The Paris Olympics officially starts on July 26, and if you’re like us, you’ve been counting down the days. Whether you are a frequent sports fan or only watch for special occasions, those games showcase amazing talent from athletes worldwide. The Bay Area is well represented at the 2024 Olympics, with athletes across many different sports competing in the iconic games.
Check out these Bay Area Athletes to watch
Many athletes with ties to the Bay Area are competing in Paris this year. Here are a few to cheer on while you watch the games.
Artistic Swimming
Jacklyn Luu
Luu is from Milpitas, California, in Santa Clara County, south of San Francisco. The 25-year-old athlete also attended Stanford University in Palo Alto.
Badminton
Annie Xu and Jennie Gai,
Xu is from San Jose, California, and has been playing Badminton since she was eight years old. She graduated from Berkeley in the East Bay and competes with her sister, Kerry Xu. Team USA has two badminton players from the Bay Area, with Jennie Gai from Fremont, California, in the East Bay.
Men’s Basketball
Steph Curry
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention one of the Bay Area’s most iconic athletes. Steph Curry will be making his Olympic debut in Paris, and Coach Steve Kerr will also be in Paris for his second Olympics as a coach.
Women’s Basketball
Chelsea Gray and Sabrina Ionescu
Gray is from Hayward in Alameda County and is an Olympic Gold medalist in the 2020 Tokyo Games. The professional basketball player played for Duke University and has been drafted by the Washington Mystics. Sabrina Ionescu from Walnut Creek will also play for the United States Basketball team this year.
Women’s Water Polo
Maggie Steffens, Jewel Roemer, and Jenna Flynn
Maggie Steffens is from Danville, California, and the Paris Games will be her fourth Olympics. The water Polo player also attended Stanford University and helped them earn two NCAA titles. Plus, Steffens has three Olympic gold medals under her belt. Jewel Roemer is from Martinez, California, and this is her first Olympics. Jenna Flynn, another first-time Olympian, is from San Jose and attended Stanford University in Palo Alto.
Men’s Water Polo
Dylan Woodhead
Dylan Woodhead is from San Anselmo, just north of San Francisco. The water polo player is a two-time Olympian and attended Stanford University.
Sailing
Hans Henken
Hans Henken is from San Francisco, and this is his first Olympic games. The SF native started sailing at age six and attended Stanford University in the Bay Area.
Skateboarding
Minna Stess
Minna Stess is from Petaluma in Sonoma County. The young skateboarding is competing in her first Olympics this year.
Taekwondo
CJ Nickolas
CJ Nickolas is from Brentwood in the East Bay and started Taekwondo at age 3. This was his first Olympics, and he won silver at the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships.
Wrestling
Amit Elor
Amit Elor is from Walnut Creek and is an 8-time gold medalist at the World Championships.