GOING FOR GOLD! MAIL SPORT WRITERS PICK TEAM GB'S TOP MEDAL HOPES FOR THE PARIS OLYMPICS AND GIVE THEIR FAVOURITE MEMORIES FROM PAST GAMES

The Paris Olympics are underway with the action kicking up a notch on Saturday
Keely Hodgkinson, Adam Peaty and Bryony Page are among medal hopefuls
Mail Sport writers pick their top medal hopes across the next couple of weeks

The Paris Olympics are officially underway and Team GB will be hoping to rack up a big collection of medals over the coming weeks.

Friday night saw the opening ceremony which was held along the River Seine and it will go down as a memorable one.

Saturday sees a whole host of action coming from the dressage, hockey, gymnastics, swimming, cycling and more.

The likes of Keely Hodgkinson, Adam Peaty, Matthew Hudson-Smith and more will hope to receive a gold medal in their respective events.

Our team in Paris look ahead to a feast of sport and pick their top medal hopes.

Oliver Holt

Chief Sports Writer

Most looking forward to

Seeing Andy Murray play for the last time. It’s something to mourn but something to savour, too.

Five Best gold medal hopes

Adam Peaty (100m breaststroke), Keely Hodgkinson (800m), Sky Brown (skateboarding), Josh Kerr (1500m), Imogen Grant and Emily Craig(lightweight double sculls).

Strongest outsider

Tom Daley(diving).

Elite performance

I'm looking forward to most Simone Biles, artistic gymnastics. If she wins multiple golds after her problems in Tokyo, it’ll be one of the great redemption stories.

Favourite Olympic memory

Cathy Freeman winning the women’s 400m at Sydney 2000. The atmosphere was electric.

David Coverdale

Most looking forward to

Adam Peaty was expected to win in 2016 and 2021. After all he has been through, no one knows which Peaty will turn up here.

Five best gold medal hopes

Keely Hodgkinson, Bryony Page (trampoline), Tom Pidcock (mountain bike), Joe Clarke (canoe slalom, kayak cross), Emily Craig and Imogen Grant.

Strongest outsider

Josh Tarling (cycling time trial).

Elite performance

I'm looking forward to most Noah Lyles going for his first gold. He’s he best thing to happen to athletics since Usain Bolt.

Favourite Olympic memory

Staying up to watch Steve Redgrave win gold at his fifth Games in a row at Sydney 2000.

Jonathan McEvoy

Most looking forward to

Keely Hodgkinson. She has the potential to be the supreme British star of these Games.

Five best gold medal hopes

Adam Peaty, Tom Daley and Noah Williams, Alex Yee (triathlon), Emma Finucane (cycling), Delicious Orie (boxing).

Strongest outsider

Tom Pidcock (road race and mountain bike).

Elite performance

I'm looking forward to most Noah Lyles in the 100m.

Favourite Olympic memory

Seb Coe and Daley Thompson from boyhood. Heroes and friends. And then staying up to see Steve Redgrave in Sydney. Aging, suffering from colitis and diabetes, yet he still won that fifth gold.

Riath Al-Samarrai

Most looking forward to

Keely Hodgkinson has yet to win gold at global level. On the grandest stage of all, that seems likely to change here.

Five best gold medal hopes

Keely Hodgkinson, Emma Finucane, Emily Craig and Imogen Grant, Alex Yee, Bradly Sinden (taekwondo).

Strongest outsider

Phoebe Gill (800m). Stunning talent might snatch a medal at 17.

Elite performance

I'm looking forward to most Sha’Carri Richardson. The fastest woman in the world and can be even quicker with a fiery comment.

Favourite Olympic memory

Derek Redmond, the hamstring, the tears, the dad. The footage from 1992 never grows old.

Nik Simon

Most looking forward to

Matthew Hudson-Smith, who was so impressive in setting a 400m European record just a week ago.

Five best gold medal hopes

Matthew Hudson-Smith (400m), Max Whitlock (pommel horse), Keely Hodgkinson, Emma Finucane, Josh Kerr.

Strongest outsider

Dina Asher-Smith, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita in the 4x100m relay.

Elite performance

I'm looking forward to most If Antoine Dupont wins gold tonight, he may arguably be the greatest rugby player of all time.

Favourite Olympic memory

Being there to see Jess Ennis, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford in that golden hour at London 2012.

Ian Herbert

Most looking forward to

Watching sport in the most incredible places. From beach volleyball near Eiffel Tower, fencing at Grand Palais, dressage at Chateau de Versailles.

Five best gold medal hopes

Bryony Page, Alex Yee, Delicious Orie, Keely Hodgkinson, Bethany Shriever (BMX)

Strongest outsider

Phoebe Gill, our 17-year-old 800m runner and youngest British Olympic track athlete in 40 years.

Elite performance

I'm looking forward to most Leon Marchand, France’s best gold medal hope in the pool.

Favourite Olympic memory

Allan Wells powering to 100m gold at Moscow in 1980, the year he also took silver at 200m.

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