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Meet L.A. and OC's Olympians headed to Paris
Chris Joslin from Hawaiian Gardens competes in a qualifying competition for the U.S. men's skateboarding Olympic team on May 19, 2024. Joslin finished 3rd and will join around three dozen other L.A. County athletes in Paris on Team USA.
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Los Angeles is still four years away from hosting the next summer Olympics, but Southern California will see some of our best local athletes hit the world stage this month at the 2024 Paris Games. The region will send at least 51 athletes, with 32 from Los Angeles County, 15 from Orange County, and four from Riverside County.
They’ll join over 130 athletes from across the state, giving California the largest delegation on Team USA's roster.
The 2024 Summer Olympics begin July 26, and the Paralympics on Aug 28.
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Athletes from L.A. County
An outsized share of athletes from L.A. County will compete in men's water polo, men's basketball, and women’s track and field. It’s also no surprise to see several local skaters joining Team USA in the newly recognized Olympic sport, skateboarding.
Kendall Ellis of North Hollywood competes in the women's 400 meter final on at U.S. Olympic Team Trials Track and Field on June 23, 2024.
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- Abbey Weitzeil: Swimming - Santa Clarita
- Adrian Weinberg: Water polo - Los Angeles
- Andy Benesh: Beach volleyball - Rancho Palos Verdes
- Ben Hallock: Water polo - Studio City
- Brittany Brown: Track and field - Claremont
- Catarina Macario: Soccer - Los Angeles
- Chase Dodd: Water polo - Long Beach
- Chris Joslin: Skateboarding - Hawaiian Gardens
- Collin Morikawa: Golf - La Canada
- David Smith: Volleyball - Saugus
- Hannes Daube: Water polo - Long Beach
- Jajaira Gonzalez: Boxing - Glendora
- Jamal Hill: Para swimming - Inglewood
- James Corrigan: Track and field - Los Angeles
- Johnny Hooper: Water polo - L.A.
- Jordan Raney: Water Polo - Manhattan Beach
- Jrue Holiday: Basketball - L.A.
- Kareem Maddox: Basketball - L.A.
- Kendall Ellis: Track and field - North Hollywood
- Marcus Tupuola: Rugby - Carson
- Marko Vavic: Water polo - Rancho Palos Verdes
- Max Irving: Water polo - Long Beach
- Miles Partain: Beach volleyball - Pacific Palisades
- Nick Itkin: Fencing - L.A.
- Rachel Glenn: Track and field - Long Beach
- Ryder Dodd: Water polo - Long Beach
- Samantha Bosco: Para cycling - Claremont
- Tara Davis-Woodhall: Track and field - Agoura Hills
- Taylor Fritz: Tennis - Rancho Palos Verdes
- Taylor Spivey: Triathlon - Redondo Beach
- Tom Schaar: Skateboarding - Malibu
- YanXiao Gong: Para shooting - Malibu
Orange County
The majority of qualified O.C. Olympians are competing in volleyball, beach volleyball or water polo. That includes Kaleigh Gilchrist, Maddie Musselman, and Rachel Fattal, each of whom played on the U.S. women’s water polo team that won gold in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
Several first-timers will also head to Paris, including wheelchair rugby player Clayton Brackett from Irvine and surfer Griffin Colapinto from San Clemente.
Griffin Colapinto from San Clemente competes during the 2024 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach on March 26, 2024.
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- Clayton Brackett: Wheelchair rugby - Irvine
- Griffin Colapinto: Surfing - San Clemente
- Jenna Nighswonger: Soccer - Huntington Beach
- Justine Wong Orantes: Volleyball - Cypress
- Kaleigh Gilchrist: Water polo - Newport Beach
- Kathryn Plummer: Volleyball - Aliso Viejo
- Kelly Cheng: Beach volleyball - Fullerton
- Kevin Nguyen: Para shooting - Westminster
- Lilia Vu: Golf - Fountain Valley
- Maddie Musselman: Water polo - Newport Beach
- Rachel Fattal: Water polo - Seal Beach
- Rose Zhang: Golf - Irvine
- Sara Hughes: Beach volleyball - Costa Mesa
- TJ DeFalco: Volleyball - Huntington Beach
- Trinity Rodman: Soccer - Newport Beach
Riverside County
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Riverside County is home to four qualified Olympic athletes for the Paris Games. Michael Norman is a gold medalist sprinter who previously held the world record for the indoor 400-meter dash. Tara Prentice and Emily Ausmus will make their first Olympic appearance, but they played on the U.S. women’s water polo team that won gold in the 2024 world championships.
Tara Prentice from Murrieta competes for the U.S. in the Women's Water Polo World Championships on Feb 08, 2024 in Doha, Qatar.
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- Desirae Krawczyk: Tennis - Palm Desert
- Emily Ausmus: Water polo - Riverside
- Michael Norman: Track and field - Murrieta
- Tara Prentice: Water polo - Temecula
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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