Science and Sports: Who are the female scientists competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics?

Written by Marilia Montero

Science and sport go hand in hand at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and with that, we have female scientists present in different styles.

Gabriel Thomas

Athlete Gabrielle Thomas, affectionately 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 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she won her first two Olympic medals, a bronze in the women’s 200m and another silver in the 4x100m relay. Gabby Thomas is once again competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics, looking forward to winning more Olympic medals.

Anna Kissenhofer

Triathlete, Duathlete and Cyclist Anna KissenhoferBorn in Austria in 1991. He studied mathematics at the Technical University of Vienna and then obtained a degree from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. In 2016 he obtained a doctorate in Catalonia. He currently works at the University of Lausanne, combining teaching and research in Switzerland. The high-performance cyclist won her first Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. Kissenhofer began her cycling career in 2014, qualified for the Spanish National Cup in 2016 and participated in the Ladies International Tour in L’Ardèche, France. Anna then signed with the Lotto Soudal team, but due to a series of problems she ended up without a contract and stopped cycling for a year. In 2019 she returned to the sport, winning the Austrian National Road Race Championship and the Time Trial Championship, a title she repeated two more times. Even without going to Tokyo with a professional contract, Anna managed to become Austria’s first gold medalist since the 2004 Athens Games.

Charlotte Heim

The skater Charlotte Hem, born in 1992, lives in Paris, France. She earned a degree in sports science from Paris Descartes University, 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 named PhD In cognitive neuroscience and psychology. In 2021, she participated in the Tokyo Olympics and finished 17th. The skater is again present at the Olympics, trying to win an Olympic medal in her homeland.

Louise Shanahan

The athlete Louise ShanahanBorn in Cork, Ireland in 1997. He received his BSc in Physics from 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, focusing on the analysis of nanodiamonds and their use in measuring cellular properties. In the field of sports, Shanahan She became European Junior Champion in the 800m in 2013, National Champion in the 800m indoor and outdoor in 2020, Irish Champion in the 1500m in 2021 and competed at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Her father was also Irish National Champion in the 1500m in 2021, making them Ireland’s first father-daughter national champions.