A small beach has appeared next to the Eiffel TowerAn iron tower in Paris, named after Gustave Eiffel. His company built the tower in the late 1880s. . A skateboarding course has sprouted up on the Place de la ConcordeA big public square in Paris, France.. The pigeons have been driven off the honey-coloured boulevards. It can only mean one thing: the Paris OlympicsA major international multi-sport event held every four years. are here.

Paris 2024 opens on Friday. For the next two weeks, thousands of athletes will front crawl, fence, pole vault, slalomA race down a winding path, with obstacles. You can have canoe slaloms or ski slaloms, for example. , horse ride, trampoline, hammer throw, shot put and race walk their way into history. 

Fresh faces will bid for glory. This year's youngest contenders include the 17-year old 800m runner Phoebe Gill, who has already broken the European under-18 record in her sport. Also 17 is China's Quan Hongchan, who will defend her gold medal for the 10m dive. American relay runner Quincy Wilson is only 16 - the youngest man to represent his country on the track.

There are promising British hopefuls. Artist gymnast Abigail Martin will only pick up her GCSEThe national exams taken by 15 and 16-year-olds in parts of the UK. results after the games. Nineteen-year old Penny Healey will make her Olympic debut in archery. She picked up the sport after watching Pixar's film Brave.

A year younger is table tennis ace Anna Hursey, who was born in Wales but grew up in China. She has been a United NationsAn international organisation focused on keeping peace. Its refugee agency, the UNHCR, aims to assist refugees around the world. Young Champion on climate change since she was 13. And 16-year-old Lola Tambling will join the record-breaking Sky BrownA British-Japanese skateboarder who represented Team GB in the 2020 Olympics aged 13. in the skateboarding competition.¹

Some of these figures will become heroes. Athletes have often been regarded as heroic. Ancient Greeks immortalised wrestlers and discus throwers in marble. Romans lavished riches on champion chariot racers and gladiators.

Becoming a modern Olympian takes immense effort. It requires dedication to a strict training regime. It demands the will to succeed. And it needs the courage to face failure in front of an audience of millions.

Great athletes can serve as role models. Diver Tom DaleyA professional diver who first represented Britain at the Olympics aged 14 in 2008. has promoted LGBTStands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. The initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.+ rights. Swimmer Michael PhelpsAn American swimmer and the most successful Olympian of all time. has raised awareness of ADHDAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental health condition that can cause above-normal levels of energetic and impulsive behaviours. and mental health.²

Some think we give them too much credit. Many have a geneticRelating to genes. Each of us has around 20,000 to 25,000 genes. We inherit them from our parents. Although most of our genes are the same as everyone else's, the small differences make us unique. advantage. Phelps has a huge wingspanThe distance between the ends of the wings of a bird or aircraft., double jointed ankles and an enormous 12-litre lung capacity.³ Plus his body produces half the lactic acidA chemical produced by the body when cells break down carbohydrates for energy. of the average athlete. Is he a hero - or just lucky?

Heroism is often linked with moral goodness. Comic book heroes battle evil villains. But in real life being physically courageous does not align with goodness. Basketball player Charles Barkley once said: "I am not a role model."

Numerous athletes have taken an immoral path. ParalympicThe Paralympics is an international sporting event for athletes with disabilities. It usually takes place just after the Olympic games. runner Oscar Pistorius killed his girlfriend. American gold medallist Tim Montgomery became a drug dealer. Australian wrestler Bruce Akers was imprisoned for mistreating horses.

Sport is a sideshow. A great writer can change the way we see the world. A scientist can cure diseases. And a rescue worker can save lives. Should we not regard these people as the true heroes?

Yet watching athletics quickens the heart far more than scientific tests. Perhaps athletes are heroes because of how they excite our emotions.

But should athletes be our heroes?

Yes: Athletes are strong, determined and courageous. They inspire others to try their best. They do things with their bodies that defy gravity and wow crowds. If this does not make them heroes, what would?

No: True heroes forge their own path. They do something that no-one has attempted before. Athletes, by contrast, follow the rules. They stand for repetition rather than change - and so are not heroes.

Or... We have no choice. From the chariot track to the football pitch, there is just something impressive about great physical feats. We are programmed to worship those who push their bodies to the limits.

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