Updated on July 27 at 5:57 p.m.
Hundreds of athletes will represent the United States in a series of competitions as part of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France.
All of the qualifiers have spent countless hours training to ensure their spots on Team USA. And for 21 of the athletes, there is another strong connection – the home ties of Georgia.
From swimming to basketball to shooting, nearly two dozen of the chosen athletes are from The Peach State.
The group features a mix of past gold medal winners, first-time Olympic qualifiers and active professional athletes, all of whom are considered to be on the highest level nationally in their respective events.
Two of the most well-known names of the Georgians include 19-year-old Caleb Wiley, an Atlanta-born resident best known as a defender for Atlanta United, and Walker Zimmerman, a Lawrenceville native who plays for professional soccer club Nashville SC.
Both will play on the men’s U.S. soccer team in their first Olympic games. Although Zimmerman was on the 2016 U.S. Olympics team roster, the group failed to qualify for a spot in the games.
“I always dreamed of playing in the Olympics,” Zimmerman said in an interview with Soccer America. “When I was in that locker room after we lost in Dallas to Colombia, I thought my Olympic dreams were over. To kind of have the last six months to a year with the prospect of this being ahead of me, I was very excited.”
Kennesaw State University student Emma Hunt has expressed the same anticipation.
The 21-year-old recently received a gold medal at the 2024 IFSC Climbing World Cup and is the first U.S. woman to qualify for the Olympic sport of speed climbing, which will debut at the Paris games.
“Just one of us can do it for all of us, and I’m doing it for my support team, who have always supported me in my training, & for the chance to go as fast as I can!” said Hunt in a recent Instagram post.
Some of the Team USA members departed for Paris from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
With an international audience of millions soon to be watching, Georgia-raised competitive shooter and three-time Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock only hopes that he can help inspire anyone interested in competing in his sport.
“The legacy for me is not about just winning medals. That part’s been fun,” the U.S. Army veteran said in an interview with TeamUSA. “In the end, it’s what kind of impact did you have? It’s about having a positive impact on those around you. Having so many kids getting started in shooting sports. If I can go and compete in 30 countries and do this, a lot of people can.”
The competition starts on July 24. Opening ceremonies are on July 26 and closing ceremonies are on Aug. 11.
Here are the Georgia residents and natives competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics:
KATELYN ABELN – Douglasville, GA – Shooting
CHRIS BAILEY – Atlanta, GA – Track and Field
GRAHAM BLANKS – Athens, GA – Track and Field
CHRISTIAN COLEMAN – Atlanta, GA – Track and Field
BROOKS CURRY – Dunwoody, GA – Swimming
ANTHONY EDWARDS – Atlanta, GA – Basketball
CHRIS EUBANKS – Atlanta, GA – Tennis
DEARICA HAMBY – Marietta, GA – Basketball
VINCENT HANCOCK – Eatonton, GA – Shooting
WILL HINTON – Dacula, GA – Shooting
EMMA HUNT – Woodstock, GA – Sports Climbing
JASMINE JONES – Atlanta, GA – Track and Field
HENRY LEVERETT – Bainbridge, GA – Shooting
BRODY MALONE – Summerville, GA – Gymnastics
HAMPTON MORRIS – Marietta, GA – Weightlifting
DANIEL ROBERTS – Hampton, GA – Track and Field
EMILY SONNETT – Marietta, GA – Soccer
CARSON TYLER – Moultrie, GA – Diving
CALEB WILEY – Atlanta, GA – Soccer
ALLIE WILSON – Atlanta, GA – Track and Field
WALKER ZIMMERMAN – Lawrenceville, GA – Soccer
