The 2024 Paris Olympics wrapped up August 11th and celebrations are still going strong. Team USA took home a total of 126 medals, the highest of all countries. The USA also tied for the most gold medals with China. The US Olympic Team had almost 600 players, over 30 of which are from the DMV. Athletes from the DC, Maryland and Virginia area broke World Records and took home gold.
Torri Huske is a swimmer from Arlington, Virginia. Huske went to Yorktown High School where she broke records in swimming in 6 events. In 2022 she was the youngest athlete to be inducted to the Yorktown High School hall of fame. After high school, Huske went on to swim at Stanford University. Huske competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she fell short of the gold, but she still made it on the podium, winning the silver medal in the 4×100 relay. At the 2024 Olympics, Huske created a new world record in her mixed 4×100 relay race and another World Record in the 100m butterfly. At just 21 years old, she took home three gold and two silver medals at the Paris Olympics.
Noah Lyles was one of the most talked about athletes of this year’s Olympics. Noah battled asthma throughout his life, but he always fought his way through it. Noah went to Alexandria City High School, where he was invited to the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic games. While in Nanjing, Noah won gold in three events, proving his dominance and starting his legacy. He had set high hopes following the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where he broke Olympic and world records and after winning three World Championships, he did not disappoint this year. In Paris, Noah beat Usain Bolt’s record in the 100m sprints. He won by a tenth of a point, coming in at 9.83 seconds. Noah also competed in the 200m race while he had COVID-19. He won bronze in the race and nearly collapsed after.
Grant Holloway was born in Chesapeake, Virginia. From a young age he was born to run. He went to college at the University of Florida, where he broke college records in the hurdle events and was showered with awards. At the Paris Olympics Holloway won gold in the 110m hurdles. This was a huge accomplishment for Holloway as he won silver in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and was short of the podium placing 4th in the World Championships in London. Holloway was ranked #1 in the world in 100m hurdles and he holds the World Record in the 60m hurdles.
Katie Ledecky has asserted herself as the GOAT in women’s swimming. She took up swimming at the age of six, following her brother’s and her mother’s interest in the sport. In high school, Ledecky set the American and US Open record for the 500 yard freestyle and she set the national high school record in the 200 yard freestyle twice. She has a total of five medals in the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, four medals in the 2020 Tokyo games, four medals in the 2024 Paris games and has 21 world championships. Katie Ledecky grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, right outside of DC. In the Paris games, she broke the world record in the 1500m freestyle and in the 800m freestyle. Ledecky is now in fifth place for one of the most decorated Olympians.
Emily Fox, the right back for the US National Women’s soccer team, grew up in Ashburn, Virginia. Going to high school at Stone Bridge then continuing her soccer career with the North Carolina Tar Heels, she stood out as an amazing teammate and player. In 2019 Fox was added to the practice squad followed by being an official member of the US National Women’s soccer team. Once she was added to the team, her impact was noticeable. Fox had 11 assists in the 2019 season, including many game winning goals. She brought her talent to the international stage in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the US Women’s National team won gold. This being one of the biggest accomplishments in Fox’s young career.
In 2024, Virginia had 15 Olympians competing in the Paris Olympics. In total the Virginians took home 13 medals. This includes seven gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals. These medals accounted for ten percent of the 126 medals total. The University of Virginia had 17 former athletes competing. James Madison University had three former athletes, two competing in basketball. DC and Maryland had over 20 athletes competing in Paris, in total DC and Maryland had 11 Olympic medals. This included stars like Kevin Durant and 16 year old Quincy Wilson who both won a gold medal in Paris.
Why are there so many athletes from the DMV in the Olympics? The DMV area has a long history of athletic excellence. Many sports facilities in the region have high-quality coaching, new facilities and support systems to hold the elite standard. The DC, Maryland and Virginia area have competitive high school and college programs. The level many schools play at lead to the top-tier athletes who often go on to a professional career.
