Central Ohioans to watch at the Olympics
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Olympian Annette Nneka Echikunwoke, who grew up in Pickerington, competes in the Women's Hammer Throw Final during the 2022 World Athletics Championships. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
LeBron James will carry the American flag during today's opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, but he's not the only Ohio athlete to root for in the weeks ahead.
Why it matters: Fourteen Ohioans will compete for Team USA, including two who live in our region. Other competitors also have ties to Central Ohio.
Case in point: Ohio State University announced that 24 of its current, former and incoming student-athletes are competing, representing 10 countries — its second-largest contingent ever.
- Seven are on Team USA.
How to watch: Today's opening ceremony begins at 1:30pm. The games are on NBC and Peacock and AMC Theatres at Easton will host watch parties.
Plus: Follow Axios' Olympics coverage, brush up on your Olympic terminology and take note of key event dates.
The locals
💥 Joe Kovacs, track and field (shot put), lives in Dublin
- The "human cannon" is a two-time world champion and silver medalist who was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth — Pennsylvania, that is.
- His wife, Ashley Kovacs, coaches him and the U.S. women's team's throwers.
💪 Annette Nneka Echikunwoke, track and field (hammer throw), lives in Columbus
- A Nigerian-American who grew up in Pickerington and attended the University of Cincinnati, Echikunwoke holds the African record in hammer throw.
- She is representing Team USA for the first time.
⛳ Jason Day, golf, lives in Westerville
- The PGA Tour star missed the 2016 Olympics due to concerns about the Zika virus, but Day is ready to finally make his Team Australia debut.
The sort-of locals
⚽ Patrick Schulte, soccer
- The Crew's All-Star goalkeeper from Missouri made the U.S. men's national team in its first Olympics appearance in 16 years.
- ICYMI: Schulte's Best Day Ever.
🤼♂️ Kyle Snyder, wrestling
- The gold medalist, three-time world champion and Ohio State great is a Maryland native, but once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.
🤸♀️ Simone Biles, gymnastics
- Biles is credited to Texas, where she lives and was raised. But the GOAT was born in Columbus, so technically we can claim her too.
- A new docuseries, "Simone Biles Rising," is available now on Netflix.
Other Ohioans
- Hunter Armstrong, swimming (100-meter backstroke), Dover
- Trevor Bassitt, track and field (400-meter hurdles), Bluffton
- Molly Bruggeman, rowing (women's eight), Dayton
- Nina Castagna, rowing (women's eight), Cincinnati
- Marcus Christopher, BMX (freestyle), Hartville
- Carson Foster, swimming (200-meter and 400-meter individual medley), Montgomery
- Maxwell Holt, volleyball, Cincinnati
- LeBron James, basketball, Akron
- Rose Lavelle, soccer, Cincinnati
- McKenzie Long, track and field (200m), Ironton
- Morelle McCane, boxing, Cleveland
- Katie Moon, track and field (pole vault), Olmsted Township