PARIS, France — The Paris Olympics have concluded, and the Paralympics Games are underway. Here is how athletes with connections to North Carolina and South Carolina did during both events:
How to watch
Each day's most popular Olympic events aired live on WCNC Charlotte in the morning and afternoon in the United States. USA Network, E!, CNBC and GOLF Channel also will show live action and Olympic programming. Peacock served as the U.S. streaming home, including all 329 medal events. When it comes to the Paralympics, people can watch it by streaming it on Peacock or on NBC Olympics/ digital platforms like NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC app or the NBC Sports app.
Olympic schedule
Olympic swimming and gymnastics began Saturday, July 27. Swimming finished on Aug. 4, and the final day for artistic gymnastics was Aug. 5. Track and field runs from Aug. 1-11.
The men's basketball final was on Aug. 10, and the women's championship was the following day. The gold medal match for men's soccer was on Aug. 9 at Parc des Princes, and the women hold their final at the same venue the next day. Roland Garros hosted the women's singles final for tennis on Aug. 3, and the men's singles championship on Aug. 4.
The 2024 Paralympics began with the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 28 and ends Sunday, Sept. 8.
Olympic athletes to watch who have Carolina connections
There are dozens of athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympics who have connections to North Carolina and South Carolina. Here are some of them to watch for and when they compete.
Liel Abada
Soccer
Liel Abada hails from Petah Tikva, Israel, and plays as a forward for Charlotte FC. Abada came to the Queen City in 2024 after playing three seasons with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. He scored 21 goals for Celtic and has netted four goals with Charlotte FC. Israel is making its first Olympics appearance in football since 1976. Abada's Israel team played Mali on Wednesday, July 24, ultimately reaching a draw at 1-1.
His team next faced Paraguay on Saturday, but Paraguay's men's team won 4-2. Israel then faced Japan for another chance to remain in the running Tuesday, July 30. However, Japan was able to net a 1-0 win, eliminating Israel's soccer team from the games.
Bam Adebayo
Basketball
Bam Adebayo will compete in his second Olympics this summer. He got the nickname “Bam” after flipping a table like Bamm-Bamm Rubble on “The Flintstones.” He averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds as a senior at High Point Christian Academy. He was named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball and led his team to the state championship game. Adebayo competed in Sunday's Team USA win against Serbia. He scored 4 points and posted 2 defensive rebounds. He also finished with 2 assists. Adebayo scored 3 points in Saturday's victory over Puerto Rico. Team USA narrowly beat Serbia 95-91 in Thursday's semifinals where Adebayo didn't score but did see nearly 10 minutes of play. Team USA defeated France to win the gold medal in men's basketball on Saturday.
Perris Benegas
BMX Freestyle
Perris Benegas got her start riding BMX with her older brother in their hometown of Reno, Nevada. This self-professed coffee enthusiast now lives near Raleigh with her golden retriever, Kiah. She placed fourth in her Olympic debut in 2021. Benegas earned the silver medal in the women's BMX Freestyle final on Wednesday, July 31. It was her first career Olympic medal.
Katharine Berkoff
Swimming
Katherine Berkoff was born in Missoula, Montana, and is a student at North Carolina State University, pursuing a graduate degree in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology. She is a 5x NCAA Champion in 100m backstroke, 30x All-American in numerous swimming categories and a 6x ACC Champion for 100m backstroke and 400 medley relay. This is her first time competing in the Olympics.
Berkhoff won her heat in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 57.99 seconds. Her next event was the 100-meter backstroke final on Tuesday, July 30. Katharine Berkoff won the bronze medal when she finished third in the women's 100-meter swimming event with a time of 57.98.
Kaylyn Brown
Track and Field
Kaylyn Brown started running track when she was just 4 years old. As a teen, she became a star athlete at Mallard Creek. She won gold in the under-22 world championships in the 4x400 mixed relay. She owns the world record for 19-year-olds in the 400 meters with a time of 49.13 seconds. Brown and Team USA won the silver medal in the mixed 4x400 relay, one day after setting a new world record in the event. She competed on Friday in Heat 1 for the women's 4x400-meter relay; her team came in first in their heat. Brown, Shamier Little, Aaliyah Butler and North Carolina native Quanera Hayes got a final time of 3:21.44 and advanced to the final. The women won gold Saturday with a time of 3:15.27.
Cierra Burdick
3x3 basketball
Cierra Burdick graduated from Butler High School. After finishing an All-American career for the famed Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Burdick was a WNBA draft pick and played a handful of seasons for a handful of teams.
Burdick scored four points for Team USA in the women's 3x3 basketball match against Azerbaijan on Wednesday, July 31. Burdick had four rebounds and blocked one shot, but the team ultimately lost to Azerbaijan 20-17. The team fell to Australia on Aug. 1, scoring 15-17. In a second game that day, Team USA women's 3x3 basketball team beat Spain 17-11.
The team beat France 14-13 and bested Canada on a buzzer beater 18-17. Their next opponent was China Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals. Team USA managed to win 14-12 to advance to the semifinals. Burdick was able to net a point from the 1-point line. She also shone on defense with three defensive rebounds and a key assist during the game.
