Every four years, the world’s best athletes travel to one place to compete in the Olympic games and show off their physical and technical prowess against other countries.
With Simone Biles creating Olympic history once more midway through the tournament, which begins this year on Friday, July 26, in Paris, there is no shortage of Black excellence at the 2024 Paris Olympics games.
With the 2024 Olympics presently underway, while many are delighted about the demonstration of athleticism and excellence, here’s a guide to the black athletes representing Team USA at the Paris Summer 2024 Olympics.
Women’s and Men’s National Basketball Teams
Although there are non-Black members in both the Women’s National Basketball Team and the Men’s National Basketball Team, the majority of the team members are Black men and women. They are;
Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Grey, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, A’Ja Wilson, and Jackie Young
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3×3 Basketball
Cierra Burdick
Cierra Burdick was drafted at No. 14 by the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream in 2015.
Dearica Hamby
Dearica Hamby was drafted in the 1st round of the 2015 WNBA draft by the San Antonio Stars and currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks.
Rhyne Howard
Rhyne Howard was selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream in 2022.
Kareem Maddox
Kareem Maddox graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English literature.
Rugby
Aaron Cummings
Aaron Cummings professionally debuted with the Malaga Sevens in 2022. The 27-year-old hails from Muskegon, MI, and he represents the USA in rugby, a sport he’s been in love with since high school.
Kevon Williams
Kevon Williams also competed during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
Marcus Tupuola
Marcus Tupuola debuted on the US Sevens team in 2019 and represented the U.S. in Rugby Sevens at the 2019 Pan American Games.
Naya Tapper
Naya Tapper also competed in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, which took place in 2021.
Ariana Ramsey
Ariana Ramsey speaks French and Mandarin Chinese and participated in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Malacchi Esdale
Malacchi Esdale played for the University of Central Florida’s club team before joining the Orlando Griffin and was listed as an alternate for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Crystal Dunn
Crystal Dunn became the youngest MVP in the history of the NWSL at age 23 in 2015.
Perry Baker
Perry Baker is a two-time Olympian from Daytona Beach, Fl.
Track and Field
Sha’Carri Richardson
Sha’Carri Richardson recorded a personal best of 10.57 seconds in the 100m in April 2023. But she is now an Olympic medal winner.
Kendall Ellis
Kendall Ellis is a one-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist (1 gold, 1 bronze).
Veronica Fraley
Veronica Fraley is from Raleigh, NC, and attends Vanderbilt University. She is the 2024 NCAA discus champion.
Tori Franklin
Tori Franklin is a one-time Olympian, competing in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, 25th (Triple Jump—Women).
Rachel Glenn
Rachel Glenn currently competes in 400m hurdles and high jump.
Quanera Hayes
Quanera Hayes also competed at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and is the mother of one son, Demetrius.
Jarrion Lawson
Jarrion Lawson is from Texas and, in 2016, set an NCAA career record as the all-time leading scorer in the long jump with 33 points.
Noah Lyles
Noah Lyles was ranked first in the world for the 100-meter and 200-meter as of 2023.
Salif Mane
Salif Mane is from the Bronx and won 1st place in the 2023 NEC Indoor Championships: Triple Jump (16.67 meters).
Sam Mattis
Sam Mattis competed in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, coming in 8th place in the men’s discus throw.
Shelby McEwen
Shelby McEwen competed in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, placing 12th (High Jump—Men).
Brandon Miller
Brandon Miller qualified for his first Olympic team by running 1:43.97 for 3rd place in the 800m final at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He set a personal best of 1:43.73 in his semifinal.
Jasmine Moore
Jasmine Moore is also a world champion in competitive cheerleading.
Michael Norman
Michael Norman competed at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, winning 5th (400-meter) and gold (4-400-meter relay).
Vernon Norwood
Vernon Norwood competed during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, winning gold (4 x 400 m relay, men) nd bronze (4 x 40400 rrelay, mixed
Yared Nuguse
Yared Nuguse also competed at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (1500m, men
Keturah Orji
Keturah Orji is a three-time NCAA triple jump champion and two-time Olympian.
Daniel Roberts
Daniel Roberts also participated in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, 9th (110m Hurdles, Men).
Jaida Ross
Jaida Ross is the NACAC U23 champion in the shot put, winning the competition with a best of 18.23 m/59-9.75, beating the rest of the field by more than three feet.
Maasai Russell
Maasai Russell is the U.S. NCAA record holder in the 100m hurdles. She finished 1st at the U.S. Olympic Trials 2024 in the 100 m with a time of 12.25, a personal best, qualifying her for the 2024 Games in Paris.
Raven Saunders
Raven Saunders is a two-time Olympian, competing in Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (1 silver) and at Rio de Janeiro 2016 games.
Donald Scott
Donald Scott also competed in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, 7th (Triple Jump—Men).
