With just 30 days until the Olympics, the U.S. team is starting to form and there will be no shortage of athletes representing the Midwest.
A number of athletes with ties to Chicago, Illinois and several Midwestern states have already qualified, with several more still waiting to find out if they will qualify.
The Paris Olympics will officially kick off on July 26 with a highly ambitious aquatic opening ceremony, but some events are scheduled to begin even earlier.
The opening ceremony will be the first to be held outside a stadium, with around 10,500 athletes parading on boats on the Seine through the heart of the French capital, finishing in front of the Trocadero.
But who will make it from the Midwest to the world stage in Paris?
Below is a detailed list of those who are known to have already qualified and those who are still vying for qualification.
Artistic Swimming
- Keana Hunter: Ohio State University
- Ruby Lemati: Ohio State University
3×3 Boys Basketball
- Canyonbury: Fort Wayne, Indiana
basketball
- Devin Booker: Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Stephen Curry: Akron, Ohio
- Anthony Davis: Chicago, Illinois
- Anthony Edwards: Minnesota Timberwolves
- Tyrese Halliburton: Oshkosh, Wisconsin
- LeBron James: Akron, Ohio
- Jayson Tatum: St. Louis, Missouri
- Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
- Jewel Loyd: Lincolnwood, Illinois
- Jackie Young: Princeton, Indiana
bike
- Felicia Stancil: Lake County, Illinois
- Alice Willoughby: St. Cloud, Minnesota
In this episode of Hometown Hopefuls, NBC Chicago’s Alex Maragos speaks with BMX racer Felicia Stancil, who originally hails from suburban Chicago and talks about the loss of her mother and how it led to her lifelong BMX career.
boxing
- Morrell McCain: Cleveland, Ohio
climbing
- Piper Kelly: Indianapolis, Indiana
cycling
- Chloe Dygert: Brownsburg, Indiana
diving
- Tyler Downs: St. Louis, Missouri
- Greg Duncan: Purdue University
- Sarah Bacon: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Andrew Capobianco: Indiana University
- Delaney Schnell: Iron Mountain, Michigan
- Carson Tyler: Indiana University
Field Hockey
- Abby Tamar: Whitmore Lake, Michigan
- Maddie Zimmer: Northwestern University
judo
- John Jane: Chicago, Illinois
- Maria Laborde: Kenosha, Wisconsin
Rhythmic Gymnastics
- Evita Griskenas: Orland Park, Illinois
Rowing
- Jessica Thones: Madison, Wisconsin
- Madeline Wanamaker: Neenah, Wisconsin
- Sophia Vitas: Franklin, Wisconsin
- Nina Castagna: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Molly Bruggemann: Dayton, Ohio
- Peter Chattain: Winnetka, Illinois
- Grace Joyce: Northfield, Illinois
rugby
- Alena Olsen: Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Alev Kelter: University of Wisconsin
- Lauren Doyle: Springfield, Illinois
Sailing
- Maggie Shea: Wilmette, Illinois
- Lara Dallman Weiss: Shoreview, Minnesota
- Stephanie Roble: Lake Beulah, Wisconsin
Olympic sailor Maggie Seer is ready to compete in her second Olympic Games with her partner. What could be better than a gold medal? The Chicago suburban native shares her inspiring answers, what inspired her to take up sailing and more in a candid interview on this week’s episode of Hometown Hopefuls.
photograph
- Caitlin Abeln: Ohio State University
- Henry Leverett: Ohio State University
- Rachel Tozier: Liberty, Missouri
swimming
- Chris Juliano: University of Notre Dame
- Ryan Murphy: Palos Heights, Illinois
- Lily King: Evansville, Illinois
- Alex Shackel: Carmel, Indiana
- Mariah Dennigan: Fairfield, Ohio
- Ryan Held: Springfield, Illinois
- Anna Peplowski: Germantown Hills, Illinois
Taekwondo
- Faith Dillon: Devry University
Athletics
- Dakota Lindwam: St. Francis, Minnesota
- Emily Sisson: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Annette Echikunwoke: Pickerington, Ohio
- Deanna Price: St. Charles, Missouri
- Quincy Hall: Kansas City, Missouri
- Cole Hocker: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Yared Nughse: University of Notre Dame
- Hobbs Kessler: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Heath Baldwin: Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Zach Ziemek: Itasca, Illinois
- Tori Franklin: Evanston, Illinois
- Peyton Otterdahl: Rosemount, Minnesota
volleyball
- Max Holt: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Thomas Jeschke: Wheaton, Illinois
- Jeff Gendrick: Wheaton, Illinois
- Lauren Carlini: Geneva, Illinois
- Annie Drewes: Muncie, Indiana
- Jordyn Poulter: Naperville, Illinois
- Dana Rettke: Riverside, Illinois
- Kelsey Robinson Cook: Bartlett, Illinois
- Jordan Thompson: Edina, Minnesota
wrestling
- Kennedy Blaze: Chicago, Illinois
- Joseph Lau: Chicago, Illinois
- Sarah Hildebrand: Granger, Indiana
- Kayla Miracle: Bloomington, Indiana
- Mason Parris: Lawrenceburg, Indiana
- Adam Kuhn: Fowlerville, Michigan
- Peyton Jacobson: Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Still in competition
While most of the U.S. team is already set, several athletes are in the midst of qualifying or waiting for it to begin.