The U.S. women’s 3x3 team won the Olympic bronze medal after beating Canada 16-13 on Monday, Aug. 5. Team member and Butler High School alum Cierra Burdick scored three points and had three rebounds during the bronze medal game. Wake Forest University Dearica Hamby scored three points and had six rebounds. In the tournament, Germany took gold and Spain took silver.
Gianluca Busio
Soccer
Gianluca Busio is from North Carolina. He was born in Greensboro, and is now a midfielder for Venezia FC in Italy. He signed an MLS contract with the Major League Soccer team Sporting Kansas City when he was just 15 years old. While Busio was the youngest player to sign with an MLS team since 2004, this is his first Olympics.
Busio and Team USA lost their opening match 3-0 to France on Wednesday. Busio started the match and was substituted off in the 71st minute.
Team USA's next match was against New Zealand on Saturday, July 27, at 1 p.m. The U.S. defeated Guinea 3-0 on Tuesday. Team USA was eliminated from the men’s soccer tournament after a 4-0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals on Friday, Aug. 2. Busio was not in the lineup for Tuesday and Friday's games.
Andrew Capobianco
Diving
Andrew Capobianco is from Holly Springs, North Carolina, and will be competing in his second Olympics. He is a one-time Olympic medalist, winning the silver medal for men’s 3m Springboard Synchro and placed 10th in the men’s 3m Springboard in Tokyo in 2020. This year, he’s focusing on the men's 3m springboard event. Capobianco competed in the men's 3m springboard preliminary on Tuesday, Aug. 6, receiving 382.05 points and qualifying for the next round. He competed in the men's 3m springboard semifinal Wednesday, Aug. 7, receiving 407.65 points. He did not qualify for the finals.
Anna Cockrell
Track and Field
Anna Cockrell is a Charlotte native competing in her second Olympics. The 2024 Olympics will be a chance at redemption for Cockrell after being disqualified in the Tokyo Olympics. The former NCAA champion is an advocate for mental health, documenting her difficult battle with depression throughout high school and college. Cockrell won first place in her heat in the women's 400m preliminaries on Sunday. Cockrell got a silver medal in the women's 400-meter hurdles.
Erika Connolly
Swimming
A product of Hough High School in Cornelius, Erika Connolly has secured her spot on the women’s freestyle relay team at the Paris Olympics! She’s making a return trip to the games after a strong debut in Tokyo with a silver and bronze medal and will be focusing on making a splash with her teammates. In the women's 4x100 free relay heats on July 27, Connolly and Team USA finished with a time of 3:33.29. The team won a silver medal that same day. Connolly did not race in the final.
Steph Curry
Basketball
There aren’t many firsts left for Steph Curry, but 2024 marks the first time he will represent the U.S. in the Olympics. The four-time NBA champion became a household name when he led little-known Davidson to the Elite Eight in March Madness in 2008. Arguably the best shooter of all time, Curry has made more 3-pointers than any player in NBA history. Steph Curry scored 11 points in Sunday's win over Serbia, including the game's final basket with 5 seconds to play. Curry also picked up 3 rebounds and 3 assists in his Olympic debut. Curry scored 8 points in Saturday's win over Puerto Rico.
Team USA returned to action in the Olympic quarterfinals on Tuesday, Aug. 6, beating Brazil 122-87. Curry's offensive struggles continued against Brazil, as he finished with just 7 points.
Team USA narrowly beat Serbia 95-91 in Thursday's semifinals, but Curry looked like the best shooter in NBA history, scoring an Olympic-best 36 points.
Team USA defeated France 98-87 in the gold medal game on Saturday. Curry was the team's top scorer, including 4 3-point baskets in the final 3 minutes of the game.
Justin Dowell
BMX Freestyle
Justin Dowell started riding BMX at 8 years old in his hometown of Virginia Beach. He has won gold and silver in the world championships, competing every year from 2017-2023. Dowell is the only rider who performs his signature trick “The Twix” in competition. Dowell placed seventh in the men's BMX Freestyle final on Wednesday, July 31, with a score of 88.35.
Felix Duchampt
Triathalon
Felix Duchampt is ranked 48 in the world as a triathlete. He represented France in world triathlons until 2018 and has represented Romania, since 2019, including in the upcoming Paris Olympics. During his time at Queens University in Charlotte, Duchampt was awarded the SAC Runner of the Year and he won the Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year twice. The men's triathlon final took place Wednesday, July 31, and Duchampt finished 50th overall.
Crystal Dunn
Soccer
Crystal Dunn is a familiar face for US Soccer fans. She’s played on the national team for over 10 years and has scored 25 goals. She hopes to add some Olympic goals to her resume as she plays as a forward for Team USA in Paris.
Dunn and Team USA defeated Zambia 3-0 in the opening match of the group stage. Dunn attempted two shots but did not score. In Team USA's second match, Dunn played in the whole contest as the U.S. defeated Germany 4-1. The win locks the U.S. into the quarterfinals.
