As the countdown to Paris 2024 continues, the world is eagerly awaiting the moments when the national anthems will be played to bless the athletes and give them the sporting glory that will follow them for a lifetime. Achieving that glory with world and Olympic records will etch their names into the history books alongside the legends of the Olympic Games.

With just over two months to go until the 33rd Games of the modern era, there is much talk of athletes making history. Some are competing for participation, others for a diploma (top eight finish), some are aiming for the podium to raise their flag, but a few are aiming for more: to win gold while setting world or Olympic records.

Earlier this year, backstroke queen Kaylee McKeown came close to breaking her own 100m backstroke world record at the 2024 NSW State Championships, clocking 57.57 seconds, just shy of her 2023 record of 57.33. She now holds the six fastest 100m backstroke times in history. McKeown, who is also the reigning world champion in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke and Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m backstroke, is a strong favourite to break records again this summer.

Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis has become synonymous with the term 'world record'. The Swedish pole vault sensation has broken the world record eight times, with his latest leap of 6.24m at the Wanda Diamond League opener in Xiamen, China, on 21 April. Duplantis first broke the world record in February 2020 when he leapt 6.17m to beat the six-year-old mark set by Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie. Since then, he has been untouchable and is aiming to go even higher in Paris.

A long-standing record in women's athletics is the 200m sprint, held by Flo-Jo (Florence Griffith Joyner) since the 1988 Seoul Olympics with a time of 21.34 seconds. More recently, athletes such as Jamaica's Shericka Jackson, who clocked 21.41 seconds at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, have come close. Elaine Thompson-Herah (21.53) and Gabrielle Thomas (21.60) are also within striking distance of the historic record.

In weightlifting, USA's Hampton Morris made history at the 2024 IWF World Cup in Thailand by breaking the 61kg senior world record with a clean and jerk of 176kg. This was the first time in 55 years that an American had set a world record in the senior weightlifting event.

In the new Olympic sport of climbing, Sam Watson established himself as the man to beat by breaking the world record twice in one hour at a World Cup event in China. He scaled the 15-metre wall in 4.85 seconds and then 4.79 seconds, beating the previous record of 4.90 held by Indonesia's Veddriq Leonardo.

Katie Ledecky has the chance to add to her impressive resume at Paris 2024. One more gold and she will equal Jenny Thompson's record for the most Olympic titles won by an American. Two golds would make her the most decorated swimmer at the Olympics. If she wins three, Ledecky will become the woman with the most Olympic gold medals in any sport. 

Australia's Emma McKeon is also closing in on Thompson's record of 12 Olympic medals in swimming.

In women's water polo, if the USA win gold with Maggie Steffens and/or Melissa Seidemann on the team, they will become the first athletes to win four consecutive gold medals in water polo. Either medal would tie the record for most Olympic medals won by a woman in water polo.

The US men's swimming team have the chance to win their eleventh consecutive gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay. They have won gold at all but one Olympics (1980) and 15 out of 16.

In basketball, the US women's team could win their eighth consecutive gold since Atlanta in 1996. The US men, who have lost only once (Athens 2004) since professionals were allowed to play at Barcelona 1992, could see Kevin Durant win a fourth consecutive gold medal.

In handball, if the French men's team with Nikola Karabatic win gold, both Karabatic and Gauthier Durant could become the first male athletes to win four gold medals in a team sport.

In football, Javier Mascherano (gold in Athens and Beijing) could be joined by Lionel Messi if the Argentine superstar decides to take part (subject to the approval of his team, Inter Miami) and wins gold in Paris. That would also put the Albiceleste at the top of the gold medal table, equal to Hungary's three, but ahead of the Europeans' two.