Grace Stark
Grace Stark is the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Champion (100m H), the 2024 SEC Outdoors Champion (100m H), and the 2024 SEC Indoors Champion (60m H).
Twanisha Terry
Twanisha Terry is from Miami and recently won gold in 2023 during the 4 x 100 m relay at the World Championship.
Gabby Thomas
Gabby Thomas is a one-time Olympian and two-time medalist competing in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: silver (4 x 100 m relay—women), bronze (200 m—women).
Curtis Thompson
Curtis Thompson also played at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Vernon Turner
Vernon Turner is the 2023 Big 12 Performer of the Year, the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Runner-Up (High Jump), and the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Champion.
Jayden Ulrich
Jayden Ulrich is the first track and field athlete to earn a spot on Team USA from the University of Louisville after she placed second in the women’s discus throw at the Olympic Trials.
Juliette Whittaker
Juliette Whittaker is a 2023 NCAA indoor distance medley relay champion and a 2023 Pac-12 800m champion.
Quincy Wilson
Quincy Wilson is the youngest American male to compete in track and field in Olympian history.
Tamari Davis
Tamari Davis won gold at the 2024 World Relay Nassau in the 4x100m relay race. She signed with Adidas at age 16.
Jasmine Moore
Jasmine Moore In 2022 became the first American woman to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in both the long jump and the triple jump.
This year, she became the first American woman to be selected for the same Olympics at both the triple jump and long jump trials.
Freddie Crittenden III
Freddie Crittenden III is a Syracuse University alum, and he and his wife recently welcomed a baby girl, Zari.
Vashti Cunningham
Vashti Cunningham In the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Vashti Cunningham became the youngest U.S. track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games since 1980 at 18 years old.
Jeremiah Davis
Jeremiah Davis attends Florida State University and was named the 2024 ACC Indoor Field Performer of the Year and MVP.
Tara Davis Woodall broke
Tara Davis-Woodall broke the American junior record for the indoor long jump at the Dumanis Sports Group Prep Classic in Frisco, Texas, in 2017. Her husband is Paralympian Hunter Woodhall.
Bryce Deadmon
Bryce Deadmon is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and is a one-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist (1 gold, 1 bronze).
Nia Akins
Nia Akins graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and won first place in the 2024 U.S. Track and Field Trials, 800m.
Malcolm Clemons
Malcolm Clemons is from Oakland, Calif., and was the 2018 California Interscholastic Federation state champion.
Chris Bailey
Chris Bailey is from Atlanta and attended the University of Arkansas. He set an Arkansas college record over 400 m of 45:09.
Kenny Bednarek
Kenny Bednarek became the first American athlete to break 20 seconds in the 200-meter and 45 seconds in the 400-meter on the same day at the 2019 NJCAA Championships in Hobbs, NM.
Rai Benjamin
Rai Benjamin attended the University of Southern California and is a one-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist (1 gold, 1 silver).
Taliyah Brooks
Taliyah Brooks is from Wichita Falls, TX. She set a personal best in May 2023 with a score of 6330.
Anna Cockrell
Anna Cockrell also competed in the Tokyo Olympics, coming in 8th in the 400m hurdles.
Christian Coleman
Christian Coleman is an American professional track and field sprinter from Atlanta.
Annette Echikunwoke
Annette Echikunwoke is a Nigerian-American hammer thrower who lives in Pickerington, OH, and attended the University of Cincinnati.
Javaughn Harrison
Javaughn Harrison is from Huntsville, AL., and is the 2021 NCAA Champion—Indoor High Jump and Indoor Long Jump.
Aleia Hobbs
Aleia Hobbs won gold in the women’s 4×100-meter relay at the 2015 Pan American Junior Championships.
Grant Holloway
Grant Holloway is a two-time finalist for The Bowerman Award, the nation’s top award for collegiate track & field athletes, and an eight-time NCAA Champion.
Alexis Holmes
Alexis Holmes is from Connecticut and was part of a women’s 4x400m relay team that set a new college record time at the University of Kentucky.
Melissa Jefferson
Melissa Jefferson won the NCAA Indoor 60m Championship in 2022 and went on to also win the 100m at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Alaysha Johnson
Alaysha Johnson is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and was the runner-up in the 60m hurdles at the 2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Jasmine Jones
Jasmine Jones is from Atlanta and ran a personal best of 52.77 seconds to finish third in the 400-meter hurdles at the US Olympic trials.
Fred Kerley
Fred Kerley competed at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, winning a silver medal (100m, men) and 8th (4 x 100m relay, men).
Kyree King
Kyree King finished third in the 200m at the 2024 Doha Diamond League, won the 100m in 10.11 seconds at the 2024 LA Grand Prix, and finished third at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic in the 200m.
Erriyon Knighton
Erriyon Knighton beat Usain Bolt’s record in the world U-20 in the 200-meter.
