Everybody will want to watch Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps attempt to cement their places in history at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. But who are the up-and-coming athletes who could step into the shoes of their idols on the biggest stage of all? We have put together a list of the young guns to look out for at the first Olympic Games in South America.

JAHEEL HYDE  (JAMAICA, ATHLETICS)

A promising footballer (he played for Jamaica’s under-17 side), Hyde decided to focus on athletics instead and last year he was richly rewarded, winning gold in the 400m hurdles at the junior world championships then posting a stunning world youth record of 12.96 on his way to 110m gold at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing. The 18-year-old now has his sights set on glory at Rio 2016.

(Photo: Getty Images/Lintao Zhang)

GIARNNI REGINI-MORAN (GREAT BRITAIN, ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS)

Despite suffering with the flu, the 16-year-old Regini-Moran was one of the stars of last year’s Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, winning three gold medals (floor, vault and all-around) and two bronzes (parallel bars and horizontal bar).

(Photo: Getty Images/Stanley Chou)

SI YAJIE (CHINA, DIVING)

Si, who has been diving since she was six years old, stunned her rivals by winning the 10m platform title at the 2013 world championships, aged just 14. The following year she won gold in the same event at Asian Games and she will be a major contender in her first Olympic Games in Rio.

(Photo: Getty Images/Quinn Rooney)

MARCUS VINICIUS D’ALMEIDA (BRAZIL, ARCHERY)

Billed the ‘Neymar of Archery’, D’Almeida shot to fame in 2014 when he finished second, by one arrow, in an archery World Cup final, aged just 16. One of the host nation’s top medals hopes for the Rio Games, he also took silver at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games and three gold medals at the South American Games in Santiago, both in 2014.

(Photo: World Archery/Getty Images/Dean Alberga)

AMI KONDO (JAPAN, JUDO)

The 19-year-old thrilled the crowds at the 2014 world championships with a series of dazzling performances on her way to the -48kg title. Two months later, Kondo (in blue, below) won the same weight category at the junior world championships, where she looked a class apart from her peers.

(Photo: Getty Images/Atsushi Tomura)

NIEK KIMMANN (NETHERLANDS, BMX)

The 18-year-old flying Dutchman had an impressive 2014, winning gold medals at the world and European junior championships and helping the Netherlands to the men’s team bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, where he pitched in by competing in the road race. This year he won his first elite men’s title, topping the podium at the Zolder (Belguim) stage of the European Cup, and he will be a threat to the more established names in Rio.

(Photo: Getty Images/Phil Walter)

KATIE LEDECKY (USA, SWIMMING)

After stunning home favourite Rebecca Adlington to win the 800m freestyle gold at the London 2012 Games – aged 15 and at her first major international event – Ledecky will hardly be a surprise in Rio. She has since won four world titles and set numerous world records and could compete for seven gold medals in 2016, which if successful would be an unprecedented feat for a female swimmer.

(Photo: Getty Images/Matt Roberts)

YANA KUDRYAVTSEVA (RUSSIA, RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS)

Already accustomed to success, Kudryavtseva won three gold medals at the 2013 world championships, where she became the youngest ever all-round world champion, at the age of 15. She improved on her haul the following year, leaving the world championships with five golds. However, Rio 2016 will be her debut on the Olympic stage.

(Photo: International Gymnastics Federation)

FERNANDO GAVIRIA (COLOMBIA, TRACK CYCLING)

Gaviria confirmed his status as one of the hottest young riders on the track by taking the omnium title at the 2015 world championships in February. One month before, the 20-year-old created shockwaves on the roads by beating Mark Cavendish in two sprint finishes at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina. The legendary British sprinter’s team, Etixx-Quick-Step, promptly signed up the Colombian, but he will target the omnium title in Rio.  

(Photo: Getty Images/Alex Livesey)

EMMA JORGENSEN (DENMARK, CANOE SPRINT)

After powering her way to two gold medals at the 2014 junior world championships – in the K1 200m and K1 500m – Jorgensen then stepped up and won gold in the K2 1000m (with Henriette Engel Hansen) at the senior world championships in the same year.

(Photo: International Canoe Federation)

MATHEUS SANTANA (BRAZIL, SWIMMING)

Having already taken silver in the 50m freestyle at last year’s Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, Brazilian swimming sensation Santana then broke his own junior world record on the way to gold in the 100m freestyle. He will be 20 years old at the Rio 2016 Games and could be one of the host nation’s star performers, especially if he helps Brazil to glory in the 4x100m freestyle.

(Photo: Getty Images/Lintao Zhang)

JEAN QUIQUAMPOIX (FRANCE, SHOOTING)

The 19-year-old won the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event in his first senior world cup final match in Changwon, Republic of Korea, this March. In the process, he set a new junior final world record of 29 hits and earned a place at Rio 2016 for his NOC.

(Photo: ISSF/Nicolo Zangirolami)

This article was produced with help from Infostrada Sports.