The Virginians to watch in the 2024 Paris Olympics
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Chesapeake-born hurdler Grant Holloway after winning the men's 110m hurdles in the Olympic trials. Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images
The Summer Olympics begin Friday in Paris, which means it's time to watch TV at odd hours and root for the athletes with Virginia ties.
Why it matters: Nothing makes Americans more patriotic than when team USA goes against literally any other country — or when Europeans start trashing us (specifically the Brits with their beans-on-toast breakfast).
Zoom in: Nearly 600 athletes make up Team USA, and 15 are from Virginia.
- Only one was born in Richmond (more on him below).
- At least three dozen Olympic athletes are current, former or incoming student-athletes at Virginia schools, including golfer Rafael Campos from VCU — though not all are Team USA.
- Nearly 70% are either swimmers or run track and field. More than 60% are women.
Fun fact: UVA is especially representing this year.
- A quarter of the 20-person U.S. swim team are current or former UVA students, including sisters Gretchen and Alex Walsh.
- Its head coach is Todd DeSorbo, who also coaches UVA's swim team.
- Two former Hoos are competing on the U.S. women's tennis team.
Honorable mentions: Lori Lindsey, a former U.S. women's soccer player who lives in D.C., also went to UVA and will be an NBC broadcaster.
- So will Lindsey Shoop, a rower who was born in Charlottesville, went to UVA and is an Olympic gold medalist.
Here are some Virginia Olympians to watch:
🏊🏻♂️ Charlie Swanson: The St. Christopher's grad is the only born-and-raised Richmonder on Team USA.
- He clinched his spot in the Olympics after taking the top second spot in the swimming trials for the men's 100-meter breaststroke.
- Olympic swimming schedule.
👟 Grant Holloway: The hurdler from Chesapeake has repeatedly broken his own world record in the 60-meter hurdles (currently 7.27 seconds).
- He also clocked the fourth-fastest time in history in the 110-meter hurdles at the Olympic trials last month.
- His schedule.
🦋 Thomas Heilman: The 17-year-old from Crozet beat Michael Phelps' 100-meter record in the Olympic trials last month — and he's the youngest swimmer since Phelps to qualify for Team USA.
- He'll be swimming the 100 and 200-meter fly.
- His schedule.
⚽️ Emily Fox: The Ashburn native is a right back for the U.S. women's soccer team, which is seeking redemption after a quarterfinal elimination in the 2021 Tokyo Games.
What's next: Watch the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony live on NBC and Peacock at 1:30pm ET.
- Prime-time coverage begins at 7:30pm ET.
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