Meet the athletes with KC ties who are going for gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics
It’s been a bit of a wait ... but the Summer Olympics have finally returned.
It’s been an unprecedented couple of years for the Games. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, which took place a year late, in 2021, with no fans in attendance.
The Summer Olympics’ return to normalcy officially kicks off Friday in Paris — the City of Lights — with opening ceremonies to be shown live in the U.S. on Friday at 12:30 p.m. (NBC). Events will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
Here are some Olympians with ties to Kansas City and/or the KC area/region, including when you can watch them compete (all times Central):
Track and Field
With 48 events between the men and women (23 each as well as two mixed events: the 4x400m mixed relay and 35km mixed team race walk), track and field coverage kicks off Thursday, Aug. 1 at Stade de France.
Quincy Hall (USA, KC/Raytown South HS): Hall qualified for his first Olympics with a 44.17-second time in the 400 meters. He took home four state titles at Raytown South and an NCAA outdoor championship (in the 400-meter hurdles) with the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2019. The first round for the men’s 400 in Paris is Aug. 4 at 12:05 p.m. Central.
Chris Nilsen (USA, KC/Park Hill HS): After clearing 5.97 meters in the pole vault at the Tokyo Olympics — good for silver — Nilsen is back for more in Paris. He’ll be taking part in his fourth world competition and second Olympics. The qualification round for pole vault is Aug. 3 at 3:10 a.m.
Bryce Hoppel (USA, KU): The two-time NCAA national champion earned gold in the 800 meters at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Scotland. He’s won six national titles in his pro career and is hoping to bring home Team USA’s first 800-meter gold since 1972. Round 1 for the 800 begins Aug. 7 at 4:55 a.m. KC time.
Michael Joseph (Saint Lucia, KU): Joseph ran a career-best 44.77 in the 400 meters at the 2023 Outdoor Big 12 Championships in May 2023. He will be the flag-bearer for the country of Saint Lucia at Friday’s opening ceremonies. Competition in the men’s 400 starts Aug. 4 at 12:05 p.m.
Sharon Lokedi (Kenya, KU): A former NCAA national champion in the 10,000 meters, Lokedi, 30, is headed to her first Olympics nearly two years after winning the New York Marathon. She’ll be representing Kenya, racing in the women’s marathon on Aug. 11 at 1 a.m.
Alexandra Emilianov (Moldova, KU): This will be the second Olympic appearance for Emilianov, who competed in Tokyo. She’s the Jayhawks’ record-holder in indoor and outdoor shot put (16.80 meters and 17.25 meters, respectively) and discus (60.26 meters). She’ll compete in discus qualification Group B on Aug. 2 at 1:20 p.m.
Yoveinny Mota (Venezula, KU): Competing in the 100-meter hurdles, Mota is competing in her first Olympics after spending her final college season at KU. She previously ran at Arkansas, where she recorded a personal best of 12.95. Opening races for her event begin Aug. 7 at 3:15 a.m.
Hussain Al-Hizam (Saudi Arabia, KU): The former Jayhawks pole vaulter has four gold medals to his name already, from the Asian Indoor Championships, Islamic Solidarity Games, Arab Championships and GCC games. But this is his first Olympics. His indoor and outdoor personal bests (5.70 meters in both) are Saudi national records. The qualification round for pole vault is Aug. 3 at 3:10 a.m.
Stanley Redwine (USA, KU): Coach Stanley Redwine is no stranger to high-level track and field: He’s entering his 25th season as head coach of the KU men’s and women’s teams. Now he’s head coach for Team USA’s men’s track and field athletes. It’s his first time in that role but third time on staff.
Karissa Schweizer (USA, Mizzou): Seven years after her senior season at MU, Schweizer will compete in the 5K and 10K in France. This will be her second straight Olympic Games.
Laura Galvan (Mexico, K-State): Galvan is competing in her second Olympics, representing Mexico in the women’s 5,000 meters at Stade de France. Round one begins at 11:10 a.m. on Aug. 2.
Eugene Omalla (Netherlands, K-State): Omalla, who specializes in the men’s 400 meters (he’s the African record-holder in this event), helped KSU’s relay team set a school record in the men’s 4X400 (3:03:15). He earned two medals at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Round one of competition in Paris begins at 4:05 a.m. on Aug. 9.
Gymnastics
Olympic gymnastics events take place in three disciplines: artistic, rhythmic and trampoline. Three athletes with Kansas City-area ties will be in Paris for the artistic gymnastics, with events beginning Saturday.
