Geraint Hughes
Sky Sports News
The number of athletes who will compete in Team GB in Paris this summer is 327, which is less than the number who competed in the Tokyo Olympics. For the second consecutive time, more women will represent Team GB than men. The Olympics will run from July 26 to August 11.
Last updated: 08/07/24 5:03pm
UK Sport predicts Team GB will win at least 50 medals in Paris this summer.
UK Sport, the body that distributes public funding to Olympic sports and athletes, said it expected Team GB to win at least 50 medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
But that’s the bare minimum for Team GB players. More medals would be welcomed and realistically expected. The medal range is set at 50-70, with a third expected to be gold.
UK Sport want Team GB to finish in the top five in the medal table, with their ‘overall ranking’ currently sitting fourth behind the USA, China and Japan. That would put Team GB above host nation France.
This range is neither surprising nor overly optimistic. Team GB has consistently won over 50 medals since the Beijing 2008 Olympics. In China, they won 51 medals. Team GB won 65 medals at the London 2012 Olympics, 67 medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics and 64 medals at the postponed Tokyo Olympics, finishing fourth in the overall medal standings.
Great Britain’s Chief of Staff Mark England has confirmed that the Paris 2024 Olympic squad will consist of 327 athletes, 174 of whom are women and 153 are men.
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Team GB captain Mark England has outlined his aim to become the top European country in medal counts at this summer’s Paris Olympics.
For the second Olympics in a row, the GB team will feature more women than men, but fewer players will be selected than at Tokyo, with the women’s football team and men’s rugby sevens team failing to qualify.
England sent out direct invitations to about 90 per cent of the team and wrote letters to golfers Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood, who were unable to return to Britain after being selected due to PGA Tour commitments.
England, who is head of the team in Paris, also played down concerns about the water quality in the Robert Seine, which could lead to the postponement of the open water swimming and triathlon events. He said he had recently received an update from Paris 2024 organisers that the water quality is now above the minimum safe level.
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Despite injury problems since becoming world champion in 2022, Jake Wightman still holds out hope that he can be competitive in the 800m at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
UK Sport are confident that Team GB will be successful in Paris, as they currently boast 41 world champions in Olympic sports.
Lady Catherine Granger, England’s Sports Commissioner, said: “Paris offers the incredibly exciting prospect of having such a talented group of British athletes competing on our doorstep. It will also be the first Games to be held in a European time zone since London 2012 and I am sure the British public will seize the moment and cheer on our incredible athletes to victory.
“In recent years, we’ve seen some of the most successful athletes use their sports platforms to drive social change on a range of issues including the environment, LGBTQ+ rights, mental health, and women’s body image.
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British record holder Molly Cordery is looking forward to performing at her first Olympics and hoping to make it onto the podium in Paris.
“It’s incredibly hard to chase the dream of winning an Olympic or Paralympic title, so I’m especially proud of those who have chosen to use their sporting success to make a difference to society.”
Dr Kate Baker, UK Sports Performance Director, added:: “We want to continue our streak of being in the top five of the Olympic medal table, but it won’t be easy. But we’ve built a world-class system with great people, and it’s been fantastically well supported.
“The short three-year cycle presented many challenges, but the coaches and support staff working in the national management body provided incredible support for the players.
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Given the quality of the 1500m events taking place at the Olympics, Laura Muir believes just reaching the final in Paris would be a huge achievement in itself.
UK Sport have also set a medal range for Paralympic GB when they compete in Paris this summer, with the team expected to win at least 100 medals, within a range of 100 to 140 at the Paralympics.
Ahead of the second Games, UK Sport has not disclosed medal targets for each sport. Up until Rio 2016, every sport Team GB competed in had set its own medal target, but it was felt that this would have put too much pressure on the athletes. UK Sport has privately confirmed that each sport has set its own internal target for Paris 2024.
