Arizona’s 2024 Olympians: From the desert to Paris

Meet the talented athletes from Arizona who are heading to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Discover their stories and their journey to the world stage.

Arizona athletes are bringing the heat to Paris in the 2024 Olympic Games set to happen at the end of the month. Arizona’s year-round sun makes it a hot spot for professional summer sport athletes, including those in archery, track and field, swimming, wrestling, cycling, basketball, and more!

The Olympic Games will take place from Friday, July 26, to Sunday, Aug. 11. The Olympics is the world’s largest and most celebrated sporting event. It’s organized every four years (alternating between winter and summer every two years) and takes place in a new location each time. Athletes from 206 different National Olympic Committees and the IOC Olympic Refugee Team (including many from Arizona) will come together to compete at the highest level in Paris. 

Archery

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 23: Brady Ellison of the Team USA practices during a training session ahead of the Paris Olympic Games at Esplanade Des Invalides on July 23, 2024 in Paris, France. (Alex Pantling/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images)

Globe-local Brady Ellison, a full-time archer, will be competing in his fourth Olympic Games. Previously, Brady has competed in the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio games, winning team silver in London and Rio along with an individual bronze in Rio. After overcoming complications from Perthes Disease, Brady continues to show his incredible talent, perseverance, and love for the sport. 

Men’s Basketball

With the guidance of Tucson-local NBA coach Steve Kerr, Phoenix Sun players Devin Booker and Kevin Durant will be playing on the US Olympic men’s basketball team. For Durant, this will be his fourth time playing on the Olympic men’s team. In 2020, he was awarded the Olympics MVP award. This is Booker’s second time on the US Olympic Men’s Basketball team. In 2020, Devin was part of the team that compiled a 5-1 record to capture a fourth-straight Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.

Women’s Basketball

LONDON, ENGLAND: JULY 22: Brittney Griner during the USA Women’s basketball team training session at CitySport, The Franklin Building, London, before playing against Germany at the O2 arena in London in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games on July 22nd, 2024, in London, England. (Tim Clayton/Corbis Sport/Getty Images)

Phoenix Mercury players Kahleah Copper, Brittney Griner, and Diana Taurasi are all competing on the 2024 US Olympic women’s team. They’ll be competing in the 5×5. This will be Copper’s first time on an Olympic team, but she previously made the USA women’s national team in both 2023 and 2022. For Griner, this will be her third year at the Olympics. She previously competed in the 2020 Games, where she earned a gold medal, and the 2016 Games, where she took home her first gold medal. Taurasi returns to the Olympics as the second-most decorated FIBA athlete on the planet, including five Olympic gold medals. 

Beach Volleyball

Once an NBA player, Chase Budinger is now heading to Paris as an Olympian in beach volleyball. Budinger started his basketball (and volleyball) career in high school before playing basketball for Arizona and taking off in the NBA shortly after. In 2018, Budinger gave up basketball to pursue professional beach volleyball, and now he’s going to the Olympics!

Cycling

Arizona locals Daleny Vaughn and Cameron Wood will compete on the 2024 Olympic BMX Racing Team alongside three others. This will be Vaughn and Wood’s first time on the Olympic team. When asked what it means to them, Wood responded, “Blessed, honored, and proud is an understatement after being named to the 2024 US Olympic Team in Paris … It has been a dream of mine for a long time to represent my country in the Olympics and give it my all.”

Vaughn describes the feeling as “an unexplainable feeling, it’s something I have wanted since I was a kid, and the 2024 games was always the goal.” 

Phoenix cyclist Brandon McNulty will represent the USA on the Olympic road team. This will be his second time at the Olympics, following his time at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Gymnastics 

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 25: Jade Carey of Team United States practices on the balance beam during a Gymnastics training session in the Bercy Arena ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 25, 2024 in Paris, France. (Elsa/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images)

Jade Carey, a reigning champion from Phoenix, will be going to Paris for her second Olympic Games. She previously competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games where she earned a gold medal in the women’s floor exercise. As the daughter of two decorated gymnasts, going to the Olympics means everything to Jade.

