Rio 2016: Take a look at who from our region is flying the flag
The Rio 2016 Olympics is taking place in Brazil.
You can find out lots more here about our local athletes taking part over the next two weeks.
Follow live updates here.
ALYSON DIXON, Marathon, Sunderland
Alyson Dixon is a marathon runner from Sunderland. She is 37 and runs for local club Sunderland Strollers. She formerly ran with Chester Le Street AC and Sunderland Harriers. She was the first woman across the line in this year's London Marathon. Her father was also a marathon runner.
RICHARD KILTY, Athletics, Mens 4x100m, Middlesbrough
Richard Kilty from Middlesbrough is a sprinter who competes and field sprinter who competes in the 60 metres, 100 metres and 200 metres. Nicknamed "The Teesside Tornado" he won a silver medal in the 2011 European Athletics Under 23 Championships with the British 4x100 metres relay team.
LAURA WEIGHTMAN, Athletics, 1500m, Morpeth
Laura Weightman, from Alnwick, is 25 years old and competes in the 1500 metres. She reached the final in the London Olympics in 2012, and won silver in the 2014 Commonwealth games. She is coached by Steve Cram.
RABAH YOUSIF, Athletics, 400m and 4X400m, Middlesbrough
Rabah Yousif, from Middlesbrough, competes in the 400 metres and 4x400 metres relay events. He was born in Sudan and came to the UK as a child, when his father sought asylum here. Several asylum applications failed and he competed for Sudan in the 2012 olympics. He was granted British citizenship in 2013.
SONIA SAMUELS, Athletics, Marathon, born South Shields
Sonia Samuels is a marathon runner originally from Wallsend. She finished 16th in last year's London Marathon.
JOSH KELLY, Boxing, Welterweight 69kg, Sunderland
Josh Kelly is a welterweight boxer from Sunderland. A talented footballer, He was a member of Sunderland AFC's academy as a teenager, but gave up to concentrate on boxing.
AMY TINKLER, Gymnastics, Spennymoor
Amy Tinkler, from Bishop Auckland, is a first year senior gymnast. She is the 2015 senior English and British all-around champion. Amy is particularly impressive on the floor where she won silver at the 2014 Junior European Championships and gold at the 2015 British Championships.
KAT DRISCOLL, Trampoline, Lives in Houghton le Spring
Katherine Driscoll is Great Britain's number one trampolinist, and has been ranked as world number one. She became a full-time athlete in 2010, and has since won team and synchronised medals at the World and European Championships. She was chosen for the British team for London 2012.
KAT COPELAND, Rowing, Women’s Lightweight Double Skull, Stokesley
Kat Copeland MBE was born in Ashington and started rowing when she was 14 years old.In 2012, she was selected to represent Great Britain in the London Olympics 2012 in the Women's lightweight double sculls alongside Sophie Hosking. As a teacher, she also runs an after school art club for autistic children.
JESSICA EDDIE, Rowing, Women’s Eight, Durham
Jessica is 31 and from Durham - where she trains.
She has spent the majority of her senior career in the eight – the boat she has once again been selected in for Rio – and is among the most experienced members of the GB Rowing Team women’s squad.
Jess first represented her country in 2001 and is a double World medallist at both U23 and senior level.
WILL FLETCHER, Rowing, Men’s Lightweight Double Skull, Chester Le Street
Will is from Chester-le-Street and is making his Olympic debut at Rio 2016 in the lightweight men’s double scull - the boat he helped to qualify for the Games at the 2015 World Championships.
A World U23 Championships gold-medallist, Will made his first senior GB Rowing Team appearance in 2011.
The 26-year-old has won medals at the World and European Championships, he is ambitious to get on the podium again in Brazil next summer.
KATY MCCLEAN, Rugby 7s, South Shields
England World Cup winner Katy Mclean has been named in the first Team GB rugby squad to compete in the Olympics in more than 100 years.
The South Shields star is one of 24 men and women announced by the British Olympic Association who will compete in rugby sevens at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
It will be the first time in 108 years that Team GB has had representation in rugby at Olympic level and a first for the seven-a-side format.
MARCUS WATSON, Rugby Mens Squad, Newcastle Falcons
24 year old winger Marcus Watson joined Newcastle Falcons in 2015.
Three years before that he was selected to be a full time sevens player with England.
He's represented his country at Under 18s and Under 20s level before moving on to Saracens.
AIMEE WILMOTT, Swimming, 400m and 200m individual medley, Middlesbrough
Aimee is 23 years old and Middlesbrough born and bred.
She competed at the London 2012 Olympics in the 400 metre individual medley - but just missed out on a place in the final.
In 2010 she took part in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi as well as the 2014 games in Glasgow - where she won silver medals in the 400 metre individual medley and 200 metres butterfly.
Aimee attended the school at Nunthorpe Academy and then went to Teesside Uni. She's says she is proud to be from the 'Boro and tells everyone when competing across the world about her home town.
JACK LAUGHER, Diving, Men’s 3m and 3m synchronised, Ripon
21 year-old Jack Laugher from Harrogate is a former double junior World Champion - specialising on the diving springboard.
After gaining vital experience competing in a home Olympics in 2012, it didn’t take long for Jack to make his mark on the world stage.
After becoming a double British Champion at the start of 2013, he was able to follow this up by winning his first senior global medal when he won Bronze at the Russian Grand Prix with a then personal best score.
NATHANIEL REILLY-O’DONNELL, Rowing, Hartlepool, Durham
The 28-year-old from Durham is a reigning World champion and former European gold-medallist who has been selected as one of two open-weight men's spares for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
He progressed through the ranks of the GB Rowing Team, winning World gold during a successful junior career.
Nathaniel is universally known as Noddy!
PAUL DRINKHALL, Table Tennis, Loftus
Born in Loftus, Paul is the English National Champion and the UK's No.1 ranked table tennis player.
He has been the Men’s Senior National champion in 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2012.
Paul Drinkhall married Joanna Parker, also a professional table tennis player and a multiple English champion, in August 2013.
He has won Commonwealth silver, but missed out on the medals in London 2012.
SAVANNAH MARSHALL, Boxing, Middleweight, Hartlepool
Savannah won Britain's first ever women's boxing world title at the 2012 World Championships in China.
Hartlepool born and bred, Savannah won gold at the Commonwealth games in Glasgow back in 2014 , bouncing back after bring defeated in the first round at the 2012 Olympics.
She has been boxing since the age of 12.
PAT MCCORMACK, Boxing, Light Welterweight, Birtley/Gateshead
Irish born Patrick started boxing as a schoolboy with Birtley ABC, Pat secured every domestic title available to English boxers.
In 2014 he won the England Boxing National title in his first year as a senior and retained it in 2015.
He joined the GB Boxing squad in 2014 when Pat also represented England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
He secured his place at Rio when he won the gold medal in the 2016 AIBA Olympic Qualification Event in Baku,
SEROD BATOCHIR, Men’s Marathon, Morpeth Harrier
Serod Batochir competes for Mongolia, lives in Japan, and runs for Morpeth Harriers.
He is Mongolia's first ever elite level marathon runner and his personal best of 2:08:50 is the Mongolian National Record.
He was the 2013 Asian Marathon Champion and has also won the Brighton Maraton.
He's competed at the Olympics in 2004, 2008 and 2012.