Leanne Wong (USA, Blue Valley HS): Wong is a “replacement gymnast” for Team USA, meaning she’ll only compete if one of her American teammates cannot. (She went to Tokyo in this same capacity three years ago.) At last month’s Olympic Trials in Minneapolis, she placed placed third on vault, fifth on uneven bars, seventh on balance beam, seventh in the all-around and ninth in floor routine. Now with the Florida Gators, Wong has already earned six perfect scores of 10.0 in college competition.
Aleah Finnegan (Philippines, Summit Christian Academy): Finnegan helped LSU to a national championship, winning an NCAA title of her own in floor exercise along the way. She’d retired from elite gymnastics after failing to make the cut for Team USA in Tokyo, but she’ll represent her mother’s home country in Paris. She’s the first female gymnast to represent the Philippines at the Olympics.
Lynnzee Brown (Haiti, Raytown HS): Brown is set to become the first Haitian to take part in an artistic gymnastics competition at the Olympics. She competed at the University of Denver from 2018-23, becoming an NCAA co-champion in 2019 (for floor exercise).
Basketball
Olympic basketball officially tips off Saturday at 4 a.m. Central Time, with Australia playing Spain. Hoops competition for the men continues through Aug. 10 (Aug. 11 for the women). Preliminary-round games will be played at Pierre Mauroy Stadium; the finale will take place at Accor Arena.
Joel Embiid (USA, KU): Eligible to play for the USA, France or his native Cameroon, Embiid went with Team USA for his first Olympics. He said he wants to honor his son, who was born in the U.S. Embiid is a seven-time NBA All-Star and was league MVP in 2023 with the Philadelphia 76ers. Team USA opens with a Men’s Group Phase (Group C) game at 10:15 a.m. July 28 (Sunday).
Leticia Romero (Spain, K-State): She spent just one season with the Cats before making headlines for her decision to transfer following the dismissal of coach Deb Patterson. Romero averaged 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the 2013-14 season. Spain tips off July 28 at 6:30 a.m. with a Women’s Group Phase (Group A) game.
Soccer
Olympic soccer matches kicked off ahead of Friday’s opening ceremonies and will run through Aug. 9 for the men and Aug. 10 for the women.
Murphy Sheaff (New Zealand, K-State): A rising junior at K-State, Sheaff ranks fourth in school history in career saves (82). This is her first Olympics. She’s a “traveling reserve” for New Zealand’s women’s national team. New Zealand faced Canada Thursday in a Group A pool game.
Jake Davis (USA, Sporting KC): Davis is an alternate for Team USA soccer — his first national team selection since joining the American U-17s for the 2019 Nike International Friendlies in Florida. Team USA opened its run in France with a pool play loss to the host nation but hopes to bounce back against New Zealand on Saturday at noon.
John Pulskamp (USA, Sporting KC): Pulskamp, a Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper, is, like Davis, an alternate.
Nichelle Prince (Canada, KC Current): Participating in her third Olympics as a full-time member of Team Canada’s 18-player roster, the 29-year-old Prince is looking for another podium finish. She boasts two medals already — bronze in 2016 and gold in 2021. After playing for the Houston Dynamo for six seasons, Prince moved to the KC Current, where she’s made one start and attempted a few shots on goal.
Lauren Eduarda Leal Costa (Brazil, KC Current): Rounding out the Current’s selections is Lauren, a 21-year-old defender born in Brazil. She joins Team Brazil as one of four alternates in her first Olympics. She also played for Brazil in last summer’s World Cup.
Swimming
Olympic swimming begins Saturday at 4 a.m. Central Time. Two Missouri Tigers will take part in events at the Paris La Defense Arena venue.
Mikel Schreuders (Aruba, Mizzou): Schreuders has qualified for his third Olympics. His best finish to date: 45th in the 200-meter freestyle at the 2016 Rio Games. As Aruba’s lone men’s swimmer, Schreuders will compete in the 100-meter freestyle (July 30) and 50-meter freestyle (Aug. 1).
Clement Secchi (France, Mizzou): Representing the host nation, Secchi will compete in the 100-meter butterfly starting Aug. 2.
Trapshooting
Derrick Mein (USA, Walnut, Kan.): Raised on a Kansas farm, Mein will shoot in the Olympics for the second time. He also took part in the 2022 World Shotgun Championship. The 38-year-old is no stranger to winning medals.
Rachel Tozier (USA, Pattonsburg, Mo.): Tozier, 32, manages the Kansas City Trapshooters Association’s range in Smithville. She’s a former member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and this will be her first Olympics.
This story was originally published July 25, 2024 at 1:28 PM.