Team USA finished the group stage with an undefeated record after beating Australia 2-1. Dunn attempted one shot and assisted with another shot attempt but did not score. She played the first half but was substituted at halftime.
Team USA defeated Germany 1-0 in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament.
The U.S. won gold with a 1-0 win over Brazil on Saturday. It's the fifth gold medal for Team USA in the event and first since 2012.
Matej Dusa
Swimming
Matej Dusa will be swimming for native country of Slovakia in the Paris 2024 Olympics, but he currently swims for Queens University in Charlotte. He is the three-time CSCAA National Invitational champion and a two-time ASUN Champion. Dusa placed 39th overall in the 50m free heats on Thursday, Aug. 1 with a time of 22.64 but finished last in his particular heat. He did not qualify for the finals.
Casey Eichfeld
Canoe
Casey Eichfeld will take on a challenging slalom course in Paris in his fourth Olympic run. He can often be spotted conquering rapids at The Whitewater Center in Charlotte, where he trains. His status as a now 4-time Olympian will never outshine his self-appointed title of ‘girl dad.’ He plans to take his daughter to Paris, where he’ll compete in the solo canoeing event. Eichfeld competed on Saturday, July 27, at 1 p.m. in slalom men's canoe heats. His run time of 94.69 seconds qualified him for the semifinals on July 29. During the solo semifinals on Monday, Eichfeld came in 16th place with a total score of 162.23. That means he didn't qualify for the final in men's canoe. On Friday, he took to the whitewater once again in the Kayak Cross time trials. He completed his first run with a time of 81.13. On Saturday, Aug. 3, he finished 3rd in his race, meaning he did not qualify for the elimination rounds.
Bettina Fábián
Swimming
Bettina "Betti" Fábián is a committed freshman at NC State who will be competing in the women’s 10km Open Water for the Hungarian Team at the Paris Olympics. This is her first journey to the Olympics. She has won numerous awards in international swimming competitions, including two gold medals in the World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships and one gold medal in the Open Water Swimming World Cup. Fábián competed in the women's 10k Open Water race on Thursday, finishing in 5th place with a time of 2:04:16.9.
Emily Fox
Soccer
Emily Fox is familiar with international competition. She plays for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League in England, arguably the biggest women’s soccer league in the world. Paris will be her first shot at the Olympics, where she will play as a defender for Team USA. Fox and Team USA defeated Zambia 3-0 in the opening match of the group stage. Fox attempted two shots but did not score.
Fox started on defense for Team USA in a 4-1 win over Germany on Sunday. She played almost the entire game before being substituted off in stoppage time in the second half. Team USA finished the group stage with an undefeated record after beating Australia 2-1. Fox started the match but was substituted off in the 65th minute.
Team USA faced Japan in the quarterfinals on Saturday and defeated Japan in a 1-0 match. Team USA defeated Germany 1-0 in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament.
The U.S. won gold with a 1-0 win over Brazil on Saturday. It's the fifth gold medal for Team USA in the event and first since 2012.
Veronica Fraley
Track and Field
Veronica Fraley, a North Carolina native, is headed to Paris after winning Bronze in the discus event at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. This is her Olympics debut. This year, she was also the NCAA discus champion. She attended Clemson University before becoming a member of Team USA for the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships and the 2023 Pan American Games. Fraley competed on Friday, Aug. 2. She ranked 8th in her competition with a distance of 62m. She needed 64 to qualify for the final.
Josh Green
Basketball
Josh Green was born in Sydney, Australia, two months after the city hosted the 2000 Olympics, according to Basketball Australia. He is the son of two semi-professional basketball players. As a teenager, Green moved to the United States and played for the University of Arizona and the Dallas Mavericks before the Charlotte Hornets.
Green and the Australian men's 3x3 basketball team lost to Greece 77-71 on Friday, Aug. 2. Green played for four minutes and 19 seconds. Australia lost to Serbia 95-90 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Quincy Hall
Track and Field
Quincy Hall, a former NCAA champion and University of South Carolina runner, may become the second-ever Gamecock to take home an Olympic medal in the 400m race. He won the U.S. trials by running a personal best time of 44.17. That time now ranks fifth in the world. 2024 will be his first year participating in the Olympics. Hall was the fastest in 400m race round on Sunday with a time of 44.28. He won gold on Wednesday in the Men's 400m Final.
Dearica Hamby
3x3 Basketball
Hailing from Wake Forest University, Dearica Hamby is the school’s most decorated women’s basketball player. Hamby joins the 3x3 women’s basketball team at the Paris Olympics. Hamby currently reps the Los Angeles Sparks as a forward. Hamby made her debut at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Team USA's women's 3x3 basketball team fell advanced to the quarterfinals after winning four games and losing three in the pool rounds. They beat China 21-13 in the quarterfinal, then fell to Spain 18-16 in the semifinal. Hamby led the team in scoring with nine points, while also getting five total rebounds and two key assists. Burdick was able to net a point from the 1-point line. She also shone on defense with three defensive rebounds and a key assist during the game.
