An absolutely loaded badminton field heads to Paris as six of the eight gold medalists from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are returning to defend their titles. 

China will once again be looking to assert its dominance and has numerous contenders to rack up the medals--if not golds--in all five badminton disciplines in Paris. China has already more won gold medals (20) than all other countries combined (19) and their 47 total medals is 26 more than second-place Indonesia's 21.

Here is a quick look at the contenders to take home medals in Paris. 

The defending Olympic champion, Viktor Axelsen (DEN), is back for more and seeking to become just the second back-to-back Olympic champion in men's singles. 

He can still make history even if he is unable to win gold, a medal of any color would tie the record for the most men's badminton medals at three. 

However, Axelsen has struggled for form in recent months which leaves the door open for some stiff competition. Chief among them is China's Shi Yuqi, who lost to Axelsen in the quarterfinals in Tokyo. 

Shi was suspended for a year by the Chinese badminton federation after he retired from a match while he was up against match point in the Thomas Cup semifinals. The suspension was reduced to 10 months and he has been playing better since, putting him back into gold medal contention. If Shi were to take gold, it would be the fourth gold in the last five Games and fifth all time for China, which would extend a record. 

Other contenders for medals include Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Jonthana Christie. Each could become the first Indonesian man to take home gold since Athens 2004. 

Toma Junior Popov (FRA) is a dark horse to bring home France's first ever medal in badminton in their home games, while Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-Chen is hoping to overcome quarterfinal losses at the last two Olympics to finally get himself a medal. 

Howard Shu, 33, is the lone American in the field and a longshot for a medal. He could become the first American male to win a match at an Olympics since Sydney 2000.

China is the only country with two entries in men's doubles and both pairings have a chance at medals. Li Junhui took home the silver in Tokyo, but has a new partner, Ou Xuanyi, headed into Paris. However, they are less likely to take home a medal than Liang Weikeng and Wang Cheng, who recently won the Asian Championships. 

China having two shots at a medal and leaving without one would be a massive disappointment, especially considering a Chinese pair has taken home a medal at every Olympics since Beijing 2008.

The defending world champions, Kang Min-Hyuk and Seo Seung-Jae of South Korea, are the favorites to take home the gold and Seo is looking to make Olympic history. He could become the first male and just the second athlete to win two gold medals in badminton in the same Olympics. Seven athletes have won two medals, but only China's Zhao Yunlei has double dipped in gold when she took home the women's doubles and mixed double's titles in London 2012. 

India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto are other challengers for medals.

The defending gold medalists, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin of Chinese Taipei, are not expected to be contenders to repeat. 

California natives, Vinson Chiu and Joshua Yuan, are the lone Americans in the tournament, and will be looking to win Team USA's first match in men's badminton doubles since Beijing 2008.  

2016 gold medalist, Carolina Marin (ESP), was forced to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics just months before the games started after tearing both menisci in her left knee. Unable to defend her title, China's Chen Yufei stepped in and took the gold. Now Marin is healthy, at the top of her game and the favorite to re-claim gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Chen is back and looking to become the second women to defend a single's title. However, she is not in great form and falling down the pecking order of favorites in the tournament. 

The entire podium from Tokyo is back in Paris and silver medalist, Tai Tzu-Ying (TPE), and bronze medalist, P.V. Sindhu (IND), are both strong contenders to be in the medals again in Paris.

The defending world champion, An Se-Young (KOR), could bring home the first women's singles title for South Korea since Atlanta 1996. 

The lone American in the field, Beiwen Zhang of Las Vegas, is the best chance Team USA has at its first badminton medal. She was winning her Round of 16 match in Tokyo when she tore her Achilles, but is healthy now and in good form. Still, she remains a longshot to get on the podium. 

After winning five consecutive women's doubles gold medals, China has not been on the top step of the podium since London 2012. They missed the podium entirely in Rio 2016, but Jia Yifan and Chen Qingchen took home the silver in Tokyo and are back for more. The pair has won the past two world titles and are the favorites to take home the gold in Paris. 

South Korea has two pairs that could contend for the gold as well, Tokyo bronze medalists, Kong Hee-Yong and Kim So-Yeong, and 2024 All England champions, Baek Ha-Na and Lee So-Hee. Baek is an Olympic debutant while Lee is an Olympic veteran, Paris will be her third Olympic appearance. If either pair takes home gold, it would be the first for South Korea since the event debuted in Barcelona 1992. 

The gold medalists from Tokyo split up after Greysia Polii (INA) retired, but Apriyani Rahayu is back to defend her title with Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti. Rahayu and Ramadhanti finished second at the 2023 World Championships and are a threat to be on the podium in Paris. 

Identical twins and San Jose natives, Kerry and Annie Xu, are the only American team in the field. The pairing left their auditing jobs at Big Four firms to pursue their Olympic dreams and used scholarships, money they saved from their jobs and a Go Fund Me to make it possible. They are longshots to medal, but could make history as the first ever American women's doubles team to win a match at an Olympics. 

At least one member of all three pairings that took home a medal in Tokyo are returning to Paris and all have good chances to get back on the podium.

Defending champion, Huang Dongping of China, is back to defend her title with a new partner, Feng Yanzhe, and the pair is a strong contender to win China's fifth gold in mixed doubles. A Chinese team has won a medal at all seven Olympics since mixed doubles debuted in Atlanta 1996.

The reigning silver medalists, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, give China a second shot at gold and after a World Championships win in 2022 and second-place finish in 2023, they are also among the favorites to bring home that fifth gold. 

Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan took home bronze in Tokyo and also should be in the mix for a medal. If all three were to medal again, it would be the first time in mixed doubles history that a podium has repeated itself. 

2023 world champions, Seo Seung-Jae and Chae Yu-Jung of South Korea, also cannot be ruled out for a medal. As mentioned earlier, Seo can become the first male and second athlete ever to win two gold medals in badminton if he captures men's and mixed doubles gold. If he takes home a silver or bronze, he would be just the seventh shuttler ever to win two medals at a single Olympics. The pairing could also return South Korea to an Olympic podium in mixed doubles for the first time since Beijing 2008. 

American Vinson Chiu will compete in his second discipline of the Olympics alongside fellow Californian, Jennie Gai. They are just the second American pairing to compete in mixed doubles and could be the first to win a match.