LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — With just weeks to go until the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Las Vegas native Katie Grimes will be representing her hometown with Team USA.
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Grimes is just 18 years old and is already making a name for herself, competing as the youngest Olympian on Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics.
As the two-time Olympian returns to water sports in Paris, she says her strategy this year will need to be more focused than ever.
“It’s definitely a little different this time around because there are more expectations and pressures than last time,” she said.
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After placing fourth in the women’s 800m freestyle at the 2020 Olympics, Grimes swam again at the Olympic Trials and qualified for two swimming events at the Paris Games.
“For me it was a shock and a surprise. It’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember to compete in the Olympics, so honestly it was just pure joy,” Grimes said.
She will first compete in the 400m individual medley, then the 10km open water event on the Seine River.
“I’m really excited. I think it’s going to be an amazing opportunity to swim in the Seine. I just hope everything falls into place because I think it’s a fantastic opportunity,” Grimes said.
She expressed some concerns about factors such as the flow of the river, but says her focus is all on strategy.
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“We’ll have a really long stretch where we have an 800-meter stretch, a 50-meter turn and then another 800-meter stretch, and then we’ll do that about five times. So it’ll definitely affect the way I swim, the mechanics of my stroke, the mechanics of my strategy, everything, but it’ll be a fun challenge,” Grimes said.
In addition to having fun, Grimes said she’s excited to represent her hometown.
“I think it’s really cool to represent Las Vegas especially because I was born and raised here and my dad was born and raised here, so it’s definitely an honor and a really great thing to be able to represent our community,” she said.
While her focus is on the Olympics, Grimes said she is also looking forward to making memories with her teammates and enjoying time in Paris with her family and the spectators who will return to the Olympics in 2024.