They beat Canada 16-13 on Monday, Aug. 5, winning the Olympic bronze medal. Team member and Butler High School alum Cierra Burdick scored three points and had three rebounds during the bronze medal game. Wake Forest University Dearica Hamby scored three points and had six rebounds.
Quanera Hayes
Track and Field
Quanera Hayes is from Hope Mills, North Carolina, and ran track while attending Livingstone College in Salisbury. She is competing in her second Olympics, after finishing 7th in the 400-meter race in Tokyo. Her personal record in the event is 49.72 seconds, and she used a time of 49.78 to win at the trials for the Tokyo Olympics. She competed in the women's 4x400 meter relay heat Friday morning; her team came in first in their heat. Hayes, Shamier Little, Aaliyah Butler and Charlotte native Kaylyn Brown got a final time of 3:21.44 and advanced to the final. The women won gold Saturday afternoon with a time of 3:15.27.
Hal Hershfelt
Soccer
Hal Hershfelt was named an alternate for Team USA’s Paris efforts just a month after being called up to the national squad. The midfielder is in her rookie season in the NWSL with the Washington Spirit. At just 22, Hershfelt is one of the youngest players on the squad. Team USA defeated Zambia 3-0 in the opening match of the group stage. Hershfelt did not appear in the match. She did not appear in Team USA's 4-1 win over Germany on Sunday.
Team USA finished the group stage with an undefeated record after beating Australia 2-1. Hershfelt did not appear in the match. Team USA defeated Germany 1-0 in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament.
The U.S. won gold with a 1-0 win over Brazil on Saturday. It's the fifth gold medal for Team USA in the event and first since 2012.
Ashley Hoffman
Field Hockey
Ashley Hoffman played field hockey at UNC-Chapel Hill for four years and started in every game. She captained the team her senior year and won multiple awards with the team, including being named MVP for the NCAA and ACC tournaments. Hoffman and the rest of Team USA’s women’s field hockey team practiced at UNC Charlotte ahead of the Summer Games. Her mom is an Olympian, having won a bronze medal in 1984. This is her first time competing in the Olympics, and she’s the team’s captain.
Hoffman competed on Saturday, July 27 Team USA's game against Argentina. Argentina won 4-1. The team then Team USA's women's field hockey team competed against Spain in the Women's Pool B event on Monday morning. The match ultimately ended in a draw, at 1-1. The U.S. team faced Australia on Wednesday, July 31, ultimately falling 3-0.
Hoffman and Team USA's women's field hockey faced off against Great Britain on Thursday, Aug. 1, in a women's tournament pool match, falling 5-2. Team USA women's field hockey won their final pool game on Saturday, Aug. 3, beating South Africa's team in a 1-0 match. After quarterfinal standings were finalized, the team did not qualify to advance.
Braden Holloway
Swimming
North Carolina State University swim coach Braden Holloway is making the journey to Paris for the 2024 Olympics. He’ll be guiding the American swimmers to victory, and he won’t be the only member of the Wolfpack there either; two of his own swimmers will be competing for Poland. He shared on Instagram that it was "an absolute honor" to coach as a part of Team USA, though he had to leave on early when his mom "fell extremely ill and was fighting for her life." He went to see her in Scotland, saying, "My mom is tough and fought to continue her life. I am proud of her and inspired by her!"
Patrick Hussey
Swimming
Canada’s Patrick Hussey is a familiar face for swimming fans in the Carolinas; he just graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill where he swam for the Tar Heels. He made his Paris debut as he hit the water in the men’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay for Team Canada. Hussey competed on July 30 in the Men's 4x200m freestyle relay heats, but did not qualify for the finals.
Sanu Jallow-Lockhart
Track and Field
Sanu Jallow-Lockhart was born in The Gambia and will be representing her country at the Paris Olympics, competing in the Women’s 800m. Her family came to the United States when she was 9 years old and she graduated from West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte in 2022, where she lettered for all four years. She now attends and competes in track and field at the University of Arkansas and plans to major in sports management. Jallow-Lockhart competed on Friday, Aug. 2, in Women's 800m and finished 44th overall with a time of 2:03:91. On Saturday, Aug. 3, she placed 6th in her heat with a time of 2:04.44. She did not qualify to advance to the semifinal.
Melissa Jefferson
Track and Field
Melissa Jefferson is a Georgetown, South Carolina, native who already won a gold medal as part of Team USA’s 4x100-meter relay team in the 2022 World Athletics Championships. She raced at Coastal Carolina where she became the first ever individual NCAA National Champion in school history when she got a record time of 7.09 seconds in the 60-meter dash. The 23-year-old also placed first in the 4x100m relay team at the 2023 World Championships and first in the 2024 World Athletics Relays in the same event. Jefferson competed on Friday, Aug. 2, in the Women's 100m heat, qualifying for the next round with a time of 10.96, ranking second in the fourth heat. She took first place in the Women's 100m semi-finals on Saturday.
In the finals, Jefferson kept up with fellow American runner Sha'Carri Richardson to land on the podium, earning a bronze medal with a time of 10.92 seconds.
