Paris Olympics 2024: The Bristol athletes competing in the 2024 event that you might not know

With so many competitions in the festival of sport - which takes place from July 26 to August 11 - it’s very difficult to cheer for all the events, so we have compiled the ones which are closest to home.

Scroll through to learn about the five athletes competing for Team GB at the Paris Olympics who were born and raised in and around Bristol.

Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe - Synchronised Swimming

British synchronised swimmers Kate Elizabeth Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe were both born in Bristol in 2001. They met at Clifton High School at the age of 10. They teamed up and became best friends both in and out of the pool. The pair made their Olympic debut in the artistic swimming duet event at Tokyo 2020, where they ranked 14th.

Ben Jefferies- Athletics

Born in Bristol in 1999, Ben Jefferies enrolled at Briar Cliff University in Iowa to pursue his athletic ambitions. He majored in exercise physiology which helped him in becoming acutely ware of how to live the life of an athlete. At the university, he became a two-time national champion in the 400m while taking a plethora of BCU indoor and outdoor records in the process. Paris will be his Olympics debut.

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Lily Owsley - Hockey

English field hockey player Lily Owsley was born in Bristol in 1994 and studied at Clifton College and The University of Birmingham. Owsley made her England debut at the age of 19 and was part of Team GB’s most memorable moment, winning hockey gold at Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo four years later.

Lele Nairne - Judo

The English international judoka Lele Nairne was born in Weston-super-Mare in 1997. A judo fanatic since the age of 9, Nairne has been training with the Bradley Stoke Judo Club for 18 years. She claimed victory at the British Judo Championships last year and will make her Olympic debut at Paris 2024 in the -57kg category.