Here is a look at international teams to watch in Paris.
USA MEN’S BASKETBALL
Ever since they missed out on gold in Athens 2004, the USA men’s basketball team has done all it can to guard against complacency when it comes to the Olympic Games.
The “Redeem Team” set the record straight at Beijing 2008 and that was the start of four consecutive golds at the Summer Games. While the expectation will always be that USA win, they’ve learned their lesson that they must still fight hard as a team to get that expected success.
With the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard all on show under the tutelage of legendary coach Steve Kerr, every USA game will be a huge event.
The team winning gold is far from a done deal, but their focus on the tournament is undoubted.
CANADA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Their gold medal win at Tokyo 2020 endeared themselves to football fans not because of flair in their play, but because of their determination, grit and infectious spirit in their dramatic run to glory.
Their journey comprised of a group stage where they only won one game, a penalty shootout win in the quarterfinal against Brazil (despite their superstar Christine Sinclair missing the opening spot kick), a heroic semifinal win against USA and a nerve-testing shootout win in the final against Sweden.
Jessie Fleming scored in the semifinal and the final of that tournament and is back to help the team again in Paris. She was also there for the Fifa Women’s World Cup in 2023 where the team were brought back down to earth with a humbling 4-0 defeat by Australia in the group stage.
The team will be motivated by the chance of vengeance as well as repeating past success – an unusual combination that will make them fascinating to follow.
FIJI MEN’S RUGBY SEVENS
Fiji have always brought a purist beauty to sevens rugby and any success they have brings a sense of romance to the sport.
With sevens being introduced to the Summer Games at Rio 2016, it would’ve pleased many organisers that the Fijians have won gold in the first two tournaments. They will always be seen as great ambassadors to grow the game.
However, Paris 2024 could well be their hardest Olympic test yet.
In major tournaments hosted around the world, Fiji have often enjoyed the benefit of neutral fans supporting them. With the hosts heavily favoured to do well, it could well come down to a clash against France where the stadium support will be anything but favourable to the Fijians.
How they cope with that will determine if they will keep their Olympic dynasty going or not.
JAMAICA MEN’S 4 X 100M RELAY
It’s no exaggeration to say that sprinting is a part of Jamaica’s national identity. The list of world class sprinters the island has produced is extraordinary and has gone a long way towards putting the nation in the international spotlight.
The greatest measurement of a nation’s sprinting production line is the 4 x 100m relay. Jamaica celebrated gold in London 2012 and at Rio 2016 but came up short with a fourth-place finish at Tokyo 2020.
While there will be plenty of effort to regain gold, bringing sprinters together to make a successful relay team is seldom straightforward.
The dynamics at play in the relay are so different from the factors what make sprinters successful. Sprinters are driven by their competitive individuality against others, but in the relay they have to come together as a team.
NETHERLANDS WOMEN’S HOCKEY
While the Netherlands are at the top of both the international men’s and women’s rankings, it’s the women’s team that have flown the flag higher at the Olympics with three gold medal wins in the last four Summer Games.
Hockey is an expression of many classic elements of Dutch sporting pride. They have based their success in the sport on their obsession with technical development and tactical insight.
There’s a clear identity in how they play the game that helps national team players come together into a system that they’re all familiar with.
There is a fresh look to the women’s team that has been named for Paris with nine debutants in the squad. This is coupled with experienced campaigners like Xan de Waard and Maria Verschoor who will both be playing in their third Games.
There might be new faces, but nothing has changed when it comes to the team’s commitment to excellence.
