Move over Euros, it’s Olympics time! From the Opening Ceremony on Fri 26 July – this year set on the Seine and around the city of Paris – to Sun 11 Aug, the 33rd Olympiad aka Paris 2024 is here.

At Muddy, we can’t get enough of it. All those tales of sacrifice, the sobs on the podium, that wonderful feeling of being British and the ‘oh-my-god-we’re-actually-winning medals’ reactions. You can’t beat it. But what we love even more is the new talent coming through.

This year, Team GB is made up of 327 athletes competing across 24 different sports. Out of them, 169 are returning Olympians, 74 already have an Olympic medal to their name – and 11 are from Somerset, Dorset & Bristol.

Want to say hello to your local Team GB stars?

Lily Owsley, Bristol – hockey

Lily Owsley, team GB bristol somerset Olympics — Credit Lily Owsley, Instagram

It’s the third Olympics for the hockey whizz kid and former student at Clifton College, who took gold in Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2020. Can she make it a hat trick?

Watch her in action from 27 July.

Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe, Bristol – artistic swimming

First meeting when they were eight, ten years later the best friends were competing in the artistic (formally ‘synchronised’) swimming duet event in Tokyo 2020. They took bronze in the 2023 European Games; Kate took bronze in the women’s solo free at the World Championships in the same year. The duo then took silver and bronze in the 2024 World Championship. Could it be gold in Paris? Interesting fact: their mums were synchro swimmers, too.

Watch them in action from 5 August.

Izzy Songhurst, Poole – women’s trampoline

lizzy songhurst team GB olympics dorset — Credit Lizzy Songhurst, Instagram

With European and World Championship golds for mixed team and synchro events and a host of silver and bronze for solo work under her belt, and twice Ladies British Champion, Izzy is flying high. Booiiinnnng!

Watch her in action from 2 Aug.

Georgia Hall, Bournemouth – women’s golf

Georgia Hall Team GB olympics dorset — Credit Team GB

Destined to be a golfer – she was named after Nick Faldo’s Master’s comeback win in Atlanta, Georgia – Georgia began her career at Canford Magna Golf Club. She won the Women’s British Open in 2018 (with her dad as caddy), was awarded an MBE for services to golf in 2019, and has been awarded the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit twice.

Watch her in action from 7 Aug.

Matt Aldridge, Christchurch – rowing, men’s four

Matt Aldridge, team GB olympics dorset — Credit Matt Aldridge, Instagram

Keeping it in the family: his dad’s a rowing coach who nurtured his talent from a boy; his fiance Sophia was part of the GB U23 team; his nan’s his number one fan. Part of the crew that retained the World Championship title in 2023, it’s looking good for Paris.

Watch him in action from 28 July.

Lele Nairne, Weston-super-Mare – judo

lele nairne team GB olympics dorset somerset — Credit Lele Nairne, Instagram

A judo fanatic since the age of eight, Lele won bronze in the Euro Under 18s Cup and has a pile of European, Commonwealth and World Tour gongs under her (2nd Dan) belt. Watch out for her first Olympic outing, in the 57kg category. Team GB have never won an Olympic gold in judo; could Lele bring one home?

Watch her in action from 27 July.

Ellie Aldridge, Poole – sailing, women’s formula kite

Ellie Aldridge, team gb dorset — Credit Ellie Aldridge, Instagram

For the first time in the Olympics, Kite foiling is an exhilarating sport where competitors use kites to propel themselves and a mini surfboard with a foil or blade across the water – and Ellie Aldridge looks set to excel. Last year she won gold in the Formula Kite European Championship, and silver at both the Olympic test event and in the World Championships.

Watch her in action from 4 Aug.

Rebecca Wilde, Taunton – rowing, women’s double sculls

rebecca wilde team gb somerset — Credit Rebecca Wilde, Instagram

Rebecca represented Wales internationally as a swimmer before exchanging her cap and googles for a set of oars. She’ll be through the water alongside Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne. Let’s hope they don’t catch any crabs.

Watch her in action from 28 July.

Ben Jeffries, Bristol – athletics

ben jeffries team GB olympics — Credit Team GB

Ben left Bristol for Briar Cliff University in Iowa, majoring in exercise physiology, coaching the university teams and becoming a two-time national 400m champ before heading to the Paris Olympics with Team GB for the 4x400m relay.

Watch him in action from 9 Aug.

Annie Campbell-Orde, Wells – rowing

The rower was a netball high flyer before turning to rowing, making the women’s eight in 2023, finishing 4th in the World Championships and winning silver at the 2023 and 2024 Europeans.

Watch her in action from 28 July.

Meet your local Olympians going for gold

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