You know Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles, Allyson Felix and the other household names competing in the Summer Olympics.

Before the opening ceremony Friday marks the official start of the Games, get to know the teenage athletes who could medal in Tokyo and contend for titles for years to come.

1. Katie Grimes, 15 

Country: USA

Event: Swimming

About: At the young age of 15, Katie Grimes was the breakout star at the U.S. Olympic Swim trials. She’ll be competing in the women’s 800-meter freestyle in Tokyo alongside highly-decorated Olympian Katie Ledecky. Grimes is the youngest swimmer to make the Olympic team since Ledecky in 2012. Even Ledecky is already singing Grimes’ praises, saying she’s “the future,” and “the now.”

2. Athing Mu, 19

Country: USA

Event: Track and Field

About: Fresh off of breaking the Olympic Trials track record in the 800-meter dash, Athing Mu is being touted as the country’s next great middle-distance runner. Mu, who competed at Texas A&M before turning pro this summer, holds NCAA records for both the 400 meters (49.57) and the 800 meters (1:57.73). In regards to feeling pressure as a running prodigy, Mu says, “I take everything that people say lightly. I don’t let it get to my head.”

19-year-old @athiiing sets the Trials record and punched her ticket to Tokyo! 🎟@usatf | #TrackFieldTrials21 x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/luuwJoUHnS

— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) June 28, 2021

3. Hannah Roberts, 19

Country: USA

Event: Cycling

About: BMX Cycling is making its Olympic debut in Tokyo, and so is Hannah Roberts. Roberts is a highly decorated star on the BMX freestyle circuit. In 2019, she won all three World Cup events in addition to her second world championship. Roberts is a gold-medal favorite in her event in Japan, and she could become the first teenage woman to win an Olympic cycling medal.

4. Hend Zaza, 12

Country: Syria

Event: Table tennis

About: Representing Syria, 12-year-old Hend Zaza is set to be the youngest Olympian in 52 years. She’s also beating the odds: Zaza has been able to participate in only two or three external matches a year due to war. If you haven’t watched table tennis before, Zaza’s stellar talent will make you want to follow this Olympic sport in Tokyo.

5. Torri Huske, 18

Country: USA

Event: Swimming

About: Having just graduated from high school and heading to Stanford next year, Torri Huske managed to break the 100-meter butterfly record twice at the Olympic swimming trials last month. Twenty-four hours after she broke the U.S. record in prelims by .20 seconds, she broke her own record again. Starting off as a “normal little kid who worked hard,” she will now be one of 11 teenagers to compete for the U.S. swimming team in Tokyo.

6.Grace McCallum, 18

Country: USA

Event: Gymnastics

About: Grace McCallum was named to the four-person team representing the U.S. at the Summer Olympics following the national trials in June, an achievement that seemed nearly impossible when she broke her hand earlier in the year. McCallum, who had already competed at the U.S. Classic and the National Championships, finished fourth at the Olympic Trials. The 18-year-old’s specialties include uneven bars and balance beam.

7. Caroline Marks, 19

Country: USA

Event: Surfing

About: Surfing standout Caroline Marks took the world by storm in 2018. In her breakout year, as the youngest surfer ever to qualify for the Women’s Championship Tour, Marks was named Rookie of The Year and finished with a No. 7 world ranking. Now ranked sixth on the Championship Tour, Marks spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her rapid ascension to the top of her sport.

It's not long before 19-year old @Caroline_Marks3 makes her debut on the global stage. Surf fans everywhere are in for a treat.
Video: Swellshotz pic.twitter.com/ulyQ2E9OJ8

— World Surf League (@wsl) July 16, 2021

8. Kokona Hiraki, 12

Country: Japan

Event: Skateboarding

About: At the age of 12, Kokona Hiraki will be one of the host country’s youngest and most admired stars. After ranking fifth at the final Tokyo Olympics qualifier for women’s park skateboarding, Hiraki will now be the youngest Japanese Summer Olympian ever. Her dedication to her craft is next level: After practicing a nosegrind trick over and over again, Hiraki wrote, “You can feel all the things I love about skateboarding through this trick. The unstableness from being just on the front truck on the coping, the sound of grinding, and the satisfaction when you make it.”

9. Nevin Harrison, 19

Country: USA

Event: Canoeing

About: Canoe sprint world champion Nevin Harrison is heading to the Tokyo Olympics with high expectations. In 2019, she became the first American to win a world sprint canoe title by clinching the women’s C1 200-meter event. Harrison is also a strong advocate for women’s canoeing’s inclusion in the Olympics, saying, “I think it’s more important to have every group represented rather than having a lot in just one gender or discipline,” Harrison said.

10. Sunisa Lee, 18

Country: USA

Event: Gymnastics

About: After coping with family illness, COVID-19 related deaths, and injury, Sunisa Lee claimed a coveted spot on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team by finishing in the top two at the Olympic trials. “It’s the unparalleled mental strength that she has shown during the most difficult time of her life that makes her the person she is,” said 2008 All-Around champion Nastia Liukin. Lee, whose parents emigrated from Laos, will be the first-ever Hmong American Olympic gymnast. While she’s an incredible all-around talent, she’s especially known for her bar routine.