Leonard Korir
Leonard Korir began running competitively at age 20 and called fellow 2016 U.S. Olympic teammate, Galen Rupp, his hero.
Gymnastics
Simone Biles
Simone Bilesis the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history. She currently has five skills named after her in the Code of Points.
Jordan Chiles
Jordan Chiles was only 11 years old when she reached the elite level and made her first national team and international assignment in the same month when she was 12 years old.
Fred Richard
Fred Richard has been a gymnast since age 4. He is the youngest male American gymnast to win an individual all-around medal at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship and now an Olympic Bronze Medalist.
Boxing
Jahmal Harvey
Jahmal Harvey qualified for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by winning gold at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023.
Morelle Mccane
Morelle Mccain started boxing at age 17 during her senior year of high school and qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by securing a silver medal at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023.
Roscoe Hill
Roscoe Hill is an American boxer from Spring, TX. He participated at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships, winning the silver medal
Omari Jones
Omari Jones began boxing at the age of 8 after originally doing karate. He came in first during the 2023 Gee Bee International Tournament.
Joshua Edwards
Joshua Edwards is the first super heavyweight boxer from Houston since George Foreman to qualify for an Olympic Games.
Soccer
Naomi Girma
Raised by Ethiopian immigrant parents, she played for a local club her father formed for the Bay Area Ethiopian community in 2005 and has worked her way up to Olympic excellence.
Catarina Macario
Catarina Macario is from Los Angeles and a two-time NCAA Champion (2017, 2019).
Miles Robinson
Miles Robinson was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by expansion club Atlanta United.
Trinity Rodman
Trinity Rodman is the youngest player drafted in NWSL history at the age of 18 in 2021.
Jaedyn Shaw
Jaedyn Shaw was the 2022 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year and played in three matches at 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Casey Krueger
Casey Krueger is a one-time Olympian; and one-time Olympic medalist, winning bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Gianluca Busio
became the second-youngest player of all-time to sign an MLS contract when he joined Sporting KC in August 2017 at 15 years old.
Volleyball
Avery Skinner
Avery Skinner’s father is a 14-year NBA veteran Brian Skinner, who also competed at Baylor.
Jordan Thompson
Jordan Thompson played in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, winning gold with the women’s team.
Haleigh Washington
Haleigh Washington has been a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2018 and was named best middle blocker at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Chiaka Ogbogu
Chiaka Ogbogu has played professionally in Italy, Poland, and Turkey.
Breaking
Jeffrey Louis
Jeffrey Louis’s B-boy name is “Bboy Jeffro” and he is the FISE Montpellier World Series champion (2022).
Fencing
Lauren Scruggs
Lauren Scruggs is openly-queer and a native of Queens, NY. She is the first Black American woman to win any individual fencing medal.
Swimming
Simone Manuel
Simone Manuel is a two-time Olympian; and five-time Olympic Gold, Sliver and Bronze Medalist and was the first Black woman to win a gold medal in an individual swimming event during the 2016 Olympics.
Shaine Casas
Shaine Casas is an American record holder. At the 2021 World Short Course Championships, he won a gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke, a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke, and placed seventh in the 50-meter backstroke.
Wrestling
Kamal Bey
Kamal Bey is a high school dropout, who has taken his childhood love of Greco-Roman style wrestling all the way to the Olympics.
Kennedy Blades
Kennedy Blades is from Chicago and is the first female to win a state title in Illinois against boys.
Aaron Brooks
Aaron Brooks majored in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management at Penn State University. In 2018, he won silver at the Junior World Championships.
Skateboarding
Nyjah Huston
Nyjah Hustonbis One of the highest-paid skateboarders in the world and often regarded as one of the greatest skateboarders of all time.
The 29-year-old has his first Olympic Medal, a bronze, in the 2024 Olympic men’s street event.
Taekwondo
CJ Nickolas
Carl Alan Nickolas Jr., known as CJ Nickolas. He is a three-time Olympics gold medalist at the Pan American Taekwondo Championships.
Tennis
Chris Eubanks
Chris Eubanks is from Atlanta with a recognizable name as the Top 100 status after reaching QF in Miami 2023.
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff makes her Olympic debut after missing out of the previous games due to COVID-19.
Water Polo
Ashleigh Johnson
Ashleigh Johnson is a three-time Olympian, and two-time Gold medalist.
Max Irving
Throughout 29-year-old Max Irving’s impressive water polo career, playing for UCLA and the US national team.
Judo
Maria Laborde
Maria Laborde was born in Cuba, moved to the United States, and received her U.S. citizenship in 2022.
She made history as the first U.S. athlete to medal at the Masters Worlds since 2016, where she won silver.
Photo Credit Instagram @Simone Manuel, @Kamal Bey and @Avery Skinner
