Which female scientists will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?

Written by Marilia Montero

Science and sports go hand in hand at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which is why female scientists will be present in a variety of styles.

Gabriel Thomas

Athlete Gabrielle Thomas, fondly known as GabyBorn in Atlanta, USA in 1996, the young runner has achieved many academic and Olympic achievements. Thomas holds a degree in Neurobiology and Global Health from the renowned Harvard University and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology. At the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, she won her first two Olympic medals, a bronze in the women’s 200m and another silver in the 4x100m relay. Gabby Thomas will compete again at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and is looking forward to winning more Olympic medals.

Anna Kissenhofer

Triathlete, duathlete and cyclist Anna KissenhoferBorn in Austria in 1991. He studied mathematics at the Vienna University of Technology and then obtained a degree from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. In 2016, he obtained a PhD in Catalonia. He currently works at the University of Lausanne, where he combines teaching and research in Switzerland. The elite athlete won her first Olympic gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Kissenhofer began her cycling career in 2014, qualifying for the Spanish National Cup in 2016 and competing in the Ladies International Tour in L’Ardèche, France. Anna then signed with the Lotto Soudal team, but a series of problems left her without a contract and she took a year off from cycling. In 2019, she returned to the sport and won the Austrian National Road Championship and the Time Trial Championship, a title she repeated twice more. Even without going to Tokyo on a professional contract, Anna managed to become the first Austrian gold medalist since the 2004 Games in Athens.

Charlotte House

Speed ​​skater Charlotte Hem, born in 1992, lives in Paris, France. She holds a degree in sports science from the University of Paris Descartes and completed a master’s degree in neuroscience from the same university in 2015. Hem continues her work as a doctoral researcher in neuroscience, focusing on cognitive neuroscience in psychology, in the laboratory of Marianne Barbot-Roth. Her research investigates the effects of maternal voices on newborns. In 2019, she was appointed PhD in cognitive neuroscience and psychology. In 2021, she competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, finishing 17th. The speed skater is back at the Olympic Games, where she will try to win an Olympic medal in her home country.

Louise Shanahan

Athlete Louise ShanahanBorn in Cork, Ireland in 1997. He completed his BSc in Physics at University College Cork in 2019 and is completing his PhD in Physics at Trinity College, Cambridge. He works in the Microphysics and Atomic Optics group at the Cavendish Laboratory, where he focuses on the analysis of nanodiamonds and their use in measuring cellular properties. In sports, Shanahan She became European Junior 800m Champion in 2013, National 800m Indoor and Outdoor Champion in 2020, Irish 1500m Champion in 2021 and competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Her father was also Irish National Champion in the 1500m in 2021, making them the first father-daughter Irish national champions.