Top five American sporting prospects to watch out for in 2024

In the 12 months preceding Olympic year, some athletes give a glimpse of what they can do to get us even more excited about the upcoming Games. We all know about Simone Biles, but she won't be the only star shining in Paris.

Here are five athletes who proved in 2023 that you need to watch out for them in 2024 and, in particular, at those Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Sha’Carri Richardson, track and field

In 2023, Sha'Carri Richardson showed that she had put the suspension which saw her miss Tokyo 2020 well behind her.

Richardson started the year with big sprint wins at the Miramar Invitational the Doha Diamond League stop. At August's World Championships in Budapest, she ran a championship record 10.65 seconds to take the 100m ahead of Shericka Jackson and double Olympic short sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. She also took bronze in the 200m and helped the USA to 4x100m gold.

After all she accomplished in 2023, she can do even bigger things in 2024 when she will hope to make her Olympic debut.

Hunter Armstrong, swimming

“The Magician” pulled quite a few rabbits out of his hat in 2023.

At the World Aquatics Championships, Armstrong won swimming bronze in the 100m backstroke and gold in the non-Olympic 50m backstroke.

He was also part of the victorious 4x100m medley relay team that won gold. Can he pull another set of magic tricks in Paris?

Jimmer Fredette, 3x3 basketball

American fans might hear the name Jimmer Fredette and think about his heroics in the NCAA tournament for Brigham Young University, or his time in the NBA. Now, it’s time to think of him as a 3x3 basketball star. Fredette may be a veteran basketball player, but he's relatively new to 3x3. That didn't stop him leading Team USA to gold at the Pan American games, which qualified the U.S. for a spot at the Paris Olympics, as well a silver in the World Cup. The U.S. men didn’t qualify for the last Olympics in Tokyo, so Fredette and his teammates will be aiming to help the U.S. win their first men's 3x3 medal.

Shilese Jones, gymnastics

After not making the 2020 Olympics team and losing her father to a kidney disease, Shilese Jones easily could have moved on from elite gymnastics. Instead, she pushed herself to become one of the best gymnasts in the world. At the gymnastics world championships in October, Jones was part of the U.S. team that won gold. She then took bronze in the all-around and bars. Heading into an Olympic year, Jones will want to continue to prove she is among the sport’s finest. Along with Biles, Sunisa Lee, and the returning Gabby Douglas, Jones could form part of a new Dream Team for the USA.

Zain Retherford, wrestling

In 2022, Retherford took silver at the world championships, meaning he ended his season on a loss. Retherford fixed that in 2023, winning gold at 70 kg. With the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials happening at his alma mater, Penn State, Retherford will have a big crowd cheering him on as his journey to Olympic gold begins.