She competed with Richardson, Twanisha Terry and Gabrielle Thomas in the women's 4x100-meter relay on Thursday, Aug. 8. They came in first in their heat with a time of 41.94 after Richardson bailed out the U.S. women out from a near collapse, overcoming a German runner in the anchor leg to help the Americans win their heat and move to the gold-medal race.
On Friday, Jefferson and her relay team took home the gold medal after two shaky handoffs up them behind to start the 4x100m relay race.
Nyls Korstanje
Swimming
Nyls Korstanje, born in Nijmegen, Netherlands, competed in his second Olympics in Paris as a member of the Netherlands Swim Team. Korstanje is a senior at NC State and a 1x NCAA Champion in the 200 medley relay, a 22x All-American in multiple swim categories, and 11x ACC Champion. Korstanje competed in the 4x100 Medley Relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Korstanje finished fourth in his heat for men's 100m butterfly with a time of 51.17, which was the eighth fastest finish and was only .34 seconds behind America's Caeleb Dressel. He finished third in Friday's semifinals with a time of 50.59, and sixth in the final on Aug. 3 with a time of 50.83.
He also competed in the mixed 4x100m medley relay with the Netherlands Swim Team. The team came in second in their heat on Friday, Aug. 2, with a time of 3:43.60, and placed sixth in the final with a time of 3:43.12.
Finally, he competed in the 4x100m medley relay with the team, coming in third in the heat on Saturday, Aug. 3, with a time of 3:31.80. The team came in eighth in the final with a time of 3:32.52.
Brynn King
Track and Field
Former Duke Blue Devil Brynn King is making her Olympic debut! She’ll hit the track with the American three-woman pole vault team, seeking to soar to success. King competed on Aug. 5 in Group B of the women's pole vault qualifications, with a height of 4.40 meters, or roughly 14.4 feet. She did not qualify for the next round.
Evy Leibfarth
Canoe / Kayak
Evy Leibfarth first got into a boat in the Nantahala River near her hometown of Bryson City, North Carolina. She felt the rush at an early age. Her parents, Jean Fogler and Lee Leibfarth, were avid kayakers. Leibfarth’s dad even serves as her coach. Still just 20, she’s now a two-time Olympian. In the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Leibfarth placed 12th in the women’s solo kayaking event and 18th in canoeing. In the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, she won 1st in both events. She competed in three events in the 2024 Olympics.
Leibfarth competed on Saturday, July 27 in Women's Kayak Heats, where she took 8th place on the first run. Her second run was 93.84 seconds. Overall, she came in 4th place in the K-1 heats. She competed in the semifinals on July 28. Her semifinals score of 109.54 did not qualify her for the K-1 finals.
Her next competition was the Slalom Women’s Canoe Heats on Tuesday, July 30. Her first heat score was 108.82, finishing ninth, her second heat score was 107.09, ultimately ranking her 11th. She got a final result of 117.58 in the women's canoe single semifinal on July 31, qualifying for the finals. Leibfarth won the bronze medal in the women's canoe slalom finals that same day with a final result of 109.95 seconds.
In the Kayak Cross time trials, she completed the course with a time of 72.66 in her first run on Aug. 2. She competed in the first kayak cross round on Aug. 3, and finished her race in first place, qualifying her to advance in the elimination rounds. She did not advance to the semifinals after the quarterfinals race.
Kelee Lepage
Field Hockey
Kelee Lepage lives in Charlotte, and first joined the U.S. Women's National Team in 2020. This is her first time competing in the Olympics. Lepage competed on Saturday, July 27 Team USA's game against Argentina. Argentina won 4-1. The team then Team USA's women's field hockey team competed against Spain in the Women's Pool B event on Monday morning. The match ultimately ended in a draw, at 1-1. Lepage and the U.S. team faced Australia on Wednesday, July 31, ultimately falling 3-0.
Lepage and Team USA's women's field hockey faced off against Great Britain on Thursday in a women's tournament pool match, falling 5-2. Team USA women's field hockey won their final pool game on Saturday, beating South Africa's team in a 1-0 match. After quarterfinal standings were finalized, the team did not qualify to advance.
McKenzie Long
Track and Field
Originally from Ohio, McKenzie Long committed to North Carolina State University in 2017, spending four years running with the ‘Pack’. She will make her Olympics debut in Paris after taking third place in the trials. In 2022, she set a North Carolina State record of 23.00 in the 200 meters. She placed fifth in the 60 meters and second in the 200-meter race in the 2023 SEC indoors championships. She transferred to the University of Mississippi in 2023. At the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2024 Long won the 100-meter title with a time of 10.82. She then won the 200-meter title, clocking a time of 21.83, which is the second fastest time run by a collegiate.
On Sunday, Aug. 4, Long placed 1st in her heat in the women’s 200-meter with a time of 22.55. She qualified for the finals after getting a time of 22.30 in the semifinal on Monday. Aug. 5. In the women's 200-meter finals on Aug. 6, she placed 7th with a time of 22.42.
