Five things to watch at the finale of the artistic gymnastics World Challenge Cup, hosted at the Paris 2024 Olympic venue

Artistic gymnastics fans headed to the Bercy Arena in France on Saturday (16 September) for the final FIG World Challenge Cup of the 2023 season won't know where to look such are the plethora of stars on show.

The opportunity to take advantage of a competition in the host venue for Paris 2024, a warm-up ahead of the World Championships taking place in Antwerp, Belgium, starting 30 September, and the small matter of the finale of the 2023 World Challenge Cup series in which gymnasts solely compete on their specialist apparatus, has proved enticing.

So, Olympics.com highlights five things to watch at the event in which the top eight scorers on each apparatus from Saturday's competition will qualify for the ten apparatus finals on Sunday (17 September).

Max Whitlock and Rhys McClenaghan pommel horse showdown

The current Olympic and world champions will be showcasing their form and difficulty on pommel horse in Paris, with Britain's double Olympic champion on the apparatus, Max Whitlock, appearing in his first international competition since Tokyo 2020.

Following the Japan Games, the 30-year-old endured a challenging period in which he struggled for the motivation to continue in the sport in which he first won a medal on his specialist apparatus with a bronze at London 2012.

However, he announced his return for another go, at Paris 2024, telling Olympics.com in an exclusive interview in February: “It would eat me up inside if I stopped because I was scared of failing in Paris.”

The 2022 world champion, Rhys McClenaghan, who represents Ireland, has been a more visible presence on the world scene, so the scenario of a duel between the pair who could well be finalists on the apparatus at Paris 2024 is a mouth-watering prospect.

Homecoming queen, Melanie de Jesus dos Santos

The home fans can practice the roar of support expected by their gymnasts at next year's Games, especially with the return of the 2019 European all-around champion, Melanie de Jesus dos Santos, who has spent a year training alongside US icon, Simone Biles.

Joining dos Santos will be a strong French contingent including world medallists Coline Devillard (vault), Samir Ait Said (rings) – also renowned for his strength in coming back from a horrific leg injury suffered at Rio 2016 – and Cyril Tommasone (pommel horse).

Also watch out for Benjamin Osberger, who finished fourth on floor at the 2022 World Championships in Liverpool, and two-time Olympian Marine Boyer, who will be competing on her favoured beam and floor apparatus.

GB send strong squad with a Paris 2024 quota spot already secured

Courtesy of a top-three finish in both the men's and women's team competitions at their home World Championships in Liverpool in 2022, Great Britain are the only nation to have secured both men's and women's team quota spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, so far.

With that in mind, the GB gymnasts competing this weekend know that five spots are available on each team – with gymnasts selected by the National Olympic Committee next year – and the soon-to-be Olympic venue is as good a place as any to showcase their form and get comfortable in the arena should they secure a place.

Four-time Olympic medallist Max Whitlock will be joined by European all-around champion Jake Jarman, a world team bronze medallist alongside Courtney Tulloch, who is also the world still rings bronze medallist, plus European floor exercise title holder Luke Whitehouse, and fellow newcomer Harry Hepworth.

World team silver medallist and two-time Commonwealth Games bars champion, Georgia-Mae Fenton will be joined by Poppy-Grace Stickler, an alternate for the team that competed at the 2022 Worlds.

• Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
• As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.

Australia's Georgia Godwin aiming for continuation of golden form

The still-only 25-year-old Georgia Godwin won a history-making seventh women’s all-around title at the Australian Championships in May, continuing her form from a stellar 2022 season.

Coming away from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with five medals, including the all-around title ahead of the home nation's Ondine Achampong, Godwin then secured her career-best 12th place all-around finish at the World Championships in Liverpool.

At the World Challenge Cups in Tel Aviv (Israel) and Osijek (Croatia), both in June, the Queensland-born gymnast won seven medals, including five gold. She'll be looking to continue that rich vein of form heading toward the World Championships at the end of the month.

South African duo Naveen Daries and Caitlin Rooskrantz seek more rewards

Being one of the first gymnasts of colour to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games was an immense point of pride for Caitlin Rooskrantz.

With compatriot Naveen Daries, the pair have blazed a trail for gymnasts in their nation, including breakthrough performances for South African artistic gymnastics at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Alongside Shante Koti, Garcelle Napier and Mammule Rankoe, they placed fourth in the team event. Rooskrantz also made history with bronze on the uneven bars, the country’s first medal in the discipline.

A gold medal on her specialist apparatus, the uneven bars, at the World Challenge Cup event in Szombathely, Hungary in 2019, ensured Rooskrantz became the first from her nation to win a medal at an international gymnastics competition.

The Paris event will give the 21-year-old the opportunity to win another but also provide a warm-up ahead of the World Championships at the end of the month.

• How to qualify for artistic gymnastics at Paris 2024

For more information on the event, check the FIG website here.