go to Paris without two-time defending men’s singles champion Ma Long. With lineups not set for another month or two, Ma, 35, has been overtaken by top-ranked Wang Chuqin and world champion Fan Zhendong, the singles silver medalist in Tokyo.
TAEKWONDO
CJ Nickolas is the only qualified American.
TENNIS
Impossible to know who will play on the red clay at Roland Garros until mid-June, because qualifying is based on the rankings after the French Open.
TRACK AND FIELD
A few lucky marathoners, such as Emily Sisson and Clayton Young, already secured their trips in the sport that brings the largest contingent — around 2,200 athletes — to the Olympics.
Almost everyone else — yes, that includes Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson — will have to earn a spot at Olympic trials in June. In the U.S., that means finishing in the top three in any individual event, even if you’re a defending world champion. Same in Jamaica, where ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce is trying for her fifth and final Games and Elaine Thompson-Herah is seeking three straight golds in the 100 and 200.
One other sure thing: No Russian athletes will be on hand, thanks to the sport’s ban on the country while the war in Ukraine rages on.
TRIATHLON
Britain selected 2020 Olympics silver medalist Alex Yee for the men’s event. A ranking system will allocate 26 more entries for each of men and women on May 27.
VOLLEYBALL
Men’s gold medalist France is in, as is the defending champion United States on the women’s side.
WATER POLO
The seven nations qualified in both events are the United States, Australia plus five Europeans including host France.
WEIGHTLIFTING
American Jourdan Delacruz qualified for her second Olympics. Olivia Reeves is ranked No. 2 in women’s 71-kilo. Rankings on April 28 are used to finalize the lineup. In the men’s heavyweight rankings, Georgian great Lasha Talakhadze leads and is aiming for a third straight title.
WRESTLING
Two champions at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, Americans Kyle Snyder and Helen Maroulis, have qualified to compete for a third Olympic medal. Olympic champion Zaurbek Sidakov, from Russia, has qualified to defend his 74-kilo title though must be approved as a neutral by the IOC.