Team GB

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The Paris Games will be a second Olympics for Britain's undisputed best 1500m swimmer of the last decade, Dan Jervis.

The Resolven product has won medals for Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games - though was cruelly denied a chance to swim for an elusive gold at Birmingham 2022 after contracting Covid-19 close to the event.

He says he struggled with motivation in the aftermath of that disappointment but always felt he had one more Olympics in him. He has been proved right.

"It was a lot harder to get to this Olympics. To get on that podium would be an absolute dream," he said.

The men's 1500m freestyle takes place over the middle weekend of the Olympics, with the final at 17:36 BST on Sunday, 4 August.

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In the three years since Tokyo, Medi Harris has very quickly established herself on the GB swimming team.

She won bronze for Team Wales as a teenager at the 2022 Commonwealth Games before becoming European champion with the GB women's 4x100m freestyle team later that summer.

The 21-year-old, from Porthmadog, picked up silver and bronze at this year's World Championships, but soon afterwards her mum, Ellie, sadly passed away.

Medi had to complete at the Olympic trials within weeks.

She did so admirably and her spot at her first Olympics was secured in the most difficult of circumstances.

"It feels a bit surreal," Harris said. "It's been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. With each competition and each team I make, I'm just learning more and more. I know my mum was proud of me no matter what I did."

Harris' Olympic debut should come on Monday, 29 July in the women's 100m backstroke, with relays likely to follow later in that first week - including the women's 4x200m freestyle.

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Kieran Bird swam the race of his life at the 2021 Olympic trials to qualify for his first Games in Tokyo.

The event itself did not go as well, but Bird has shown his class this year with a real return to form.

He has set personal bests in the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle and looks well placed to make a much greater impact at his second Games.

"I'm buzzing. This time I want to go and compete, really give it a go," he said.

"I feel like I've got redemption to do. It's nice to be back on track with where I want to be."

The men's 400m freestyle all takes place on Saturday, 27 July at the La Defense Arena.

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As was the case like in Tokyo, dad-of-two Chris Grube is the oldest Welsh athlete at the Games.

Now 39, Grube has claimed a fifth-place finish at the last two Olympic Games.

But there's a new class for Paris 2024 - the mixed dinghy - which sees a man and a woman team up in the boat.

After thinking Tokyo would mark his farewell from Olympic sailing, Grube partnered with 23-year-old Vita Heathcote late in the Paris cycle and their silver medal at this year's World Championships will leave him hoping he has left his best Olympic appearance for last.

"Olympic sailing has always been the spark for me, ever since I was sailing round Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid) at 10 years old," he said.

"Our potential is huge, especially off the back of the World Championships."

The mixed dinghy event begins in Marseille Marina on Friday, 2 August, with two races a day until the top 10 boats move into the medal races on Wednesday, 7 August, when double points are up for grabs.

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During the last Olympics, Micky Beckett was working on the TV production of the Games, advising TV directors on race narratives.

Since then he's proved he deserves to compete at that level himself.

The west Walian has won European gold, world silver and bronze, as well as silver at the Paris 2024 test event last year.

He has also won the ILCA7 dinghy class at the prestigious Princess Sofia Trophy regatta in Mallorca every year since 2022.

He has a calm, understated presence but he is determined to succeed and has all the ingredients to do something special in Marseille.

"The pressure's there. But I thought, do I want to be an outsider, an underdog - or do I want to go in as favourite? If you go in as favourite, it means you've had that winning experience," he said.

"By winning those medals, that's got me the winning experience which hopefully will stand me in good stead."

The men's dinghy event takes place in Marseille Marina from Thursday, 1 August, with two races a day until the top 10 boats move into the medal races on Tuesday, 6 August, when double points are on offer.

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Jaz Joyce-Butchers - previously Joyce - is the first British rugby player to go to three Olympic Games.

She will be hoping to come back with a medal at the third time of asking, having been part of the GB women's sides who finished fourth in both Rio and Tokyo.

With almost 40 caps for Wales, she's known for her speed on the rugby pitch, something that comes into its own in sevens.

"Fourth place is almost the worst position you can come. You'd rather come last," she said.

"The last two Olympics we've expected to medal but now we're coming in under the radar. There's a different fight about us."

The women's rugby sevens event is held over three days from Sunday, 28, until Tuesday, 30 July at the Stade de France.

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Ollie Wynne-Griffith grew up dreaming of playing rugby for Wales but has instead become one of Britain's top rowers.

He won Olympic bronze in the men's eight at the last Games before switching to the pair with childhood friend Tom George for this Olympic cycle.

Wynne-Griffith has moved from stroke to bowside and the childhood friends have made quite the pair so far.

They have been on the podium at every major championships since Tokyo, won their first major title at the 2024 European Rowing Championships and are unbeaten in 2024 so far.

"Going to one Olympic Games is more than I ever could've dreamt of growing up," Wynne-Griffith said.

"So to be going to my second, if you'd told me 10 years ago I would've laughed at you. You see the Team GB kit and it gives you goosebumps."

The men's pair heats start from 10:00 BST on Sunday, 28 July, before the final follows at 09:42 BST on Friday, 2 August.

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After spending a decade swimming for Wales, Becky Wilde now rows on water in the double sculls.

She and Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne left it very late to qualify for Paris - doing so at the final Olympic Qualification Regatta in May.

But it was a build-up affected by injury and disruption. Last year she had surgery for compartment syndrome in both her arms, a condition which causes pressure to build inside the muscles.

But now she looks to be hitting form at just the right time.

“I’ve dreamed of going to the Olympics since I was six years old, so it means everything to me," Wilde said.

