We reflect on the Paris 2024 athletes that took part in London Youth Games growing up, before they became Olympic athletes. London Youth Games has a proud history of helping to develop some of the Britain’s greatest sportspeople. Mo Farah, Christine Ohuruogu, Bradley Wiggins and Linford Christie have all gone from representing their borough to representing Team GB on the Olympic stage.

This year, 21 former London Youth Games participants are representing Team GB at the 2024 Games. From returning medallists to rising stars, the athletes, who come from 12 London boroughs, are competing across 8 different sports.

TRIATHLON

Alex Yee –  From Lewisham in south-east London, Alex is proud of the place in which he was born and raised. As a youngster, he represented Lewisham in Aquathlon, Cycling and Cross Country at the London Youth Games from 2010 to 2014. He won the gold medal in the Triathlon Mixed Relay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the silver medal in the Men’s Triathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Alex secured a superb triathlon gold for Team GB with one of the sport’s most memorable comebacks at the Olympics in Paris.

ATHLETICS:

Dina Asher-Smith – The fastest British woman on record, Dina won a gold medal in the 200 metres at the 2019 World Championships. As a young runner, Dina represented Bromley in the London Youth Games in 2010. Fast forward to the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won medals as part of 4×100 m relay teams. Dina competed in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m Relay events at Paris 2024.

Georgia Bell – Georgia’s journey to Paris 2024 was been unique. She was a strong young runner – representing Ealing in the London Youth Games in 2011, but decided to give up athletics after suffering a succession of injuries. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Bell returned to sport, taking part in parkrun and rediscovering her love of running. Georgia won the 1500m at the British Athletics Championships and will be making her Olympic debut in Paris in the 1500m.

Sam Reardon – Sam raced in London Youth Games for Bromley for 6 years from 2015 up until 2020. He said “It was an amazing experience to do the Cross Country every November at Parliament Hill. Coming there with my team was a very inspiring moment for us and it was always on the calendar as a big race to look out for.” Sam won his first UKA senior indoor national title over 400m in 2023. At Paris he won an Olympic mixed 4x400m relay bronze alongside Amber Anning, Laviai Nielsen and Alex Haydock-Wilson.

Daryll Neita – Now five-time global medallist as part of the British women’s 4x100m team, when she was younger, Daryll represented Lewisham at the London Youth Games in 2010, competing in the 100m and Long Jump. Daryll is a multiple Olympic medallist having being part of the Rio 2016 4x100m relay squad that won bronze before defending that medal in Tokyo. Daryll will be aiming for success in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m Relay events.

Laviai Nielsen – Laviai and her identical twin sister Lina Nielsen will be running for Team GB in Paris. As a youngster, Laviai ran Cross Country for Waltham Forest at the London Youth Games in 2011. Rising up the ranks, Laviai most recently won two medals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships and will compete in the 400m and 4x400m Relay at Paris. At Paris she won an Olympic mixed 4x400m relay bronze alongside Amber Anning, Sam Reardon and Alex Haydock-Wilson.

Lina Nielsen – 400-metre hurdler Lina wants to inspire others, alongside competing on the track. Raised in East London, Lina developed her talents as a teen and represented Waltham Forest in the 2010 London Youth Games. Lina opened up about being an athlete with Multiple Sclerosis when she suffered a flare-up before her World Championship debut in in 2022. Lina competed in the 400m hurdles in Paris.

Desiree Henry – Before becoming a world youth champion over 200m in 2011, Desiree ran the 200m for Enfield at the London Youth Games in 2008 and 2009. Three years later, as part of the British 4x100m relay team, she claimed European gold. Her Olympic debut was in Rio 2016 and this year, she’ll be competing in the 4x100m relay.

Bianca Williams – After giving birth to her son in 2020, Bianca is the only mother on Team GB’s Paris 2024 athletics team and is breaking boundaries both on and off the track. She has set up a charity called 4TheVoiceless, which aims to raise awareness for racial injustice and advocate for marginalised voices in Britain. In Paris, she’s competing in the 200m and the 4x100m Relay.

