Team GB at Paris 2024 Olympics: Preview, highlights, athletes to watch and schedule for 31 July
It's an early start for the women's triathlon on Wednesday (31 July) with potential British medals before you've even had your first coffee, with world champion Beth Potter, and Georgia Taylor-Brown both eyeing gold as we head into Day 5 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
That's if the event goes ahead, that is. The men's competition was postponed until today, at 09:45 (BST) due to the water quality. The women's competition starts at 07:00.
World champion Kieran Reilly, qualified top in the men's BMX freestyle while defending Olympic champion Charlotte Worthington missed out in qualifying for the women's final.
Divers Andrea Spendolini Sirieix and Lois Toulson in the 10m synchronised final aim to emulate their podium finishes from the past two World Championships, while Katie-Jemima Yates-Brown goes for GB's first ever Olympic gold medal in judo, third time lucky after her compatriots have been unable to secure the history-making moment so far.
Gymnast Jake Jarman eyes a podium finish in the men's all-around final while Mallory Edwards will paddle frantically through the rapids at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in the hope of grabbing a medal in women's canoe slalom.
Gliding at speed through calmer water at the same venue are the men's and women's quadruple sculls teams, the former, rowing silver medallists from Tokyo 2020.
And that's just some of the highlights for an action-packed day for Team GB in Paris.
Read on to discover Team GB’s highlights on Day 5 of Paris 2024.
Phryge is a beast on the BMX thanks to these tips:
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 30, 2024
⭐ Learn the difference between freestyle and racing.
⭐ Keep your brakes on at the beginning.
⭐ Use your helmet.
With practice and help from your community, you too could become an Olympian one day.#Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/eJF4jaD2Ka
British athletes to watch on 31 July at Paris 2024: Beth Potter, Kieran Reilly, and Andrea Spendolini Sirieix
World champion Beth Potter will be hoping to cross the finish line first in the latter stages of the women's triathlon, while Georgia Taylor-Brown, the silver medallist in Japan, and Kate Waugh, who finished second to Potter at the 2023 World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra could also challenge.
Potter won the Paris Test event last year, so wants to replicate the epic photos of her sprinting along the iconic Pont Alexandre III with the majestic Les Invalides in the background, but she wants an Olympic gold medal at the end of her exertions this time around.
In another spectacular location, Kieran Reilly will look to add the Olympic BMX freestyle title to his world gold, flying high at La Concorde, an urban park in the heart of the city, overlooked by the Eiffel Tower. Reilly became the first rider to land a Triple Flair at the start of 2022, a feat documented with painful repetition on each try on his YouTube channel. The Geordie wants to make a name for himself in Paris, and not just for his distinctive mullet hair style. Defending champion Logan Martin of Australia qualified third.
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson compete in the 10m synchronised final with more history-making endeavours on the cards for Team GB diving, hoping to become the first British women to medal in the discipline. The Brits already have two diving medals in the bag in Paris, so will want to continue that trend.
The pair won World silver in 2023, and bronze in 2024, so will be hoping to replicate their podium finishes at the eco-friendly Olympic Aquatics Centre, one of just two buildings built specifically for Paris 2024.
GB's Beth Potter winning the Paris triathlon test event in 2023 with Les Invalides the majestic backdrop
Paris 2024 schedule highlights for Team GB on 31 July
All times listed in British Summer Time
Beth Potter, Georgia Taylor-Brown, and Kate Waugh in the women’s triathlon
07:00 Women's event
09:45 Men's event (postponed from yesterday)
Kieran Reilly in the men's BMX freestyle
13:45 Men's park final
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson in the women’s synchronised 10m platform final
10:00