All the Paris 2024 Olympians based close to Wiltshire

The ceremony officially marks the beginning of the sporting event that includes a total of 10,500 athletes, representing 206 countries.

327 of those athletes will be representing not only Great Britain but their hometowns too.

Although none of the Paris 2024 athletes listed on the Team GB website are from Wiltshire, plenty of them come from the county's neighbouring towns and cities that you might recognise.

Here are all the Paris 2024 Olympians who grew up close to Wiltshire.

Not sure which Olympic events to watch this year? Check out what these South West athletes are competing in (Image: Getty)

Fairford and Cheltenham:

Alex Cohoon – Fairford, Swimming

Born in Fairford near Swindon in 2002, Cohoon spent several years in the Gloucester Rugby academy set up before committing to the pool.

He currently trains at Loughborough University.

Laura Collett MBE – Cheltenham, Equestrian eventing

Born in 1989, Collett was awarded an MBE in 2022 and this year will be attending her second Olympic games.

After suffering a bad fall in July 2013, she took herself from the hospital bed to Olympic gold in Tokoyo.

Tom McEwan MBE – Cheltenham, Equestrian eventing,

McEwan was born in Cheltenham in May 1991 and comes from a family of horseriders.

His sister Ella competed on the British Pony Team as a junior, and he is based on the Gatcombe estate, owned by Princess Anne.

Flora Peel – Cheltenham, Hockey

Peel, born in 1996, was previously a British slalom champion aged 12, but then swapped the skis for a hockey stick.

She contributed to England’s first-ever women’s hockey gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and she will now go to her first Olympic Games as part of Team GB.

Thomas George – Cheltenham, Rowing

George, born in 1994, was part of the men’s eight that won Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020.

Andover and Reading

Nick Park – Reading, Hockey

Born in 1999, Park impressed with his performances at the 2023 World Cup and has now earned selection in Paul Revington’s 16-strong squad.

Charles Elwes – Andover, Rowing

Elwes, born in 1997, was set to make his Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, but was forced to endure the delay of his dream, with the day of his pre-selection for the tournament coinciding with the day Team GB's rowers were sent home.

He will now compete in the 2024 Paris Olympic team.

Oxford and Henley

Tom Digby – Henley on Thames, Rowing

Hailing from Henley, Digby was born in 1995 and joined the GB Rowing Team in 2021.

Around that time, his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She watched him become a double world champion before passing away in December 2023.

Sholto Carnegie – Oxford, Rowing

The 29-year-old started joining local clubs in his hometown and went on to compete against fellow GB athletes at Yale University where he helped win the National Championship.

He made his Olympic debut at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games.

Jade O’Dowda – Oxford, Athletics

The heptathlete, born in 1999, is the younger sister of Cardiff City and Republic of Ireland footballer, Callum O'Dowda.

Miriam Pritchard – Oxford, Hockey

The GB Women's Hockey team goalkeeper made her England debut in 2017 and was the reserve goalkeeper for the 2018 Vitality Hockey Women's World Cup in London.

The goalie was born in Oxford in 1998.

Bristol

Kate Shortman and Izzy Thorpe – Bristol, Artistic Swimming duo

Shortman and Thorpe, both born in 2001 in Bristol, teamed up after meeting as 10-year-olds at Clifton High School.

A decade later, the pair made their Olympic debut in the artistic swimming duet event at Tokyo 2020, finishing 14th.

Ben Jeffries – Bristol, Athletics

Born in 1999, Jeffries will compete in his first Olympics in Paris this year.

Lily Owsley – Bristol, Hockey

Owsley, born in 1994, made her England debut as a 19-year-old and has already amassed a century of caps for both England and Great Britain.

She was part of the team that won hockey gold at Rio 2016, before adding bronze to her collection four years later in Tokyo.