5 Olympics Favourites and Their Watches

I love the Olympics. I’m a sports fanatic. Give me anything: golf, rugby, tennis, football, big wave surfing, even 10m diving! and I’m there! So the Olympics represents a rare opportunity to indulge in sports you never normally see, many of you don’t even know the rules! I will never forget the velodrome in 2012 here in London, It was electric. The tears and gold medals from Sir Chris Hoy still live with me today. I also had the distinct pleasure of seeing Usain Bolt run the 100m and set a new world record. There is nothing like sport in my mind.

The XXXIII Olympiad will be held in Paris this year, kicking off on the 26th of July. There will be over 10,000 athletes taking part in 32 sports across two and a half weeks. While I was tempted to look back at some of the great Olympic performers, and the watches they wore, I couldn’t help but think, for this first story I should look forward to the stars that will shape this Paris Olympics. So here are five to watch and the watches they wear. 

LeBron James 

American basketball superstar LeBron James will return to the Olympic Games for the fourth time in his storied career. The four-time NBA champion will join forces with the likes of Steph Curry and Kevin Durant in hopes of leading Team USA to their 17th Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball. King James has been seen in a myriad of watches over the years, including most recently a platinum Rolex Day-Date for a shoot with The Shop, the grooming product company. Over the years he has also black ceramic Skelton Audemars Piguet and a yellow gold Jumbo 15202. I guess you could call him an AP. Oh! He did also have his own limited edition Royal Oak Offshore in case you were wondering. 

Leon Marchand 

Five-time world champion Leon Marchand will have no shortage of support at the Paris La Defense Arena as he attempts to continue his dominant reign over swimming’s medley events. The 22-year-old holds the world record in the men’s 400m individual medley, and will enter the event as the favourite in Paris with the aim of ending France’s 12-year gold medal drought in the pool. In July 2023 he announced a formal partnership with Omega, opting for a Seamaster, naturally. 

Eliud Kipchoge 

Two-time Olympic Champion Eliud Kipchoge is already regarded as one of the greatest marathon runners of all-time, but at Paris 2024, he’ll have the opportunity to achieve something singular: winning the Olympic marathon on three consecutive occasions. The Kenyan superstar is currently tied with Ethiopian legend Abebe Bikila and Germany's Waldemar Cierpinski for most Olympic marathon victories. As a runner, accurate and recordable time keeping is essential, so we will let him get away with the fact that he wears a digital not mechanical watch. He is often seen in a colourful COROS watch that connects him to his performance metrics. 

Rayssa Leal 

Brazil’s teenage skateboarding sensation Rayssa Leal will look to impress the judges and fans alike with her advanced grinds, airs and flips during the women’s street competition at Paris 2024. She won’t be the only teenage prodigy shredding rails and zooming through bowls, as Great Britain's Sky Brown looks to upgrade her bronze medal from Tokyo 2020. When it comes to watches, she is an Apple watch girl, frequently seen to change colours of strap which I celebrate. 

Novak Djokovic 

Novak Djokovic will return to the Olympic Games for a fifth time in pursuit of his first Olympic gold medal. The 24-time Grand Slam winner has made it to the men’s singles semifinals on three occasions but has yet to play in the Olympic final. He will face stiff competition in Paris 2024. Djokovic will need to be at his best if he encounters 14-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal or 2024 French Open and Wimbledon double champion Carlos Alcaraz on his way to the final at Roland Garros. When it comes to watches, he loves his Hublot Big Bang with green ceramic case and bracelet. In fairness, he is a Hublot ambassador.