Adrienne Lyle
Equestrian
This will be Adrienne Lyle’s third time competing in the Olympics. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. Dressage Team that she was on won the silver medal. She was raised in Whidbey Island, Washington and she grew up with horses being a big part of her life. Lyle competed on Saturday, July 27 with 12-year-old gelding Helix. Lyle and Team USA were eliminated from the competition during the dressage grand prix. Lyle and Team USA were also eliminated from dressage grand prix. She did not qualify in the individual event.
Casey Murphy
Soccer
Casey Murphy plays goalkeeper for Team USA and North Carolina Courage. She’s played with the international squad since 2021 and has earned 15 clean sheets in 19 appearances. Paris will be her first Olympics appearance. Team USA defeated Zambia 3-0 in the opening match of the group stage and beat Germany 4-1 in the second match. Team USA finished the group stage with an undefeated record after beating Australia 2-1. Murphy was available as a substitute but didn't appear in any of the matches.
Team USA defeated Germany 1-0 in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament.
The U.S. won gold with a 1-0 win over Brazil on Saturday. It's the fifth gold medal for Team USA in the event and first since 2012.
CJ Nickolas
Taekwondo
CJ Nickolas is looking to add to his growing medal collection in Paris. The Brentwood, California native has won gold medals in the Pan American Championships and bronze medals in the World Taekwondo Grand Prix. Nickolas trains in Charlotte with Team USA and is competing in his first Olympics. Nickolas competed on Friday, Aug. 9 in Men's 80kg preliminaries, facing Farzad Mansouri in a round of 16 bout in the men’s taekwondo -80kg competition on Friday. Nickolas won his bout 2-0. He had scores of 10-7 and 3-1 in the two rounds. Nickolas defeated Faysal Sawadogo 2-0 with scores of 7-5 and 10-9. Nickolas lost to Tunisian athlete Firas Katoussi in the semifinal Friday morning. He was then defeated by Italy's Simone Alessio in one of two bronze medal matches.
Fiona O'Keeffe
Track and Field
Fiona O’Keeffe, who calls Chapel Hill, North Carolina, her current stomping grounds, is a 26-year-old marathoner originally from California. Recently, she set a record for the fastest-ever time by a woman at the U.S. Marathon Trials, smashing the previous record by nearly three minutes after finishing in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 10 seconds. On Sunday, O’Keefe did not finish the marathon. She suffered a hip injury before the 5km mark that prevented her from completing the race.
Bartosz Piszczorowicz
Swimming
Bartosz Piszcorowicz is proudly representing Poland and the NC State Wolfpack Nation in Paris! He was set to compete in two team events: the men’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay and the men’s 4 x 100m medley relay. He’s not the only Polish Wolfpack member in the water either; his childhood best friend Kacper Stokowski is also swimming in this year’s Olympic Games.
Piszcorowicz competed on Saturday, July 27, in the 4x100m freestyle relay heats. Poland's team made a splash with a time of 3:14.94, placing eighth in their heat. On Saturday, the team took 5th place in the medley heat, qualifying them for the finals with a total time of 3:33.70. Poland did not qualify to advance after the men’s 4x100m medley relay in the pool on July 28.
Seth Rider
Triathlon
Seth Rider is a four-time World Mixed Relay Series Medalist, according to USA Triathlon. He grew up in Germantown, Tennessee where he started competing at age six. He graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in 2015 with a degree in environmental science. Rider was scheduled to compete on Tuesday, July 30, but the men's triathlon event was postponed after the River Seine was determined to be unsafe for swimming. Rider placed 29th overall in the men's triathlon event on Wednesday, July 31.
He also competed with Team USA in the mixed relay event on Monday, Aug. 5. The team won a silver medal.
Hannah Roberts
BMX Freestyle
Hannah Roberts started riding BMX when she was 9 years old, following in the footsteps of her cousin, BMX pro Brett Banasiewicz. A broken back nearly caused her to give up the sport at 10 years old. Roberts has been a dominant force in recent years, winning gold medal in six world championships. She headed to Paris with her eyes on gold after taking silver in Tokyo despite having the best overall score among all riders. Roberts placed eighth overall in the women's BMX Freestyle final on July 31.
Apsara Sakbum
Swimming
Apsara Sakbum lives in Charlotte and trains at a local YMCA. She’s an operations analyst for Charlotte-based Wells Fargo. Sakbum made her Olympic debut this year. Known for breaking school records, she went on to represent Cambodia in the 2023 SEA Games, where she set national records in three different events. In 2024, Cambodia selected Sakbum to swim the 50m Freestyle event. Her sister would have taken the spot, had she declined.
Sakbum competed on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 5 a.m. in the Women’s 50m Freestyle Heats. She finished 6th place in her heat with a time of 26.90.
Raven Saunders
Track and Field
Knowing for their intense masks that represent their alter ego, Raven Saunders from Charlotte has improved in every Olympics since turning pro and looks to win their first gold medal in Paris. Saunders might be best known for what happened during the Tokyo medal ceremony, when they formed an “X” with their wrists. Saunders explained the “X” stood for “the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.” Saunders qualified for the finals of the women's shot put event. They finished 11th with a best distance of 17.79 meters.
Meredith Sholder
Field Hockey
Meredith Sholder played field hockey at the collegiate level at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2022. The Olympic Games in Paris are Sholder’s first Olympics.