11. Sky Brown, 13

Country: Great Britain

Event: Skateboarding

About: Sky Brown is arguably one of the biggest and brightest stars of any age at this year’s Olympics. At just 13 years and 11 days, she’ll be the youngest Summer Olympian for Great Britain. A fearless and promising athlete, Brown is currently ranked fourth in the world and is highly respected in the skateboarding community. “She could definitely be one of the best female skaters ever… she has such confidence, such force, even at such a young age. The way she’s able to learn new tricks and the way she absorbs direction, it’s so rare,” said skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.

Sky Brown 🇬🇧 wins gold in Women’s Skateboard Park at #XGames 2021! pic.twitter.com/LcGC5OqENB

— X Games (@XGames) July 16, 2021

12. Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova, 16

Country: Great Britain

Event: Gymnastics

About: 16-year-old twin sisters Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova will be each other’s support systems in Tokyo, as they will represent half of Great Britain’s four-person gymnastics team. Jessica flourished at the 2021 European Championships, where she won the bronze in the all-around and silver in vault, and she became the European champion in the floor exercise. Jennifer, a strong vaulter and floor gymnast, is known for her difficult tumbles and eye-catching choreography.

13. Viktoria Listunova, 16

Country: Russia

Event: Gymnastics

About: The postponement of the 2020 Olympics allowed 16-year-old Russian gymnast Viktoria Listunova to be eligible for the 2021 Olympics. “It’s such an opportunity, it is such a big chance,” Listunova says. She is determined to make the most of this opportunity and is considered a possible contender to upset world champion Simone Biles.

14. Rosalie Boissoneault, 18

Country: Canada

Event: Synchronized Swimming

About: A native of Québec, Canada, Rosalie Boissoneault joins the Canadian synchronized swimming team as one of its newest members. She is making her Olympic debut at just 18 years old after joining the senior national team in 2020. Starting in her sport at the age of 3, Boissoneault is a young star looking to make a splash in Tokyo.

15. Rayssa Leal, 12

Country: Brazil

Event: Skateboarding

About: Another young Olympic phenom and friend of Sky Brown is Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal (pronounced “Hi-ee-sa”), known for her many viral trick videos. She is currently second in the World Street Skateboarding rankings. Giving props to her supportive family, Rayssa says, “they don’t pressure me to always win and be first, they encourage me to do what I like, which is skateboarding.”

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16. Regan Smith, 19

Country: USA

Event: Swimming

About:  Regan Smith, the current world-record holder in the women’s 200-meter backstroke, is heading to her first Olympics to represent Team USA. This young star showed off her talent during the World Championships in 2019, where she broke two world records: the 100- and the 200-meter backstroke. Smith will be taking a gap year and plans to attend Stanford in 2022.

17. Brighton Zeuner, 17

Country: USA

Event: Skateboarder

About: Zeuner is coming to the Olympics as a decorated skater with serious competitive chops. She’s the youngest recipient in history to have won two X Games gold medals, and she also holds a Vans Park Series World Championship title. Her great passion and love for skateboarding pushed her to keep going and get her to where she is now. ‘”I love it. Because of skateboarding, I’m kind of who I am. I get validation out of it. It makes me feel human. It’s just a part of me,”’ Zeuner said.

18. Hailey Hernandez, 18

Country: USA

Event: Diving

About: Hailey Hernandez started competing right out of high school and surprised the diving world by placing second in the women’s three-meter springboard at the Olympic trials. “When I hit that water, I knew that I had done it and so I just had the biggest smile on my face,” Hernandez says. Her hometown in Southlake, Texas, threw the two-time World Junior Championship silver medalist an epic Olympic send-off event and will be rooting hard for her this summer.

19. Gaurika Singh, 19

Country: Nepal

Event: Swimming

About: Nepali swimmer Gaurika Singh will represent her country both in the pool and as the flag bearer. The 19-year-old was the youngest athlete at the 2016 Rio Olympics at 13 years and 255 days, and she was chosen to lead the five-member Nepali team in the opening ceremony this year. Singh has collected over nine medals during the South Asian Games and set a record for the most gold medals in 2019.

20. Oceana Mackenzie, 19

Country: Australia

Event: Sport Climbing

About: Australian sport climbing star Oceana Mackenzie will help introduce this new Olympic sport to the world. She started climbing at age of 8 and has been passionate about it ever since. “I love how it’s mentally and physically challenging,” she says. “I have to see the climbs and figure out how to get up them — it’s almost like working out a puzzle.”

Mercedes-Benz is getting into the women's game, with the luxury car giant becoming the official automotive partner of England's WSL and WSL2 this week.

The deal showcases Mercedes-Benz's growing commitment to women's sports, with the auto giant also signing on as the presenting sponsor of the WTA Tour last month — adding to a resume that includes serving as the official patron of the LPGA Tour's AIG Women's Open.

