From Tom Pidcock to Lois Toulson, here's 10 Yorkshire Olympians to watch at Paris 2024

All eyes in 2024 will be on Paris for the Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.

It has been a bit of a transitional Olympic cycle from a Yorkshire perspective, but here are 10 names to follow over the coming months and at the Games themselves; some you will be familiar with, others will be new.

Jonny Brownlee: Will there be one last hurrah for one-half of arguably the greatest sibling duo in British Olympic history, let alone Yorkshire’s? He still has work to do to qualify for a fourth Olympics and a big race in May will go a long way to deciding if he makes the team - but should he do so, the London bronze medallist and Rio silver medallist in the individual triathlon, and finally a gold medal winner in the Tokyo mixed relay, will be giving it everything he has to go out on a high. A long shot for any more individual honours but he would be a hell of a competitor to have in the relay as Team GB look to retain their title.

Hannah Cockroft: The Hurricane is one of Yorkshire’s greatest athletes ever…full stop. Seven Paralympic titles across three Games for Halifax’s all-conquering wheelchair sprinter, who like all the greats in their respective fields, has an insatiable hunger to just get better and better. Has spoke of how she might go on to Los Angeles in 2028, but first thing’s first, two more Paralympic gold medals to hunt down in the T34 100m and 800m in Paris.

Caden Cunningham: We all know about his stablemate and fellow Yorkshireman Bradly Sinden who is a two-time world champion and Olympic medallist who heads to Paris looking to settle old scores, but Caden Cunningham is a fast-rising heavyweight from Huddersfield who has already qualified for the Olympics and goes into the Games ranked inside the top five in the world. Cunningham is a genuine medal candidate in what could be a very prosperous visit to the taekwondo mat for Yorkshire’s Olympians.

Jack Laugher: Heading to his fourth Olympics and already the most decorated British diver of all time, Harrogate’s Laugher just gets better and better. Now with a new 3m synchro partner in tow in City of Leeds clubmate Anthony Harding, Laugher will look to regain the title he won alongside Chris Mears in Rio while also completing the set in the 3m individual, having won silver eight years ago and bronze - to even his surprise - in Tokyo three summers ago.

Lachlan Moorhead: A Commonwealth Games gold medallist in judo, the 23-year-old from Penistone is targeting a breakthrough moment for himself and his sport at the Paris Olympics. He could be a big name, and spoiler alert, there’s a big feature on him in this Saturday’s Sports Weekend.

Tom Pidcock: Yes, yes, we know all about Pidders - the cyclist from Leeds has already arrived: Olympic gold, Tour de France stage wins, world cyclo-cross titles. But this year could be his biggest yet as the virtuoso, single-minded talent eyes Olympic titles in the mountain bike and road race in Paris. He told The Yorkshire Post in the wake of his gold medal in Tokyo that he never really appreciated what an Olympic title would mean until he had that piece of metal in his hands - now he is hungry for more.

Leah Schlosshan: The two-time European Junior 200m individual medley champion is transitioning into the senior ranks in 2024. Still has a lot to do to make it to the Paris Olympics but the City of Leeds Swimming Club standard-bearer has made defying the odds a habit in recent years so don’t be surprised if the hard-working Bradford Grammar School pupil makes it.

Lois Toulson: Forever in the shadow of her boyfriend and City of Leeds clubmate Jack Laugher, 2024 could be THE year for Lois Toulson of Huddersfield. Won a world championship silver medal with Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix last summer and they are expected to feature in the medal shakedown in the 10m synchro in Paris.

Luke Whitehouse: The 21-year-old gymnast from Halifax faces a key few months as selection for the Paris Olympics intensifies. In 2023, the Leeds Gymnastics Club member showed his major competition pedigree at the European Championships in Antalya when he helped the British team to a bronze medal before then going on to win gold and the continental title in the floor exercise. Was then an unused reserve for the GB squad at the world championships later in the year. Like a few, needs a strong start to the year.

Ollie Wood: The heir apparent to Ed Clancy’s dominant reign in track cycling’s team pursuit. The 28-year-old from Wakefield was a team-mate of Clancy’s in Tokyo when Team GB flunked their third successive title defence, but honed on the marginal gains factory floor at the Manchester Velodrome, he and a team that could include Great Ayton’s Charlie Tanfield has been working hard to put things right.