Yemi Mary John – Before Yemi made a name for herself by clocking the second fastest time ever recorded by a British under-20 athlete in 2022, Yemi represented Redbridge in the 2017 London Youth Games. Yemi will be competing in the 4 x 400m Relay in Paris.

Victoria Ohuruogu – Victoria is one of eight siblings and sister of Olympic champion, Christine Ohuruogu. Victoria took part in the 2007 London Youth Games, representing Newham and went onto qualifying for the Youth Olympics in 2010. She won world bronze and European silver as part of 4x400m squads and competes in the 400m in Paris.

DIVING

Scarlett Mew Jensen – After being encouraged by her PE teacher to try diving as an eight-year-old, Scarlett represented Tower Hamlets at the London Youth Games from 2013-2016 and made rapid progress through national and international events as a junior. Scarlett won Team GB’s first medal of the Paris 2024 Olympics as she and Yasmin Harper claimed bronze in the women’s 3m synchronised diving.

Noah Williams – Hackney-native Noah was introduced to diving after being given a flyer for Crystal Palace Diving Club in primary school and went on to represent Hackney at the London Youth Games from 2012 to 2017. He made his Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020 and this year at Paris, claimed silver in the Men’s Synchronised 10m Platform final at Paris 2024, alongside Tom Daley. Noah will also compete solo in the Men’s Diving 10m platform in Paris.

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix – Andrea says it was her mother who got her into diving from a young age. She went on to compete in Diving for Southwark at the London Youth Games in 2016 and 2017 and was only 16 when she made her Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020. Andrea and Lois Toulson won a superb bronze in the women’s synchronised 10m platform in Paris.

Kyle Kothari – Diver Kyle Kothari represented Harrow in the London Youth Games Artistic gymnastics in 2010 as a boy, before going on to focus on diving. He had to battle through three serious injuries to reach the World Aquatics Championships. where he stamped his mark on the international stage by winning two golds at the 2022 European Championships. He will compete in the Men’s Diving 10m platform in Paris.

BMX RACING

Kye Whyte – Nicknamed the Prince of Peckham, Kye is product of Brixton BMX Club, which was founded by his father, before leaving to join the newly founded club in Peckham. He went on to represent Southwark at London Youth Games in 2014-2016, before going on to become Team GB’s first-ever BMX medallist with silver at Tokyo 2020. Kye competed at the 2024 Paris BMX Racing, but crashed during the BMX semifinals. He has no significant injuries.

CYCLING:

Fred Wright – Fred’s love of cycling was fostered while watching his dad working at a bike shop in South London. Fred competed in London Youth Games as a young rider, representing Southwark in Time Trial Cycling from 2009-2012. He was crowned national road race champion in 2023 and made his Olympic debut in the road race at Paris 2024 where he came 43rd.

Ethan Hayter – After starting riding aged 13, Ethan went on to compete for Wandsworth at the London Youth Games in 2014. The South Londoner won Madison silver with Matt Walls on Olympic debut in Tokyo, and has become a cornerstone of GB’s team pursuit squad. At Paris, he will compete in the Road Race and Track Cycling Endurance event.

MODERN PENTATHLON

Joseph Choong – Joe started his Pentathlon journey at his school in 2008, where he joined the school biathlon team (involving swimming and running), and soon after, picking up shooting, fencing and horse riding. Joe competed in for Croydon in the London Youth Games in 2009 and then competed for Bromley in Triathlon in 2010. The south east Londoner was just 21 when he made his Olympic debut in Rio, and in Tokyo 2020, he became the first British man ever to win individual Olympic gold in modern pentathlon. Joe will compete in the Men’s Individual Modern Pentathlon at Paris.

ROWING

Callum Dixon – Callum learned to sail on a dock in Canary Wharf  and competed in London Youth Games for Tower Hamlets in Sailing in 2015. He is now a key member of the men’s quad and won silver at Tokyo 2020. At Paris 2024, he competed in the Rowing Men’s Quad that finished 4th.

RUGBY SEVENS

Emma Uren – The first time Emma picked up a rugby ball was to play Tag Rugby for Richmond at the London Youth Games in 2010. Since then, she’s become a two-time Olympian, competing at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. The team finished seventh in the 2024 Games.

Good luck to all the athletes competing in the next 7 days of the Games!

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