"The field in the women’s double is very open and we know if we make the final in Paris, it’s all to play for.”

Wilde and Hodgkins-Byrne begin competing on Saturday, 27 July. The final is at 09:30 BST on Thursday, 1 August.

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Eve Stewart was born in the Netherlands to a proud Welsh mum who played netball for her country - but it was the boats and blades which drew Eve's interest.

She rowed for the Netherlands at first, but - after going to university in Iowa - the well-travelled Stewart eventually came to the UK and began rowing for Britain.

In Paris she will be part of the women's eight, who begin competing at 11:00 BST on Monday, 29 July with the final taking place at 09:50 BST on Saturday, 3 August.

Stewart's grandmother was Pat Stewart - one of the 'Blackpool Belles' photographed in a spotty dress on Blackpool beachfront in 1951 that became an iconic photo of the time.

“Competing at my first Olympics as part of Team GB is a literal dream come true," Stewart said.

"We’ve done some great training on our pre-Olympic camp and I can’t wait to show the world what we can do.”

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Graeme Thomas, who hails from Preston but has a Welsh grandfather, will be hoping his luck turns as he prepares for his third Olympics.

In 2016 he was forced to fly home without competing due to illness.

Then in Tokyo - in the men's double sculls - he finished an agonising fourth alongside John Collins in the final.

He moves into the men's quadruple sculls and says he is hoping for some more "Tom Barras magic" after his compatriot helped the boat to silver in Tokyo.

"If my career's been a rollercoaster then the last three years certainly have as well. I had an injury last year which took me out of competing. But I won the national trials in December so I've shown I'm back at my best," Thomas said.

The men's quad begin competing at 11:30 BST on Saturday, 27 July, and will be hoping to race for gold at 11:02 BST on Wednesday, 31 July.

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Harry Brightmore started out with oar in hand as he represented Wales a decade ago.

These days he's the man at the back of the boat, coxing Great Britain's men's eight to the world title in both 2022 and 2023.

"It's like herding cats sometimes!" Brightmore said. "All the guys bring very different experiences and it's important for me to draw upon them and bring it to a big collective. When we're all the same page, we're flying."

Brightmore was inspired by watching the men's eight win gold at Sydney 2000 and, after the boat's bronze in Tokyo, he will be hoping to help them reach the top of the podium once again.

The men's eight get under way at 10:40 BST on Monday, 29 July, with their potential final following at 10:10 BST on Saturday, 3 August.

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In an otherwise disappointing Tokyo Games for British Rowing, the men's quadruple sculls' silver medal win was a standout moment.

It was the first time Britain had won a medal in the boat class.

Tom Barras was part of the boat back then and returns in Paris - alongside fellow former Wales Home Countries sculling champion Graeme Thomas. Barras credits his desire to challenge for Olympic gold as the main reason he stayed in the boat for another three years.

"This is a phenomenally powerful boat I'm in. I want to push the top boats as hard as I can and if we get it right, we can win," he said.

The men's quad begin competing at 11:30 BST on Saturday, 27 July, and will be hoping to race for gold at 11:02 BST on Wednesday, 31July.

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Anyone who remembers watching Sir Steve Redgrave's historic fifth Olympic rowing gold at Sydney 2000 will know how iconic the Great Britain men's four is.

Matt Aldridge, 28, is part of the boat in Paris - and they look on course for more history.

Aldridge, who is Welsh-qualified through his grandmother, and team-mates Oli Wilkes, David Ambler and Freddie Davidson are the reigning world champions and finished the 2024 season unbeaten.

The GB men's four boat looks like the one to beat in Paris.

"Great Britain know how to make a four go very quickly," said Aldridge.

"I think we make a bigger sum than our parts. We don't have the ego - we just get it done."

The men's four heats begin at 11:50 BST on Sunday, 28 July, with the final taking place at 10:06 BST on Thursday, 1 August.

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Sarah Jones was one of GB's star performers on their way to Olympic bronze in Tokyo.

She held her nerve to score a brilliant shootout penalty against Spain in the quarter-final, with GB going on to beat India in a 4-3 thriller to secure the bronze.

Results have not been as good as the team would have wanted since but, after that historic gold at Rio 2016, the GB women's team have proved they can rise to the biggest occasion.

Jones said: "With Tokyo it was such a different experience, due to Covid, so I’m looking forward to enjoying the atmosphere and buzz of Paris."

The GB women get started against Spain at 12:15 BST on Sunday, 28 July.

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport Journalist in Paris

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Tom Daley has been speaking about the diving competition at Paris 2024 and the prospect of trying to beat the Chinese swimmers to gold, as he did in Tokyo.

I cannot work out whether Daley's comments are innocent or if he is trying to throw down the gauntlet to China and ramp up the pressure.

The context is that China have won seven out of eight diving golds at each of the past two Olympics.

"The Chinese diving team is the strongest diving nation unquestionably," said Daley, who will compete in the 10m platform event with Noah Williams.

"On paper you would consider them to win every single event but it is the Olympic Games.

"I know every single one of the Chinese divers knows it is their competition to lose, which brings a lot pressure and expectation.

"You go into a competition with a different mindset if you know you could and should win."

Here's what Andy Murray had to say after his decision to pull out of the singles competition at the Olympics.

Murray will still compete in the doubles with fellow Briton Dan Evans.

"I’ve take the decision to withdraw from the singles to concentrate on the doubles with Dan," a statement from Murray read.

"Our practice has been great and we’re playing well together.

"Really looking forward to getting started and representing GB one more time."