"The Mercedes-Benz story began 140 years ago with a bold idea," said Mercedes-Benz UK CEO and managing director Olivier Reppert in the WSL's Wednesday press release. "Now, that same spirit of innovation and ambition drives our partnership with WSL Football."

While financial terms of the partnership are not public, Mercedes-Benz is just the latest big-name sponsor to back WSL Football, with some reports saying that the two-league outfit has tripled its commercial revenue since splitting with the FA in 2024.

"Bringing a brand of this calibre…will help us elevate the game, deepen engagement with fans and players, and accelerate long-term growth across both leagues," said WSL Football CRO Zarah Al-Kudcy.

Mercedes-Benz will also present this spring's inaugural interleague playoff, in which the third-place WSL2 club will battle the last-place WSL team for a chance at promotion as a part of the top flight's planned 14-team expansion for 2026/27.

The PWHL is coming to the Garden, as the No. 2 New York Sirens announced on Thursday that they'll host the No. 6 Seattle Torrent at Manhattan's legendary Madison Square Garden (MSG) on April 4th.

While MSG staged a fan-less PWHPA game in February 2021, this year's PWHL takeover marks the iconic arena's first-ever ticketed pro women's hockey event.

"Madison Square Garden has a storied women's sports history," said Sirens GM Pascal Daoust in the team's announcement. "New York doesn't just watch moments; it lives with them. This is one of those nights meant to be experienced together, in the building, as part of the history of our team, our league, and everyone who helps bring it to life."

The April showdown will serve as the pair's final regular-season clash, with the 2025/26 series currently tied at 1-1.

Seattle took the first meeting 2-1 behind goals from captain Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter on December 3rd, before New York stole the second game 4-3 as NYC local Casey O'Brien's hat trick lit up the league's Takeover Tour stop in Dallas on December 28th.

The Torrent and Sirens will next face off in Chicago on March 25th before closing out their four-game slate by making history at MSG at 8 PM ET on April 4th.

How to attend the PWHL clash at Madison Square Garden

While New York season ticket-holders can currently access tickets to the MSG clash, the presale for Sirens newsletter subscribers will begin on Monday before general sales opens at 10 AM ET on Tuesday via Ticketmaster.

Just one week into the 2026 NCAA season, UCLA women's gymnastics is the nation's No. 1 team for the first time since 2018, with senior Jordan Chiles — a two-time Olympic medalist in her final year of collegiate competition — leading the charge.

"It is really easy to be at the end of your career thinking, 'Okay, I am good with where I am at,' but they do not have that mentality," Bruins head coach Janelle McDonald said of her senior-heavy squad.

Winning the all-around in UCLA's January 3rd opening meet, Chiles is the current all-around No. 1, while also topping the rankings in the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor events, while sitting second in the vault.

"I've got the cutesy, I've done the hip hop," Chiles said of her updated senior floor routine. "This is more like the passionate, confident last year of being a Bruin."

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Notably, Chiles and UCLA have a leg up in the scores-based national gymnastics rankings considering they began their 2026 NCAA campaign before most other top programs: Only 14 Division I squads — 10 from the Power Four conferences — have started their seasons so far.

This allowed the Bruins to lead the ranks before the rest of the field could earn any points to challenge UCLA's top spot — though that will change this weekend when the majority of the NCAA's gymnastics squads enter the fray.

Pitting some of the NCAA's best squads against each other, the annual Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad will officially kick off the 2026 season in style this weekend, welcoming 2025 champions Oklahoma, finalists UCLA and Utah, semifinalists LSU and Michigan State, and regional contenders Cal, Kentucky, and Michigan across two four-team sessions on Saturday.

How to watch UCLA at the 2026 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad

The Bruins will aim to keep their No. 1 spot in the first session of Saturday's the 2026 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, where UCLA will battle Oklahoma, Utah, and LSU at 4 PM ET on ABC.

The second session will begin at 8 PM ET, when Michigan State, Cal, Kentucky, and Michigan will compete head-to-head, airing live on ESPN2.

The winter of change is revving up for the Kansas City Current, with the 2025 NWSL Shield-winners announcing both a new manager and key player departures this week.

Former MLS head coach Chris Armas will officially take over as manager, after the Current's former sideline leader Vlatko Andonovski became the club's sporting director in November.

"[Armas] brings an abundance of experience at the highest levels," said Kansas City co-owners Angie and Chris Long in a Wednesday club statement. "We are confident he will further cultivate and enhance our competitive environment as we continue to pursue championships and expand our global footprint."

Armas will have his work cut out for him, however, as Kansas City will attempt to defend their Shield in the 2026 NWSL season despite major on-field contributors continuing to jump ship.

Most notably, Brazil national team star and 2025 NWSL MVP candidate Bia Zaneratto departed the club to pursue free agency, the Current announced on Wednesday.

"The impact that Bia had in Kansas City over the past two years is immeasurable," said Andonovski about the 32-year-old attacker. "Her quality, both on and off the field, will be greatly missed. On behalf of everyone at the Current, we thank Bia for everything she has given to this club and to this city."

All in all, Kansas City is turning over an untested leaf, committing to rolling the dice in 2026 after falling short of the NWSL championship in 2025.