Selection for athletics and gymnastics finished on Sunday, while rosters for football, men’s rugby, shooting and trampoline are yet to be finalised.
Below is a list of Midwest competitors who have yet to compete in the Paris competition.
Gymnastics
- Simone Biles: Married to Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens
- Paul Judah: Deerfield, Illinois
- Tate Costa: University of Illinois
- Alex Diab: Hinsdale, Illinois
- Karan Phillips: Naperville, Illinois
- Kai Uemura: Chicago, Illinois
- Sunisa Lee: St. Paul, Minnesota
- Shane Wiskas: Spring Park, Minnesota
- Cameron Bok: University of Michigan
- Frederick Richard: University of Michigan
- Evelyn Lowe: Blue Springs, Missouri
- Donnell Wittenberg: Waukesha, Wisconsin
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Athletics
- Sandy Morris: Downers Grove, Illinois
- David Kendziela: Mount Prospect, Illinois
- Chase Jackson: Springfield, Illinois
- Gabriella Jacobs: Bloomington, Illinois
- Ariana Callaway: Northern Illinois University
- Robert Reiking: St. Charles, Illinois
- Emily Grove: Pontiac, Illinois
- Jonathan Wells: Fox Lake, Illinois
- Sidney Willitis: Glenview, Illinois
- Manning Plater: Rushville, Illinois
- Jaden Ulrich: East Alton, Illinois
- Tori Thomas: Rock Island, Illinois
- Sophia Beckmon: University of Illinois
- Tacolia Humphrey: University of Illinois
- Cam Garrett: University of Illinois
- Dylan Jacobs: Orland Park, Illinois
- Robert Williams: Springfield, Illinois
- Jamal Britt: University of Iowa
- Katerina Moody: University of Iowa
- Laurauga Tausaga Collins: University of Iowa
- Tiona Tobias: University of Iowa
- Reno Tuofli: University of Iowa
- Lolo Jones: Des Moines, Iowa
- Alexina Tubel: University of Northern Iowa
- Darius Kipyego: Iowa State University
- Glatt Reid: Atlantic, Iowa
- Drake Schneider: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Shelvin Garrett: Beloit, Wisconsin
- Orrin Hacker: Madison, Wisconsin
- Destiny Huben: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Natalie Block: Franklin, Wisconsin
- Giovanni Waring: University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Olivia Markezich: Notre Dame Indiana
- Angelina Ellis: Zionsville, Indiana
- Camden Marshall: Corydon, Indiana
- Kaia Harris: West Lafayette, Indiana
- Seth Allen: Purdue University
- Kara Winger: Purdue University
- Monique Riddick: Indiana University
- Kayla Dawson: Indiana University
- Dani Jones: Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Daniel Aragon: University of Notre Dame
- Ashley Spencer: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Ben Veitch: Carmel, Indiana
- Chanler Robinson: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Asia Laurencin: Southfield, Michigan
- Sophie Novak: Lake Orion, Michigan
- Grace Stark: White Lake, Michigan
- Jessica Mercier: White Lake, Michigan
- Andrew Evans: Portage, Michigan
- Collin Jemison: Kentwood, Michigan
- Brian Williams: Fraser, Michigan
- Emma Youngberg: University of Michigan
- Amy Davis: Lake Orion, Michigan
- John Risch: Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Erin Dowd: Brighton, Michigan
- Morgan Beadlescomb: Algonac, Michigan
- Gabriela Leon: Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Katie Moon: Lakewood, Ohio
- Adelaide Aquila: Westlake, Ohio
- Face Bender: Ohio State University
- Connor McClure: Green, Ohio
- Casey Bourges: University of Dayton
- Willie Fink: Maumee, Ohio
- Joel Farrar: Orville, Ohio
- Reginald Jaggers III: Cleveland, Ohio
- Clayton Murphy: Greenville, Ohio
- Samantha Bush: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Michaela DeGenerro: Granville, Ohio
- Anthony Camerieri: Brecksville, Ohio
- Trevor Bassitt: Bluffton, Ohio
- Vernon Turner: Kansas City, Missouri
- Logan Blomquist: Pleasant Hill, Missouri
- Paige McGhee: Columbia, Missouri
- Skyler Ciccolini: University of Missouri
- Erin Zimmerman: University of Missouri
- Avery Carter: Lee’s Summit, Missouri
- Charles Jones: St. Louis, Missouri
- Ben Allen: North St. Paul, Minnesota
- Miles Hunter: University of Minnesota
- Mitchell Weber: St. Clair, Minnesota
- Magdaline Ewen: St. Francis, Minnesota
- Parker Feuerborn: St. Michael, Minnesota