Sholder competed on Saturday, July 27 Team USA's game against Argentina. Argentina won 4-1. The team then Team USA's women's field hockey team competed against Spain in the Women's Pool B event on Monday morning. The match ultimately ended in a draw, at 1-1.
Sholder and the U.S. team faced Australia on Wednesday, July 31, ultimately falling 3-0.
Sholder and Team USA's women's field hockey faced off against Great Britain on Aug. 1 in a women's tournament pool match, falling 5-2. Team USA women's field hockey won their final pool game on Aug. 3, beating South Africa's team in a 1-0 match. Sholder scored the winning point. After quarterfinal standings were finalized, the team did not qualify to advance.
Kacper Stokowski
Swimming
Kacper Stokowski is back in the water for Poland for the Paris Olympics. This former member of the Wolfpack nation is joined by childhood best friend and fellow NC State alum Bartosz Piszcorowicz this time, and made a splash for the men’s 100m backstroke and the men’s 4x100m medley relay.
Stokowski competed on Sunday, July 28 in the men's 100m backstroke heats. In the heats for the men's 4x100m medley relay, the team took 5th place, qualifying them for the finals with a total time of 3:33.70. Poland did not qualify to advance after the men’s 4x100m medley relay in the pool.
Sammy Sullivan
Rugby
Sammy Sullivan is a rugby player from eastern North Carolina. She participated in her first Olympic Games in 2024. After graduating West Point, Sullivan entered the Women’s Premier League playing fifteens and went to the 2022 Pacific Four Series with the USA Women’s Eagles, debuting against Canada. She joined USA Sevens National Team later in 2022 and had her Sevens debut in the Rugby World Cup in Cape Town. She ended the year with her World Rugby Sevens Series debut in Dubai. She is one of only a few on the Women’s Eagles team to debut in both fifteens and sevens in the same year.
On July 28, Team USA dominated Japan in a 36-7 win. The team played again that day, winning 24-5 over Brazil. They fell to France on July 29 in a 31-14 loss but still qualified for the quarterfinal round.
In the quarterfinals round, Team USA defeated Great Britain 17-7 on July 29. Sullivan and the U.S. faced New Zealand in the semifinals on July 30, falling 24-12. The U.S. defeated Australia 14-12 on July 30 to win the bronze medal in rugby sevens. The victory marked the country's first medal in the sport since it was added to the Olympics.
Naya Tapper
Rugby
Naya Tapper was an All-American track and field star at West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, but found rugby at the University of North Carolina, where she joined a club team on campus. She joined the U.S. Women’s Sevens squad in 2016. Her rare combination of speed and power made her one of the best players in team history and landed her an Olympics debut in Tokyo. She is the team’s co-captain in the 2024 Olympics.
On July 28, Team USA dominated Japan in a 36-7 win. The team played again that day, winning 24-5 over Brazil. They fell to France on July 29 in a 31-14 loss but still qualified for the quarterfinal round.
In the quarterfinals round, Team USA defeated Great Britain 17-7 on July 29. Sullivan and the U.S. faced New Zealand in the semifinals on July 30, falling 24-12. The U.S. defeated Australia 14-12 on July 30 to win the bronze medal in rugby sevens. The victory marked the country's first medal in the sport since it was added to the Olympics.
Mary Tucker
Shooting
US Olympic shooter Mary Tucker was born in Pineville and now lives in Sarasota, Florida. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won silver in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed and placed 6th in the 10m air rifle. Mary started shooting rifles in high school and quit her high school shooting team so she could teach herself using online resources, earning her the nickname “rebel child.”
Tucker competed on Saturday, July 27, at 4:30 a.m. in the Mixed Team Air Rifle Final, with a score of 626. The team finished 13th place, not qualifying for a medal. She competed in the qualification round for women's 10m air rifle, but placed 32nd with 625.2 points and did not qualify to advance. Tucker competed in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions on Aug. 1 and finished 25th overall with 579 points.
Andreas Vazaios
Swimming
Yet another North Carolina State University Wolfpack swimmer hits the pool for the Paris Olympics! Andreas Vazaios represented Greece, racing with teammates in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle relays. This is his fourth appearance at the Olympic Games. Vazaios competed on Saturday, July 27, with his team in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay. The team finished with a time of 3:17.47, placing eighth in their heat. They did not qualify for the final race. His team also competed on July 30 in the Men's 4x200m freestyle relay heats, but did not qualify for the finals after ranking fifth in their heat with a time of 7:09:60.
Danielle Williams
Track and Field
Danielle Williams is an alumna of Johnson C. Smith University, where she won several NCAA titles, CIAA championships, and All-America honors. She is representing Jamaica in Paris, which is her first time competing in the Olympics. Williams competed in Heat 4 for the women's 100-meter hurdles on Aug. 7, coming in first for her heat with a time of 12.59 and qualifying for the next round. She competed in the 100-meter hurdles semifinal on Friday morning. She was in the first semifinal round, and had a final time of 12.82. She ultimately ranked sixth in her semifinal, and did not qualify for the final.
