Australia enters the Olympics with high hopes that some of its more than 460 athletes, competing across 33 sports, will have what it takes to become an Olympic champion.

Many of these athletes will be hoping to go better than previous Olympic tilts, while others are at their first Games.

Here’s some of our top chances.

Mollie O’Callaghan

20-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan won two gold medals and one bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after swimming in all three women’s relays.

Since then, she has won world titles in the 100-metre and 200-metre freestyle and heads to Paris with high hopes of further Olympic glory.

Mollie O’Callaghan is on a mission for individual gold. Photo: Getty

The Matildas

The Matildas could earnestly make the argument as Australia’s most popular sporting team and, after a huge performance at the last World Cup on home soil, hopes are high for success in Tokyo.

They are without talismanic striker Sam Kerr, who is recovering from an ACL injury and will miss the tournament. But there is enough firepower and talent in the squad to make a serious impact in Paris.

The team has drawn a difficult group consisting of the US, Zambia and Germany.

Saya Sakakibara

Saya Sakakibara isn’t a household name for most Aussies, but the 24-year-old has won the two previous BMX World Cups and has a serious chance for a medal in Paris.

Adding BMX racing to the Olympics has opened new avenues for athletes such as Sakakibara. Photo: Getty

She competed at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the first year the Games had BMX. She crashed in the semi-finals and failed to progress.

Matthew Denny

Discus athlete Matthew Denny missed out on the podium in Tokyo by just 0.05 metres, finishing fourth.

He also competed at the 2016 Games in Brazil, failing to qualify for the final, but the 28-year-old has been on an upward trajectory since.

He won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and finished fourth in last year’s World Championships.

Matt Denny heads to Paris with high hopes for a good performance. Photo: Getty

Nicola Olyslagers

The 27-year-old high jumper Nicola Olyslagers will be hoping to go one better than 2020, where she won a silver medal, and improve on her third place at the 2023 World Championships.

She holds the Australian and Oceanic personal best record after jumping 2.02 metres in Tokyo.

Her teammate Eleanor Patterson could also surprise.

Olyslagers won gold in the women’s high jump at this year’s World Athletics Indoor Championships. Photo: Getty

Ariarne Titmus

Ariarne Titmus won the 400-metre freestyle at the last Olympics, but faces stiff competition to repeat the feat.

She has been in a back-and-forth battle over the world record with Canadian Summer McIntosh and beat fellow Australian Mollie O’Callaghan at the Paris 2024 trials in the 200 metres.

Titmus has already made history several times over. Photo: Getty

Samuel Short

Another swimmer, 20-year-old Sam Short will make his Olympic debut after winning the 400-metre freestyle at the World Championships in 2023. At the same event, he took silver in the 800-metre and 1500-metre freestyle.

Sam Short won the men’s 800-metre freestyle at the Australian championships. Photo: AAP

Short previously won silver in the 400-metre freestyle and gold in the 1500-metre event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Harry Garside

Harry Garside has had three professional fights since he won bronze at the Tokyo Games.

But, more recently, he returned to amateur boxing on a mission to win gold.

Having won all three of his latest amateur fights, he will compete in Paris after becoming the first Australian to win an Olympic boxing medal in more than 30 years.

Harry Garside connects with Kazakhstan’s Zakir Safiullin in Tokyo’s quarter-final.