In fact, this years competition just might be one for the history books.

And outside of it tooafter all, the Games always bring historical and cultural moments that go beyond athletics.

Want some inspo on what to watch for?

Olympian collage

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The 2024 Paris Games will be gender-matched for the first time ever.

Weve come a long way since the Paris Games in 1900, when only 22 womentotalcompeted.

Over the past couple decades, the gap has gradually lessened.

Olympic basketball team

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Simone Biles makes her triumphant Olympic return.

Before the Tokyo Olympics, Biles had already cemented her status as the greatest gymnast ever.

Now, shes on her third Olympic team.

Simone Biles

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This team has high odds of bringing home hardware, and theyll start out sparklingliterally.

The eight leotards theyll don during the competition have been hand-sewn with more than 47,000 crystals.

Watch them shine, beginning with the qualification round on July 28.

Sha’Carri Richardson on track

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ShaCarri Richardson will finally hit the Olympic trackand her training partners will be right there with her.

So this time, the story will have a very different ending.

Now, as Richardson famously says, Im not back, Im better.

Sydney McLaughlinLevrone

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Could Team USA sweep the event?

A whole bunch of records could fall on the track.

Watch all the action around the oval when track-and-field takes place August 1 through August 11.

Seine river

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Will swimming in the Seine be safe?

For 100 years, swimming in the Seine River has been illegal due to high pollution levels.

But thats exactly where Olympic triathletes and some open-water swimmers will compete.

Katie Ledecky

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Will the 1.4 billion euros France has spent to clean it up it be enough?

But as recently as early June, testing showed high levels ofE.

Katie Ledecky aims to make some golden history.

Sunny Choi

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That includes her signature event, the 1500 meter freestyle, of whichLedecky is the only Olympic champion.

Shell also compete in the 400 meter freestyle, 800 meter freestyle, and 4x200 meter freestyle relay.

Breaking will make its Olympic debut.

USA women’s basketball team

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Born in New York City in the 1970s,breaking (a.k.a.

breakdancing) is now an official Olympic sport.

Judges will score them on creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality.

Crystal Dunn

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In the end, the dancer with the best score wins.

Of the 32 athletes competing, two are Team USA womenLogan Logistx Edra and Sunny Choi.

Watch the B-Girls, as theyre called, do their thing on August 9.

Coco Gauff

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Womens hoops just might continue their amazing streak.

No,Caitlin Clark is noton the womens basketball team.

Yes, you should still watch the Americans compete.

Daniela Moroz

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The team could win its mind-blowing eighth Olympic gold medal in a row.

Every single member of the team has at least one Olympic or World Cup gold medal.

Theyll take the court from July 29 to August 11.

olivia reeves

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Meanwhile, theres a changing of the guard in womens soccer.

Their first official match, against Zambia, takes place at Nice Stadium on July 25.

And if they make it to the finals, youll want to tune in on Saturday, August 10.

Carissa Moore

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Coco Gauff gets her chance to take the court.

Shell have two chances: She and Jessica Pegula will also compete in doubles.

The womens tennis tournament is scheduled to run from July 27 to August 4.

Piper Kelly

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Team USA could take the first gold in kiteboarding.

Picture this: Youre standing on a small board in the ocean, attached to a large kite.

When the wind blows, a hydrofoil underneath lifts you out of the water.

Elle St. Pierre and son

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Thats kiteboarding, and for the first time, its part of the sailing program at this years Games.

And theres a dominant competitor looking to push Team USA ahead: six-time world championDaniela Moroz, 23.

Moroz grew up swimming, found kiteboarding at age 12, and was competing internationally by 14.

Gretchen Walsh and Alex Walsh

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Watch her take flight beginning on August 4.

Olivia Reeves could break the gold-medal drought in weightlifting.

(The last man to win gold, BTW, was Charles Vinciin1960.)

Gymnastics team podium masked

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But that could change, thanks to a 21-year-old University of Tennessee student.

Could an Olympic podium be next?

Find out during the womens 71 kg weight class competition on August 9.

Maggie Steffens

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Carissa Moore will ride the waves in Tahiti.

In Tokyo, Team USAsMoore claimed the first-ever womens gold medalin surfing.

Of course, Paris is not exactly famous for its waves.

Climbing indulges its need for speed.

Moms and other parents compete at the top of their gameand this year, theyll have extra support.

Several pairs of siblings will go for the gold, together.

That means she could compete in the womens or mixed (two men, two women) 4x400m relay.

Theyre not the only sibling duo headed to Paris.

Emma and Brooke DeBerdine are both on the womens field hockey roster.

COVID could make a reappearance.

But that doesnt mean COVID isnt a concern.

Will the Olympics do the same?

All we know now is theyre keeping an eye on the situation.

And some athletes, like the Australian delegation, aremasking voluntarily.

The womens water polo team is going for a historic four-peat.

That includes gold in 2012, 2016, and 2020.

Now theyll try for an unprecedented four-peat, led by returning captain Maggie Steffens.

Put all those sports together, and you get water polo, she says.