Lynn Williams
Soccer
Lynn Williams is a seasoned veteran on the international circuit. She’s scored 18 goals in 65 appearances with the team as a forward. Williams’ first NWSL team was the North Carolina Courage, who she played with from 2017 to 2021, scoring 42 goals in 81 matches. Williams currently plays with NJY/NY Gotham FC.
Williams and Team USA defeated Zambia 3-0 in the opening match of the group stage. Williams substituted in for an injured Sophia Smith in the 43rd minute. She attempted one shot but did not score.
Williams scored a goal in the 89th minute of Team USA's 4-1 win over Germany on Sunday. She substituted in for Sophia Smith, who scored two goals of her own, in the 85th minute and found the net with a score just four minutes later.
Team USA finished the group stage with an undefeated record after beating Australia 2-1. Williams attempted one shot but did not score. She did not start the game but substituted in the 65th minute.
Team USA defeated Germany 1-0 in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament.
The U.S. won gold with a 1-0 win over Brazil on Saturday. It's the fifth gold medal for Team USA in the event and first since 2012.
A'ja Wilson
Basketball
A’ja Wilson is from Columbia, South Carolina, and went to the University of South Carolina. She competed in the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 and received a gold medal as part of Team USA’s women’s basketball team. Wilson and Team USA beat Japan 102-76. On Thursday, Aug. 1, Wilson and Team USA beat Belgium 87-74. Team USA won against Germany on Sunday in an 87-68 game. The team beat Nigeria 88-74 in the quarterfinals on Aug. 7. They beat Australia 85-64 in the semifinals on Friday, Aug. 9. They'll play in the gold medal game on 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Madison Wiltrout
Track and Field
Hailing from Pennsylvania originally, Madison Wiltrout holds the ACC record for women’s javelin during her time at UNC-Chapel Hill. The now-25-year-old qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials back in 2016. Wiltrout did not compete in the javelin qualifiers on Wednesday, Aug. 7, and did not compete in the heptathlon qualifiers on Friday, Aug. 9.
Niklas Klei
Track and Field
Runner Niklas Klei has been selected as an alternate for Germany's 4 x 400m relay team for track and field! Klei graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in 2022 and is running for Mississippi College while pursuing his Masters in biology. He did not race in the 4 X 400m relay on Friday and Germany did not advance to the final.
Paralympic athletes to watch who have Carolina connections
The Carolinas also have Paralympians competing. Those games start Aug. 28 and go through Sept. 8 and are also being held in Paris, France.
Hannah Aspden
Para Swimming
Hannah Aspden returns to the Paralympics for a third time. A native of Raleigh and graduate of Queens University of Charlotte. As a swimmer, she competes in the medley relay, backstroke and freestyle.
Aspden competed in three events in Paris: the mixed 4x100-meter medley relay 34 points, the women's 100-meter backstroke and the women's 100-meter freestyle, with the final two events under the S9 classification.
On Monday, Sept. 2, Aspden competed in the heat for the 4x100-meter medley relay, alongside team members Morgan Ray, Christie Raleigh Crossley, and Yaseen El-Demerdash. The team got a final time of 4:36.75, and moved on to the final later that day. They finished sixth overall.
Hannah hit the water for the backstroke in the qualifying heats on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Aspden finished second in her heat in the women's 100-meter backstroke and finished sixth in the final event.
For the freestyle, she hit the water at 3:30 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Sept. 4 for the qualifying heats. She finished sixth in her heat and did not advance to the finals.
Carson Clough
Paralympic Triathlon
Carson Clough is a Charlotte native and is competing in his first Olympics on the U.S. Elite Paratriathlon Team. After losing part of his leg in a boating accident five years ago, Clough began competing in triathlons with his first prosthetic. After an astounding rise in the ranking, Clough is going to Paris to compete in the Paralympics.
Clough competed in the men's individual PTS4 triathlon on Monday, Sept. 2. He finished second with a final time of 1:00:47, earning a silver medal.
PTS4 is the classification for athletes with moderate impairments, meaning they may use approved prosthetic limbs or supportive devices during the bike and run segments of the event.
The triathlon competitions were originally scheduled for Sunday, but were postponed for a day because of concerns about water quality in the Seine River after heavy rainfall, organizers said. Late Sunday night, organizers confirmed the races would go ahead Monday, saying in a statement that new water testing results and monitoring ‘’indicate that water quality continues to improve and will be within the World Triathlon thresholds on race day.''
Emma Schieck
Paralympic Volleyball
Statesville-native Emma Schieck is competing in her second Olympics in Paris. Schieck, who suffers from nerve damage, was a standout volleyball player at South Iredell High School. She joined Team USA’s National Sitting Volleyball Team ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics and helped the team win gold.
The team fell to China 3-1 in the preliminary round on Friday, Aug. 30, then bounced back to beat France 3-0 in a second preliminary round pool game on Sunday, Sept. 1. Schieck and the team took on Italy in another pool round game on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 8 a.m., coming away with a 3-0 win.
The team will compete against Brazil in the semifinals at 12 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.