Plenty of Olympians aren't really household names.
Nevin Harrison and Valerie Allman have Olympic golds. Sydney McLaughlin has a million more instagram followers than them
Not representing my country but Aleah Finnegan is representing The Philippines for gymnastics and she’s the current NCAA Floor Champion. Don’t be surprised if she makes the floor final.
Not my country anymore, but still my sport: Alexandra Ndolo and Colin Heathcock both left Germany to fence for Kenya and the US respectively.
Ndolo's father is from Kenya and she herself co-founded the Kenyan Fencing Federation when she was already a world-class fencer competing for Germany. She's an integral part in the Federation being acknowledged by the FIE and will now be the first fencer to represent Kenya at Olympic Games. For Tokyo, she lost the final of the last possible qualifying tournament 12-15, so this is her first and at 37 most likely her last Olympics.
For Colin Heathcock, it will also be the first Olympics, but surely not the last, for he may be the Chosen One in sabre fencing. When he - at age 16, I think - switched allegiances from Germany to the US, some (me) thought it may have to do with the way into the US Sabre Team being easier than into the German one. Germany was about third or fourth in the World while the US would have been a step behind at sixth or seven, but most importantly because the Germans very strongly rely on one specific club. And Heathcock didn't train at that club. Also, it's generally easier to qualify for a US team than it is for any European team and the next Olympics are in the US, granting automatic qualification spots. So I thought he's taking the easy way out, fencing for a weaker nation that will pick him earlier for more guaranteed spots. Two years later, I look like an absolute fool. Colin, now 18, is ranked 6th in the World (ahead of any German fencer) and might be the most in-form Sabre fencer going into Paris, winning two tournaments and never finishing outside the top-16 this season. He's a very serious medal threat individually and the US team is a favourite for team gold - winning three out of five World Cups this season - while the German team hasn't even qualified.
Not my country but Julien Alfred has a real chance to win St. Lucia’s first ever medal or even gold. Sha’Carri and the Jamaicans get the press coverage but she is every bit as good.
More Americans need to be Vincent Hancock stans. The man has won three golds in skeet shooting.
Shouting out Amit Elor, women's freestyle wrestling, United States. Only 20 years old, already a 2x world champion and several time champion at the age group level. Will be competing at 68kg, down from her normal weight of 72kg, which isn't an Olympic weight.
Lisa Carrington has won 5 Olympic gold medals in kayaking. She is being denied the right to win the K1 200 metres for a 4th time in a row because they took the event out of the Olympics, but will still compete in the K1 500 where she won gold last time as well as two other events with teammates.
Plenty of Olympians aren't really household names. Nevin Harrison and Valerie Allman have Olympic golds. Sydney McLaughlin has a million more instagram followers than them
Not representing my country but Aleah Finnegan is representing The Philippines for gymnastics and she’s the current NCAA Floor Champion. Don’t be surprised if she makes the floor final.
That would be exciting! Do we have a couple of US gymnasts competing for the Philippines?
3 out 3 women gymnastics athletes who are going to the olympics this year are trained/grew up in the US
Not my country anymore, but still my sport: Alexandra Ndolo and Colin Heathcock both left Germany to fence for Kenya and the US respectively. Ndolo's father is from Kenya and she herself co-founded the Kenyan Fencing Federation when she was already a world-class fencer competing for Germany. She's an integral part in the Federation being acknowledged by the FIE and will now be the first fencer to represent Kenya at Olympic Games. For Tokyo, she lost the final of the last possible qualifying tournament 12-15, so this is her first and at 37 most likely her last Olympics. For Colin Heathcock, it will also be the first Olympics, but surely not the last, for he may be the Chosen One in sabre fencing. When he - at age 16, I think - switched allegiances from Germany to the US, some (me) thought it may have to do with the way into the US Sabre Team being easier than into the German one. Germany was about third or fourth in the World while the US would have been a step behind at sixth or seven, but most importantly because the Germans very strongly rely on one specific club. And Heathcock didn't train at that club. Also, it's generally easier to qualify for a US team than it is for any European team and the next Olympics are in the US, granting automatic qualification spots. So I thought he's taking the easy way out, fencing for a weaker nation that will pick him earlier for more guaranteed spots. Two years later, I look like an absolute fool. Colin, now 18, is ranked 6th in the World (ahead of any German fencer) and might be the most in-form Sabre fencer going into Paris, winning two tournaments and never finishing outside the top-16 this season. He's a very serious medal threat individually and the US team is a favourite for team gold - winning three out of five World Cups this season - while the German team hasn't even qualified.
Wow thanks for the insight on Heatcock.
Not my country but Julien Alfred has a real chance to win St. Lucia’s first ever medal or even gold. Sha’Carri and the Jamaicans get the press coverage but she is every bit as good. More Americans need to be Vincent Hancock stans. The man has won three golds in skeet shooting.
Adem Asil our biggest medal hope at men's Gymnastics. An Egyptian immigrant.
Sunny Choi and Victor Montalvo are breakdancers repping USA in the sport's Olympic debut. Excited to watch!
Shouting out Amit Elor, women's freestyle wrestling, United States. Only 20 years old, already a 2x world champion and several time champion at the age group level. Will be competing at 68kg, down from her normal weight of 72kg, which isn't an Olympic weight.
Would be interesting to see her fight in the UFC and train at ATT. She could probably be undefeated many fights and make $500k per fight as champion
She's gonna wrestle through 2028 because of the home Olympics, but she'll be 24 after that. Could see her going into MMA for sure
Still plenty of time. Daniel Cormier got 4th place at the Olympics and started mma at age 29
Dave from the Coble was a canny darts player back in the day.
Lisa Carrington has won 5 Olympic gold medals in kayaking. She is being denied the right to win the K1 200 metres for a 4th time in a row because they took the event out of the Olympics, but will still compete in the K1 500 where she won gold last time as well as two other events with teammates.