10 Teen Athletes To Watch Out At Paris Olympics 2024

Paris Games 2024 have officially kicked off and while people cheer for their most awaited athletes and players, we bring to you a list of young teenage athletes who are far beyond their years. These young teenage girls have not only broken stereotypes and glass ceilings but also a few records!

10 Teenage Athletes in the 2024 Paris Games

Dhinidhi Desinghu (Swimming- India)

Desinghu is the second youngest Indian athlete to participate in the Olympics ever, at the young age of 14. Dhinidhi Desinghu is a national-level swimmer who has won 7 national gold medals along with her remarkable debut performance in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. She is the youngest player in the entire Indian contingent for this year's Olympics and sees this opportunity as a learning ground for the LA Games 2028. Dhinidhi hails from Bangalore and started swimming at the age of six but also had a fear of water and swimming. It was her courage and perseverance that led her to the global sporting stage of the Olympics where she will compete in the 200m freestyle women's category.

Sky Brown (Skateboarding - Great Britain)

United Kingdom national Sky Brown is just 16 years old and is not a new face on the Olympics stage. Sky has been competing since the very young age of 8 but her first Olympics was Tokyo 2020 where this skateboarding prodigy grabbed a bronze medal. Brown is a very ambitious and strategic player who despite her medical injury managed to secure a qualifying berth in the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest. She is aiming straight for the gold this year and seems ready to once again shock and abuzz people. Brown once said on facing her fears, "It's scary, but when you do it, it's the best feeling."

Summer McIntosh (Swimming- Canada)

Summer McIntosh, just 17 years old, has plans to win medals in every swimming category she participates in. Summer has already earned a name for herself on the Olympic stage in Tokyo 2020 where she performed her debut. This was when she finished 4th individually in the 400m freestyle. Summer McIntosh is quite a household name for sports fans all over the world. Canada's swimmer holds many records, one of them being a world record of 4:24.38 in women's 400m individual medley where she beat her record. Summer is all geared up for swimming in four individual events and some relays with her team, but she also plans on winning all of them. 

Quan Hongchan (Diving- China)

The Tokyo 2020 Games saw her shine and clinch the gold medal in diving. Quan Hongchan, now 17, again plans on collecting gold and toys from her young fans. The diving queen from China has set an Olympic record of 466.20 in diving and was 40 points ahead of the silver medalist. In her debut year she bagged straight 10 out of 10 points from the judges and since then has become a highly acclaimed diver. While her astounding courage and finesse brighten her image on stage, Quan has bigger motives for defending her gold this year in the Paris Games 2024 and aiding her mother who met with a car accident recently. She is the sharpest, smartest and brightest among the players and is heavily loved by her young fans. 

Hezly Rivera (Artistic Gymnastics- USA)

All set to mark her debut in the Paris Games, Hezly Rivera is as excited as her teammates in artistic gymnastics. Hezly is among the youngest players in the Team USA gymnastic contingent and will compete along with the great Simone Biles. On having Hezly join the gymnastic squad, Biles said, "Should we teach her how to drive before she gets to Paris? Like, jeez. She’s so young, she’s so cute, she’s so smart, she’s beautiful. We’re proud of her for making this team and we’re excited to show her the ropes." Hezly crossed the much competitive US trials for gymnastics and stood at an overall fifth position, to which Rivera said, "I can’t believe I’m part of this team.” She added, “I never would have thought this would happen."

Phoebe Gill (Athletics- Great Britain)

Phoebe Gill gears up for her debut this year at age 17 as a middle-distance runner in the 800m run. Gill is inspired and motivated to follow the path of Keely Hodgkinson who was 19 when she made her debut in Tokyo 2020 and came second with a silver in 800m. Gill was an absolute delight in the recently held British Championships where multiple Olympic finalists participated. Her teammate and idol Hodgkinson says, "I don’t want to put any pressure on her, but I think she is up there with making the [Olympic] final if it goes the right way. She kind of reminds me of myself." Gill seems to be with teammates and mentors around her and aspires to reach the final and learn for her future competitions and events. 

Bhajan Kaur (Archery- India)

The Indian Olympian, Bhajan Kaur is making a head turn on becoming the second youngest athlete in the Indian contingent. The 18-year-old archer from Haryana has been practising since a young age and was coached by the top mentors in India. Kaur earned an individual quota in the Qualifiers round and a berth for the Paris Games 2024 after her exceptional skills. Kaur is set to demonstrate her archery skills in an individual and team event in the Games. Her only prior International event is the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Esha Singh (Shooting- India)

19-year-old Esha Singh has made herself nationally recognised in the 25m pistol event and has quite a commendable trajectory for a career in shooting. Her debut is set for this year's Paris Games and is ready to make her Indian contingent as well as every other Indian proud. Esha Singh is not new to International stage settings since she participated in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Her precision and marks left people stunned when she bagged the silver medal in the Asian Games. Her extraordinary skills are yet to be tested in the Paris Games. 

Harimoto Miwa (Table Tennis- Japan)

The 15-year-old table tennis prodigy has proved right to her name by marking her debut in this year's Games. Her older brother who participated in Tokyo 2020 Games and won bronze in men's table tennis was also proud of her. Harimoto might just be better and quicker than her brother with her World Rank No.7 in table tennis as she quickly focuses on ascending the ladder.

She told the official Olympics website, "Although I’m one of the youngest players in the Japanese team, I feel age doesn’t matter. My opponent won’t think of me as a child. I believe older players are strong, so I try to have the same confidence as them." Her Olympic debut is one of the most awaited performances this year. 

Katie Grimes (Swimming- USA)

Her strokes and strengths are world-renowned and she made her debut in the 2020 Tokyo Games at the age of 15 and came in fourth in women's 800m freestyle swimming. Her determination and performance were highly regarded by many people and athletes globally. In the 2024 Games, she will be competing in the following events, 10km, an open-water swimming event, the 400-metre IM and the 1500-metre freestyle.

Her grasp and focus are better and harder this year marking her return to the Olympics. She tells Olympics, "When I was 15, I was starstruck by everything, but this time, I have a little bit of a grasp of the scale of the Olympics, and I think that’s going to help a lot. I feel I’m much stronger and faster now, and I’m excited to see what we can do." 

Young athletes are nothing more than extraordinary and prodigious children who are proving their grit every day. To perform on a global sporting stage like the Olympics is no small feat in itself, the added pressure and anxiety is what these young athletes encounter as well. For most of them, their debut performance is just the setting stage for their future events. Their debut marks their journey of self-improvement and the first step towards performing amidst highly acclaimed and senior athletes. It is nothing more than a learning curve and it is with such lenses we should appreciate and view their talents.