Skateboarding

Two Arizona locals are joining the 2024 Team USA Olympic team, including Jagger Eaton from Mesa (Men’s Street) and 16-year-old (yes, you read that right!) Paige Heyn (Women’s Street). This will be Heyn’s debut year at the Olympics. For Eaton, it’s his second time, following his bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games. 

Swimming

Arizona’s Keaton Jones (Gilbert) is headed to Paris after finishing second in the men’s 200m backstroke in the Olympic trials. Delaney Schnell (Tucson) will join Jones in Paris on the Team USA Diving Team. This will be Schnell’s second time at the Olympics, following her silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

Tennis

Sun Devil alumna Desirae Krawczyk is one of the 11 selected players to represent Team USA in tennis. Kraqczyk is currently ranked No.11 in doubles in the world (wow!); she’ll be a huge asset in helping Team USA earn their 8th gold medal in women’s doubles. 

Track & Field + Marathon 

EUGENE, OREGON – JUNE 30: Nikki Hiltz reacts after winning in the women’s 1500 meter final on Day Ten of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field on June 30, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images)

Nikki Hiltz and Weini Kelanti, both of whom reside in Flagstaff, are headed to Paris to compete in Women’s Track & Field. Not only is Nikki Hiltz an Olympian, they’re also a role model for the queer community. As a nonbinary and transgender individual, Hiltz is equal parts athlete and LGBTQ+ advocate. 

Similar to Nikki, Weini Kelati serves as an inspiration. Kelanti started running as a child in Tsada Christian, a small village in the central region of Eritrea. In 2014, Kelanti’s talent took her to the World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon. For the past 10 years, Kelanti has been chasing her dream to become an Olympian. This dream came to fruition at the 2024 Olympic trials when she punched her ticket to Paris in the Women’s 10,000 meters. 

Emily Sisson, also residing in Flagstaff, will compete in the marathon. This will be her second time in the Olympics, following her 10th-place finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

The men’s 10,000-meter race is stacked with Arizona athletes, including NAU runner Nico Young and Flagstaff resident Woody Kincaid. This will be Young’s first time in the Olympics and Kincaid’s second time.

Fan favorite Matt Wilkinson (Flagstaff) will be competing in the steeplechase after his mind-blowing, second-place win at the trials. This will be Wilkinson’s first time at the Olympics. 

Phoenix’s very own Feddie Crittenden will be competing in the 110 hurdles. This will be his first time in the Olympics.

Lumberjack alum Abdihamid Nur punched his ticket to Paris in the men’s 5,000 meters. Nur runs professionally and has won two national titles at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, but this will be his first time at the Olympics.

Bryce Hoppel (Flagstaff) is on his way to the Olympics for the second time, following his performance at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He will compete in the 800-meter run.

Wrestling

ASU wrestling star Kennedy Blades is on her way to Paris as part of the Olympic Wrestling Team. Previously, Blades was runner-up at the 2020 Olympic Team Wrestling Trials at the age of 17! She’s also the first female to win a state title against boys in the state of Illinois.

You’ll also see Tempe local Helen Maroulis in Paris as she competes in her third Olympic Games. In the 2016 Rio Games, Maroulis earned a gold medal in the featherweight, freestyle (≤53 kilograms) event. In the 2020 Tokyo Games, Maroulis took home a bronze medal in the women’s freestyle 57 kg event. 

Other Tempe athletes headed to Paris include Kayla Miracle and Dom Parrish. This will be Miracle’s second Olympic Games. In the 2020 Tokyo Games, she placed 12th at the 62kg event. For Parrish, this will be her first Olympic Games. However, she is a senior world champion, two-time US World Team member, Pan American Championship gold medalist, US Open champion, and more. 

There you have it — the Arizona Athlete roundup for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Who are you most excited to cheer on? 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

READ MORE: Kahleah Copper’s road to 2024 Olympics a journey of tears, setbacks, and success