IG: @eileengu

Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Age: 20
Team: China

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Eileen Gu is one of the most elite skiers in the world. She became the youngest Olympic champion in skiing, ever, in 2018, won the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year award in 2023, and somehow still seems to just be getting started. Gu is also a model, has been on the TIME 100 and Forbes 30 Under 30 lists, and has over 1.9M followers on Instagram. After missing the 2023 X Games due to injury, Gu returned with a vengeance in 2024, winning the gold medal in the ski halfpipe event despite a painful hip injury. Shortly after the X Games concluded, Gu continued serving as a Gangwon 2024 Global Ambassador for the Youth Olympics.

IG: @shicanfly

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Age: 21
Team: USA

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Shilese Jones missed the cut for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 but competed with Team USA at the 2023 Pan American Games, where the team earned a gold medal. Jones earned bronze medals in all-around and the uneven bars. At the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Jones earned first place in the uneven bars and second place in all-around. USA Gymnastics always carries high expectations into the Olympics - and this summer will be no different. Jones is hitting her stride at just the right time to reach what she hopes will be her first Olympic Games.

IG: @summerrmcintosh

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Age: 17
Team: Canada

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When you think of swimming, “on fire” is probably not a term that comes to mind — but Summer McIntosh is precisely that. Heading into the Olympic trials for Paris 2024, the 17-year-old Canadian swimmer is on an absolute tear after setting a world junior record time in the 200m medley in 2023. One Paris race we’re keeping an eye on is the 400m freestyle — a race that McIntosh, American Katie Ledecky, and Australian Ariarne Titmus have all held the world record for at one time or another. While it isn’t public knowledge yet which races McIntosh will compete in at the Olympics, we hope to see these three titans of swimming battle it out.

IG: @asjiaoneal

Hometown: Southlake, TX
Age: 24
Team: Columbus Fury / Team USA

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Asjia O’Neal made history in 2023 after she became the first pick in the inaugural draft for the Pro Volleyball Federation and helped Texas bring home its second consecutive NCAA championship. O’Neal will lead the Columbus Fury in the Pro Volleyball Federation, as it opens its first-ever season. O’Neal also makes her Olympic debut with the U.S. national volleyball team this summer.

IG: @itsshacarri

Hometown: Dallas, TX
Age: 23
Team: USA

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Sha’Carri Richardon’s dreams were dashed in 2020 when she was deemed ineligible for the Tokyo Olympics despite a spectacular start to her professional track career. She's back to full speed after finding her stride, breaking the 100m record at the Track & Field Championships in July, finishing in 10.82 seconds. Richardson followed up that win a month later with her first international individual title and a gold medal in the 4x100m relay at the World Athletic Championships. This superstar will have us glued to the television no matter which race she’s in.

IG: @giselethomp

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 18
Team: Angel City FC

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Set to make her NWSL debut this summer, 18-year-old Gisele Thompson will join her older sister, Alyssa, at Angel City FC. The defender received an offer from Stanford University but decided to go pro instead. She has stints with the U-17 and U-20 national teams under her belt and is a prospect to join the senior national team. Thompson will bring more versatility and speed to an already stellar Angel City defensive unit that includes Sarah Gorden, Paige Nielsen, Madison Hammond, Ali Riley, and more.

IG: @arisa_trew

Hometown: Palm Beach, Gold Coast AUS
Age: 13
Team: Australia

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Arisa Trew is only 14 years old, but she’s already shaking up the skating world after she became the first female athlete to land a 720 this past June. Since then, the Australian skater has entered the conversation of top vert skateboarders worldwide. Trew hopes to make her Olympic debut in Paris this summer, where other young skaters like fellow Aussie Chloe Covell and Rayssa Leal (Brazil) will also bring their best.

IG: @parkervalby

Hometown: Tampa, FL
Age: 21
Team: University of Florida Gators

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Parker Valby had a record-smashing 2023, started by a win at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in the 5000m. Then, Valby kept her momentum by setting a new record at the NCAA Cross Country championship with a time of 18:55.2 in the 6-kilometer race. Just a month later, Valby etched her name into history again, setting another record for the 5000m race with a time of 14:56.11. She bagged yet another win in 2023 when she became the first-ever female track & field athlete to sign an NIL deal with Nike. Valby’s 2024 season is already off to a strong start after being named to the 2024 Bowerman Watch List. Valby has a packed year ahead competing in indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, and cross country for the Florida Gators.

IG: @aja22wilson

Hometown: Hopkins, SC
Age: 27
Team: Las Vegas Aces

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Is it a cop-out to include the WNBA Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year on this list? Maybe. But during the Finals, A’ja Wilson showed the world that she’s just getting started. The expectations are sky-high for Wilson in 2024 — will she lead the Olympic basketball squad to gold in Paris? Can the Aces complete a three-peat? If anyone can rise to the occasion, it’s A’ja Wilson.

IG: @eweleiula

Hometown: Waihaiwa, HI
Age: 18
Team: N/A

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Ewe Wong, the 18-year-old surfer out of Waihaiwa, Oahu, has stepped onto the surfing scene and is poised for a huge 2024. Ewe improved massively in 2023 with her best competition finish yet, snagging second place at the Local Motion Surf into Summer competition. To see more of Ewe’s journey of coming into her own as an elite surfer, check her out in our Surf Girls: Hawai’i series. After finishing the World Surf League season with a third-place ranking in 2022 and a fourth-place ranking in 2023, Wong has a few seasons under her belt and is in prime position to graduate from the Challenger Series to the Championship Tour in 2024.