After sending a record-breaking delegation to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics of 33 athletes, 22 of whom made up the men’s football squad, Saudi Arabia has confirmed that only nine competitors across four different sports will be heading to Paris for the 2024 Games.

It is the lowest number of Saudi athletes to travel to the Olympics since the 2000 event. However, it is still a group with aspirations to add to the Kingdom’s overall haul of two silver and two bronze medals, the most recent of which was the silver won in Tokyo by judoka Tareg Hamedi.

Here’s the break down who is who on the Saudi 2024 Olympics team:

DUNYA ABUTALEB (Taekwondo)

Arguably Saudi Arabia’s best hope of a medal in Paris, Abutaleb made history in March when she became the first Saudi woman to qualify by merit for the Olympics. While others were previously granted quota places, Abutaleb earned her spot by winning the 2024 Asian qualification tournament in Tai’an, China. It was the latest success in a career that has had many highlights, including a World Championship bronze in 2022.

The talented taekwondo player has continued to rise up the world rankings this year, and heading into the 2024 Games, she is considered the third-best in the world in the -53kg category, though she will compete at -49kg in Paris. It is the highest ranking that any Saudi athlete has ever achieved in taekwondo and gives hope that Abutaleb might be able to secure a podium finish. She heads into the Olympics having won five events this year, most notably claiming gold at the 2024 Asian Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam.

MOHAMMED TOLO (Athletics – Shot Put)

One of three athletics competitors for Saudi Arabia in Paris, shot putter Tolo propelled himself to an Olympics debut after setting a new personal best and Asian record of 21.80m in June at an international meeting in Madrid. Tolo won the Asian Games silver last year but had fallen short of the Olympic qualification benchmark of 21.50m until his historic throw in the Spanish capital.

Tolo, who occasionally also competes in discus, added Saudi National Championships gold to his list of accomplishments in May. The 23-year-old is now in the top 10 of the shot put world rankings.

HUSSAIN AL HIZAM (Athletics – Pole Vault)

Having narrowly missed out on a place in Tokyo as he was still recovering from a serious ankle injury, Jubail-born Al-Hizam will finally achieve his Olympic dream in Paris. He faced an anxious wait to discover if his world ranking would be enough to secure qualification, but now that his spot in the 32-man pole vault field has been confirmed, Al-Hizam will compete against the world’s best later this month.

The 26-year-old left Saudi Arabia at age 18 to refine his skills within the renowned US college athletics system. It helped progress his career as he competed at the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships, as well as winning bronze at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

HIBAH MOHAMMED (Athletics – 100m)

After receiving an International Olympic Committee (IOC) quota place at the 2024 Olympics, Mohammed will stand at the start line of one of the Games’ most iconic events – the 100m. The 23-year-old sprinter clocked a personal best and new Saudi national record in both the 200m and 100m in May, running the latter in 12.24 seconds as she won a pair of bronze medals at the West Asian Championships, held at Al-Fayhaa Stadium in Basra, Iraq.

Mohammed follows in the footsteps of two other Saudi female 100m runners to have participated in the Olympics and will be aiming to go a step further than Yasmeen Al-Dabbagh (2020) and Kariman Abuljadayel (2016), who failed to advance through their first heat.

ZAID AL-SARRAJ (Swimming)

At just 16 years old, 100m freestyle swimmer Al-Sarraj will be the youngest Saudi Olympian in Paris when he takes to the pool at the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis. The teenager made his big competition debut this year, participating in February’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

Although he finished in 58th place in the heats, some three seconds off the slowest semi-finals qualifying time, the experience was valuable in the development of Al-Sarraj, who was awarded a wildcard spot at the 2024 Games.

MASHAEL AL-AYED (Swimming)

Saudi Arabia’s second swimming wildcard entry went to 17-year-old Al-Ayed, who is set to compete in the 200m freestyle. Another of the Kingdom’s history makers, she will become the first-ever Saudi female swimmer to compete at the Olympics.

Al-Ayed has experienced racing in the FINA World Swimming Championships in Australia in 2022, as well as the 2023 and 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka and Doha respectively. In Qatar, she competed in four events – the 50m, 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle – but Al-Ayed will only participate in the 200m in her maiden Olympics in Paris.

ABDULLAH AL-SHARBATLY (Showjumping)

It will be a third appearance at the Games for the experienced Saudi Arabian Olympian this summer, with Al-Sharbatly having also appeared in 2012 and 2016, most famously winning team showjumping bronze for the Kingdom in London 12 years ago.

A champion showjumper who has collected numerous accolades over a glittering career, Al-Sharbatly is the most decorated athlete in Asian Games history across any sport, adding his sixth gold medal last year in Hangzhou. Al-Sharbatly, aged 41, will ride Alamo at the Paris Olympics as one of a four-person Saudi showjumping team.

RAMZY AL-DUHAMI (Showjumping)

The undisputed veteran jumper on the Saudi Arabia equestrian roster, Al-Duhami was also part of the Kingdom’s bronze-medal winning team at the London 2012 Olympics, which was his fourth successive appearance at the Games having also competed in Sydney, Athens, and Beijing.

After a 12-year absence, Al-Duhami is back for his fifth Olympics and the 52-year-old senior statesman of the Saudi showjumping team told Al Arabiya English in April that Untouchable 32, who he rides in Paris, is an “amazing horse,” capable of winning a medal.

ABDULRAHMAN ALRAJHI (Showjumping)

Part of the Asian Games gold-medal-winning line-up in Hangzhou last year, 29-year-old Alrajhi has built up a significant social media presence in recent years – with more than 193k people following developments in his career on Instagram.

Alrajhi was just 17 the last time Saudi Arabia’s showjumping team qualified for the Olympics in 2012. He described being selected for the Paris Games – at which he will ride Ventago – as “a dream come true.”

KHALED AL-MOBTY (Showjumping)

The Saudi showjumper, who was part of the Kingdom’s team at this year’s FEI World Cup in Riyadh and finished in 22nd place in the individual event, has been described by team-mate Al-Duhami as “a young talent who can go far and will be important for Saudi Arabia in the future.”

For now, Al-Mobty will only be among the traveling party in Paris as the Saudi team’s first reserve, but the 26-year-old will be ready if called upon.