Olympic Games Paris 2024: Biles, LeBron James and Ledecky lead the US

The U.S. Olympic team is the most decorated in Olympic history. Since Athens 1896, the delegation has won 2,641 medals, including 1,063 golds, 835 silvers and 743 bronzes, finishing atop the medal standings in 18 of its 28 appearances.

In Paris, the United States is expected to reap a high number of medals, knowing the athletes who will don the stars and stripes.

Noah Lyles

Track and field is one of the sports in which the United States usually wins the most medals at each Olympic Games, if not the most. In Paris, the team will be represented by several athletes with high chances of success. One of them is Noah Lyles.

The runner, who will be going to his second Olympic event, is one of the big favorites in the 200-meter event. In Tokyo 2020, Lyles won the bronze medal, just a few thousandths of a second behind his compatriot Kenneth Bednarek, who will also go to the French capital, and Canadian Andre De Grasse, gold medalist.

He has won several gold medals at the World Athletics Championships in recent years, in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100 meters.

The U.S. delegation will also feature Michael Norman, who has high hopes for a top podium finish in the 400 meters event. At Tokyo 2020, he won gold in the 4x400 meters.

Simone Biles

After punching her ticket for Paris, Simone Biles will compete in her third Olympic Games. Predictably, they will be her last, barring a surprise.

The most successful gymnast in history will seek to extend her Olympic legacy, which already includes four gold medals, all of them won in Rio de Janeiro 2016, and one silver, from Tokyo 2020, and two bronze medals, one each in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Along with her performances in other world championships, she has a total of 37 medals.

Biles will serve as leader of a gymnastics team that is completed by Hezly Rivera, Jade Carey, Suni Lee and Jordan Chiles. Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong will attend as substitutes.

Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel

In the pool, the United States has high chances to medal, especially knowing that it will have two of the best swimmers in the world today: Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel.

Ledecky heads to Paris looking to add to her already long list of Olympic achievements. In fact, she could become the athlete with the most Olympic gold medals if she triumphs in this edition, surpassing the record held by gymnast Larisa Latynina.

In her three appearances (London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020) Ledecky has won seven gold medals and three silvers.

In the men's draw, Dressel follows in the wake of other great U.S. swimmers, such as Mark Spitz and, of course, Michael Phelps.

Dressel has attended two Olympic events. At Rio 2016, the swimmer took gold in the 4x100-meter freestyle and 4x100-meter medley relay events. It was at Tokyo 2020 where he swept the board, topping the podium in five events: 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 4x100-meter freestyle and 4x100-meter medley. In total, he has won seven gold medals.

LeBron James

Paris 2024 will be the last Olympic Games for LeBron James. At 39 years old, perhaps the best basketball player in history will command a "Dream Team" that will be, barring a turn of events, the Olympic champion in the French capital. He will be the standard-bearer.

LeBron James has won two golds and a bronze in the three Olympic Games in which he has participated. In both Beijing 2008 and London 2012, he stood at the top of the podium, while in Athens 2004 he finished third with the U.S. national team.

He missed out on Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

James will be looking for a third gold medal in Paris. By his side is a cast made up of Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid, among others.