Meet the Olympians representing Charlotte in Tokyo

Charlotte also has ties to several other high-profile athletes competing in Tokyo.

Sam Mikulak, whom the Observer describes as the biggest U.S. men’s gymnastics star, is engaged to WCNC’s new weekday morning host, Mia Atkins, who recently moved here from Colorado. Mary Tucker, the top-ranked female rifle shooter in the nation, was born in Pineville and lives in Florida. Swimmer Andrew Seliskar, a standout at the University of California, was born in Charlotte and grew up in Virginia. 

Below are the athletes from the Charlotte area competing in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Shouts to WCNC for rounding up the competition dates for most of these athletes; see their full coverage here. Thanks as well to WRAL for the broader roundup of North Carolina athletes.

Athletes arranged by date of competition.

Evy Leibfarth

Originally from Bryson City, Leibfarth, 17, is part of the Davidson College class of  2025. Coached by her father, Leibfarth, a Junior World Champion, will compete in kayak slalom and canoe slalom. Because women’s slalom canoe is making its Olympic debut this year, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports, Leibfarth has already made history as the first American female Olympian in the sport.

Competition date: July 25 and 28

Update 7/27: Leibfarth qualified for the kayak slalom semifinals with a strong second heat run on Sunday. She finished 12th in the semis, two spots shy of qualifying for the finals.

Zachary Lokken

Originally from Durango, Colorado, Lokken, 27, moved to Charlotte to train at the US National Whitewater Center, as WCNC reported. A Pan American Champion, Lokken graduated from CPCC this year and will compete in canoe slalom.

Competition date: July 25

Update 7/26: Lokken finished seventh in the men’s canoe event.

Michal Smolen

Originally from Krakow, Poland, Smolen, 27, graduated from Ashbrook High in Gastonia and then Belmont Abbey. Despite placing 2nd in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials for the Games that year in London, he couldn’t compete because he wasn’t yet an American citizen, per the International Canoe Federation. He briefly considered but opted against competing for Poland and instead got his U.S. citizenship in early 2013. Smolen placed 12th in canoe slalom at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and will compete in the same event this year.

Competition date: July 28

Erika Brown

A Hough High graduate, Brown graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2020. That year, Brown, a two-time U.S. national champion, led the Lady Vols to their first-ever SEC Championship title. The 22-year-old swimmer will compete in the 100m freestyle, and in the 4×100 freestyle relay.

Competition date: July 28

🥉 Update 7/25: Brown swam the leadoff leg for the 4×100 relay team that won bronze.

Naya Tapper

A West Mecklenburg High School and UNC Chapel Hill graduate, Tapper, 26, will compete on the U.S. women’s rugby team. She has competed on the women’s national team and on the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup squad in Ireland, where her team reached the semifinal, per USA Rugby.

Competition date: July 28-29

Mackenzie Hughes

A native of Ontario, golfer Hughes, 30, lives in Charlotte with his wife. He’s a Kent State graduate and has competed in multiple major championships, including the Masters, US Open and PGA Championship. Hughes will be competing for Team Canada.

Competition date: July 29

Ryder Ryan

A pitcher from Huntersville, Ryan, 26, played baseball at UNC and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2016. He now plays for the Round Rock Express, a minor league baseball team in Texas. For the next few weeks, though, he’s on Team USA.

Competition date: July 30

Anna Cockrell

A Providence Day alumna who graduated with honors from the University of Southern California in 2019, Cockrell, 23, is competing in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles. She just won the NCAA titles in both events in June, leading USC to the team title. She’s the sister of former Carolina Panther Ross Cockrell and daughter of Bank of America exec Kieth Cockrell.

Competition date: July 31

Gabriele Cunningham

A Charlotte native and Mallard Creek High and NC State grad, Cunningham, 23, is a two-time All-American who will be competing in the 100m hurdles. She ran her personal best times at the Olympic trials in Oregon last month, per the Charlotte Post, but placed fourth in her race. She secured a spot when Brianna McNeal, who placed 2nd, lost her appeal against a five-year ban for violating anti-doping rule.

Competition date: August 1

Quanera Hayes

A Hope Mills native, Hayes, 29, is a sprinter who graduated from Livingstone College in Salisbury in 2015. She’ll compete in the 400m race as well as the 4×400-meter relay. Hayes has won multiple World Championship gold metals. In June, a photo went viral of Hayes and her teammate Allyson Felix holding their respective two-year-olds, Demetrius and Cammy, after the two secured spots on Team USA.

Competition date: Aug. 2

Caine Wilkes

A weightlifter from Matthews, Wilkes, 34, lives in Indian Trail and attended Old Dominion University in Virginia. He’ll be part of one of the most competitive weightlifting teams the U.S. has sent to the Olympics in decades, according to the fitness publication BarBend.

Competition date: Aug. 3

Hannah Aspden

A Raleigh native, Aspden, 21, studies journalism and media at Queens University. She was born without a left leg and began swimming at four years old. Aspden, 21, was the youngest Team USA swimmer to earn a medal at either the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2016. She’ll compete in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 200m IM.

Competition date: Aug. 25-27

Am I missing any? Email me at [email protected].

Editor’s note: This story was last updated on July 23 to include Canadian golfer Mackenzie Hughes.