BBC Wales at the Olympics

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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.

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Back in 2020, Rupert Shipperley quit his job as a geography teacher to train with Great Britain and pursue his dream of going to an Olympics - but within weeks the Tokyo Games had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shipperley used the delay to his advantage, establishing himself on the GB programme, and his Olympic dream came true.

He can now boast 48 caps for Great Britain and 106 for Wales and will be hoping for some silverware in Paris this summer.

Shipperley said: "I'm incredibly honoured to be selected for my second Olympics. We hope to showcase our sport to the world and, as a team, we have high expectations. I can't wait to get started."

The GB men's hockey team get their campaign under way on Saturday, 27 July with a pool A match against Spain.

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Gareth Furlong may have been a late bloomer on the GB programme, but he has long been a legend in Welsh hockey circles - and literally in opposition defensive circles, if you've seen his drag flicks.

His tally of 148 caps for Wales puts him in a very select group of people to represent the nation so often.

He scored on his GB debut in June and will now hope to fire them to their first Olympic gold since 1988.

"There are five or six really competitive sides there but we definitely want to be on the podium at the end of the Games," he said.

Team GB's men's hockey side begin their campaign against Spain on Saturday, 27 July.

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At just 17 years -old, Ruby Evans is the youngest Welsh athlete in Team GB at this summer's Olympics.

She is also the first female artistic gymnast from Wales to go to a Games since Sonia Lawrence back in 1996.

She started the sport at her local leisure centre in Cardiff when she was five - and kept going back.

Evans has established herself on the GB women's artistic team over the past 12 months, but the Olympics will be another level for her.

"Hopefully it'll be one of the best experiences of my life," she said. "I'm really excited to get there, be in the village and meet other people from other sports."

Women's qualification begins on Sunday, 28 July, with the team final following on Tuesday, 30 July at 17:15 BST.

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Israel-Premier Tech rider Stevie Williams already has two big wins to his name this year - the Tour Down Under in January and the one-day La Flèche Wallonne in April.

And it's already been a big summer for him too.

He recently signed a new four-year contract with Israel-Premier Tech and rode his first Tour de France.

Now Williams is preparing for his Olympic debut, as he returns to the French roads for the men's road race in Paris at 10:00 BST on Saturday, 3 August.

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Josh Tarling may only be 20 years-old but has already established himself as one of the world's best time triallists.

In 2023 he won European gold and took bronze at the World Championships, while he has also won the last two British time trial titles.

He has been riding with INEOS since he was 18 and recently signed a new contract, with the team describing him as one of the most promising talents in world cycling.

Tarling could win one of Great Britain's first golds of the Games, as the men's time trial gets under way at 15:34 BST on Saturday, 27 July. He will be back in action the following Saturday in the men's road race.

"I'm honoured to go, but I want to do well." Tarling said. "I want to try to win and I'll throw everything at it to win."

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Jess Roberts was always considered a hugely talented young rider but everything went on hold for her in 2021 as she was forced to take time away from cycling to recover from a long-standing back injury.

That issue is behind her now and, after two Commonwealth Games appearances for Wales, she gets the chance to race at her first Olympics.

"We're a select number of people who get to do this. It's pretty surreal," Roberts said.

"I'm really grateful for this opportunity and excited to get on the start line."

Roberts takes to the track on Tuesday, 6 and Wednesday, 7 August in the women's team pursuit.

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When the last Olympics took place in Tokyo, Anna Morris was in a Gloucestershire hospital training to be a doctor.

She had started cycling at university and would fit training around her shifts.

Morris paused her medical career to try - successfully - to make the 2022 Commonwealth Games for Wales, and did not stop there.

She moved on to the British Cycling programme in Manchester and has become an important part of the women's endurance squad.

She was part of the world championship-winning team pursuit quartet in Glasgow last summer and will aim for the same in Paris. She will also double up on the road, with her medical career still on hold.

"I've watched it growing up on TV and you wonder what it's like to go to the Games," Morris said.

"It wasn't on my radar a few years ago, but it's such a special opportunity."

Morris first rides in the women's road race on Sunday, 4 August.

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Ella Maclean-Howell is one of the 17 Welsh athletes who will make Olympic debuts this summer - and she will make a little bit of history along the way.

Maclean-Howell is the first Welsh mountain biker to go to an Olympics and another cyclist on the impressive alumni list of Cardiff club, Maindy Flyers, where Elinor Barker and former Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas started out.

She has earned her spot after some impressive results at under-23 level this season and says the experience in Paris will be invaluable as she already looks ahead to LA 2028.

"It's going to be completely crazy. It's a big step up but I'm super excited as it's what every child dreams of," she said.

Maclean-Howell races on Sunday, 28 July.

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It is rare for a 21-year-old to be making their Olympic debut with the weight of expectation on their shoulders, but Emma Finucane is no ordinary 21-year-old.

The sprint cyclist from Carmarthen is already a world champion and European champion and on her day is the undisputed best.

She is in contention to challenge for three golds in Paris, though a lot can happen in track sprinting. Either way, it should be box office.

"I'm driven by being successful and winning Olympic gold medals," Finucane said.

Finucane's schedule begins with the women's team sprint, which kicks off the track cycling programme on Monday, 5 August.

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This will be Elinor Barker's third Olympic Games - but her first since becoming a mum to Nico in 2022.

She found out she was pregnant on the day she won Olympic silver in the women's team pursuit in Tokyo, meaning a cocktail of emotions as she also came to terms with being left out of the GB quartet for their final against Germany.

At that time, Barker says, Paris was not on her radar - but she has made a remarkable return to the sport after pregnancy. She competed for Wales at the 2022 Commonwealth Games when Nico was just five months old, then won two world titles in the team pursuit and madison in 2023.

Those events are in Barker's sights for Paris as she aims to add to her silver from Tokyo and gold from Rio 2016, with the women's team pursuit first up on Tuesday, 6 and Wednesday, 7 August.

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Rosie Eccles has been dreaming of going to the Olympics since she was eight - and she has been trying to qualify for six years.

Covid cost her a place at the last Games after she caught the virus in early 2020. It attacked her nervous system, causing so much pain in her neck and right arm that it left her fearing for her boxing career.

But having bounced back with Commonwealth gold for Wales in 2022, Eccles is aiming for Olympic gold, which her former Wales and GB team-mate Lauren Price won in Tokyo.

"This is my one Olympics. This is my one shot. If I take one fight at a time and bring my best, I can win that gold medal," she said.

Eccles begins her bid for glory in the women's 66kg on Sunday, 28 July. If she goes all the way to the final, she will fight at 21:51 BST on Friday, 9 August at Roland Garros.

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Olympic debutant Jeremiah Azu will fly the flag for Wales in the showpiece event, the men's 100m.

Azu is the only Welsh athlete who has run 100 metres in less than 10 seconds, running 9.97 in Germany in May to move into the top 10 times on the all-time 100m British rankings.

The 23-year-old says his religious beliefs are driving his achievements in athletics and he is now targeting the Olympic 100m final, as well as a medal in the 4x100m relay.

Azu will begin competing on Saturday, 3 August.