10 athletes to watch from Team USA at the Summer Olympics

Paris CNN —

Competition is already underway in Paris for the 2024 edition of the Summer Olympics and Team USA is set to take to the River Seine Friday for the Opening Ceremonies.

Here are 10 athletes from the nearly 600 Americans heading to France to compete in this year’s Olympics that you need to watch:

Simone Biles

Simone Biles of Team United States performs her new jump routine 'Biles II' Yurchenko double pike vault with coach Laurent Landi on the mat for assistance on Vault during Women's Qualifications on Day Two of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at the Antwerp Sportpaleis on October 01, 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium.

It’s hard to imagine that the greatest of all time has something to prove. But Biles – the oldest Olympian gymnast in decades at 27 – isn’t returning to the Olympics for a farewell tour.

The taste of her stunning experience in Tokyo three years ago, suffering a case of the twisties – a sensation that gymnasts describe as a loss of rhythm and control during complex maneuvers – forced her to withdraw from multiple events. It was the biggest shock of the Tokyo Games and left many observers wondering if the career of one of the most incredible athletes of all time had just ended in a flash.

Now that she is in Paris, Biles is aiming to cement her place atop the gymnastics mountain. She has been on a tear of late, dominating at the US Championships and looking toward Paris with an eye on repeating her historic run in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago.

LeBron James

It’s the return of the King to the Olympic stage. Having skipped the competitions in 2016 and 2021, James – who is 39 – is likely playing in his final Olympics as the leader of the US men’s basketball team.

James has been a part