How to watch Olympic athletes with Louisiana ties
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LSU graduate Sha'Carri Richardson crosses the finish line of the women's 100 meter semi-final of the 2024 U.S. Olympic team track & field trials at Hayward Field in Oregon. Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images
The Summer Olympics officially begin Friday in Paris, which means it's time to become temporarily obsessed with an obscure sport, watch TV at odd hours and get to know the athletes with Louisiana ties.
Why it matters: USA! USA! USA!
Zoom in: Nearly 600 athletes make up Team USA, and four are from Louisiana.
- Of those four, three are from New Orleans, including beach volleyball star Kristen Nuss, and two track and field athletes: Aleia Hobbs and Vernon Norwood.
- Aliaksei Shostak is a Team USA gymnast from Lafayette.
- Though not all representing the U.S., more than two dozen Olympic athletes attended LSU, three have Tulane ties and the Pelicans are sending a couple, too.
Here are some Olympians to watch:
🏐 Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth: The beach volleyball duo from LSU will make their Olympic debut during the women's tournament that begins Saturday in Eiffel Tower Stadium.
- The pair clinched their spot in the Olympics three months ago, and they rank No. 2 in the world, according to NBC Sports.
- At 5-foot-6-inches, Nuss will be the shortest beach volleyball player for Team USA since 1996, NBC Sports says.
- See the beach volleyball schedule.
👟 Sha'Carri Richardson: The LSU sprinter has had a bumpy road to Paris, but there are few who are more fun to watch.
- After testing positive for THC ahead of the 2020 games, Richardson locked in her spot on the team this year by running a world record during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
- Richardson's schedule.
🎽 Mondo Duplantis: The Lafayette-raised, LSU-educated Swede is the "best pole vaulter in the world."
- Still, he just missed setting a world record last month when he sought to clear 20 feet, 6 inches.
- Now, Duplantis will hope to become the first man in 68 years to win two straight gold medals in pole vaulting, according to NBC Sports.
- Duplantis' schedule.
What's next: The 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony can be watched live on NBC and Peacock at 1:30pm ET/12:30pm CT.
- Prime-time coverage will begin at 7:30pm ET/6:30pm CT.
Editor's note: This story was updated to include three Tulane-connected athletes competing in the Olympics.
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