We're just a few weeks away from the 2024 Summer Olympics that will kick off in Paris at the end of the month.

And New Jersey will be well-represented across the pond from World record breaking track stars to breakout gymnast phenoms.

Two fencing wizards taking the stage.

You can expect the Garden State to make an impact and hopefully bring home some hardware.

Joining me now to talk about the great achievements of these New Jersey athletes is Steve Politi, sports columnist for NJ Advance Media.

Steve Politi, great to talk to you.

Tell me, what are some of the storylines that you're following in these 2024 Olympic Games in Paris?

From New Jersey, I should say.

Right.

Well, New Jersey is always going to have a really good team of athletes heading to Paris.

I think most of the focus for people on NBC certainly will be the big three sports of swimming, gymnastics and track and field.

And New Jersey will have major contributors in all of those sports track and field People will recognize the name Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone She's now a three time Olympian from the Netherlands.

She's the world record holder in the 400 meter hurdles.

She will compete in that event and probably a couple of relays so she can leave Paris with several medals in gymnastics.

So there's the newcomer name Leslie Rivera.

She's only 16 years old.

The surprise member of the team from Oradell, New Jersey.

She's going to be a huge story alongside Simone Biles.

I know people love gymnastics and they will watch that the first week of the the Olympics, certainly in silver as they were, very can make an impact for Team USA.

And then in swimming, we've got several swimmers from New Jersey.

Two of them swam at the same pool, same club team in Somerset County, Matt, Matt Fallon and Jack Alexy.

They'll be they'll be swimming in two events early in the Olympics.

And Nick Finke, who's 30 years old from Morristown, is returning to the Olympics.

He's a breast stroker and he'll have a chance to medal.

Yeah, all three really exceptional storylines kind of to follow.

Just have to go back to Sydney.

McLaughlin, who we see has broken the world record, I think, four times now.

Is that correct?

Ah yes, I've lost track.

Every time she runs, it seems like she breaks the world record.

It's pretty incredible the way she has lowered that.

She broke it in the trials to 50, 65 in the 400 meter hurdles.

Honestly, if you're watching her, it didn't look like she was running hard.

So I think she's got another chance to do it again in Paris.

I mean, she is one of the greatest performers in that event.

And I think we're at the point now where if she has another good Olympics, she's only 24.

She's starting to establish herself as one of the truly great American track stars of all time.

I love looking at some of the other sports that don't get as much attention.

We have three fencers, right?

I also see climbing.

And you wrote a great story today about a rower, a female athlete from, I believe, Short Hills who's made it to the Olympic team.

Just quickly, those narratives.

Sure.

Yeah.

And what I love the best about the Olympics is are people who could be your neighbors, you know, or just excellent at this sport.

Molly Redford is the name of the rower.

She's from Surry Hills, New Jersey.

She gave up the sport after college.

She was convinced she wasn't very good at it and then just kind of got back into it, found that event that was her and, you know, told their family was great.

I love it.

She told her mother, I'm going to Tokyo.

And her mother's thought was, are you going as a spectator?

It turns out she went to the Tokyo Olympics, finished fifth.

She'll be back.

She has a chance to finish the medal this time around.

Mitchell Saroyan's, a fencer from Ridgewood.

He has a chance in the saber, was he grew up as a fan of Star Wars and playing with plastic swords.

That's how he got his start in New Jersey.

If you count.

Princeton actually has eight fencers in the Olympics, which will be more than some countries have.

Yeah, there you go, Steve Politi, you also will be in Paris for the Olympics yet again.

Thanks for the insight.

Thanks for the coverage.

We will be watching.

Thank you.