Africa is looking to break the 50-medal barrier for the first time at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
With 329 events in 32 sports, the continent will have plenty of opportunities to step onto the podium in the French capital.
While there are athletes who have already tasted success at the Olympics and aim to extend their legacies, others could make new history for their country or sport.
Here BBC Sport Africa picks six contestants to watch during the Games.
Faith Kipyegon (Kenya, athletics)
With two world titles to his name and four world records in the last 13 months, Kipyegon is in scintillating form heading into Paris.
The 30-year-old aims to secure her third consecutive Olympic gold in the women’s 1500m. No African athlete has ever won gold in the same event three times in a row.
Kipyegon took down the 1500m world record at the Diamond League meeting in the French capital earlier this month and will also feature in the 5000m at the Games
After winning both titles at the World Championships last year, can the Kenyan repeat the feat at the Olympics and cement her place as the queen of track and field?
In action: Friday August 2 (5000m), Monday August 5 (5000m final), Thursday August 8 (1500m semi-final), Saturday August 10 (1500m final).
Letsile Tebogo (Botswana, athletics)
The first man from Botswana to break the 10-second barrier over 100m, Tebogo announced himself on the senior stage last year when he won two medals at the World Championships.
He took silver in 100m and bronze in the 200m, becoming the first African to win a world medal over the shorter distance.
Off the track, the 21-year-old had to deal with the death of his mother Seratiwa, with whom he shared a close bond, in May.
Tebogo could become the first African to win a 100m or 200m medal at the Games since Frankie Fredericks in 1996, but he will have to be at his best to go one step further and emerge from a competitive field to win his country’s first Olympics. gold.
In action: Saturday August 2 (100m heats), Sunday August 3 (100m semi-finals and final), Monday August 5 (200m), Wednesday August 7 (200m semi-finals), Thursday August 8 (200m final).
Biniam Girmay (Ethiopia, cycling time trial & road race)
Fresh from a successful Tour de France – making history as the first black African win a scene in the world’s most famous cycling race and then topping the standings – Girmay is already a national hero in Eritrea.
If the 24-year-old finishes in the top two in either the cycling time trial or the road race, it will mark the East African country’s best ever Olympic result, surpassing a track bronze won in 2004.
First comes the individual time trial, which looks to be Girmay’s best chance of a medal, along a flat 32.4km course that starts at the Esplanade des Invalides and ends at the Pont Alexandre III.
The 273km road race course a week later will be much more challenging – taking in the countryside west of Paris before the final climb to Montmartre along with cobbled streets and twisty sections.
Without the support of a group of riders to set up a sprint finish, the odds of victory at the Trocadero are stacked against Girmay. However, he has been used to overcoming obstacles since the beginning of his career.
In action: Saturday 27 August (time trial), Saturday 3 August (road race).
Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria, freestyle wrestling)
An icon of wrestling in Nigeria and Africa, with 14 continental titles and four Commonwealth medals, Oborududu was her country’s best performer at Tokyo 2020 where she won silver in the 68kg category.
At age 35, she returns to the same weight class for her final Olympics.
Oborududu sits sixth on the back of the ranking points she has accumulated since last year’s World Championships. France’s Kumba Larocque is among those ahead and will enjoy the support of the home crowd.
Having made her senior debut in 2009, can Oborududu go out in a blaze of glory by topping the podium and delivering just a fourth Olympic gold medal for the West African nation?
In action: Monday, August 5 (68kg round of 16, quarters and semi-finals), Tuesday, August 6 (68kg medal finals).
Hugues Fabrice Zango (Burkina Faso, athletics)
The 31-year-old surrendered to Burkina Faso first Olympic medal when he took bronze in the men’s triple jump in Tokyo three years ago.
Zango surpassed that feat by becoming world champion last year, with a jump of 17.64 meters in Budapest.
He was greeted by cheering crowds on his return to Ouagadougou and became the first athlete to be awarded the country’s highest honor – Officer of the Order of the Stallion – for his achievements.
Also qualified medical electrical engineer, Zango aims to be a ‘symbol of hope’ to others in his West African homeland. The next goal is to record more history about Burkina Faso in Paris.
In action: Wednesday August 7 (triple jump preliminaries), Friday August 9 (triple jump final).
Fatima Zahra El Mamouny (Morocco, break)
Better known as B-girl El Mamouny, the Moroccan made history by becoming the first qualifier in the Olympic breaking competition.
The Sport was introduced for Paris 2024 as the International Olympic Committee wants to appeal to a younger generation.
The 24-year-old took to breaking on the streets of Rabat, although at first her parents were not supportive of her new passion.
Dancers will compete in a series of one-on-one battles, taking it in turns to show off their moves and receive points for technique, variety, execution, musicality and originality.
The Place de la Concorde, a large public square at the end of Paris’ most famous street, the Champs Elysees, could see the African champion make Olympic history.
In action: Friday, August 9.
