Sport: Soccer

Instagram

ㅤ

Naomi Girma played her college career at Stanford University, where her squad won the NCAA Championship in 2019. She then forewent her eligibility and entered the NWSL draft early in 2022, where the San Diego Wave selected her as the number one pick. In her rookie season, Girma immediately made her mark as an elite defender, holding down the Wave’s back line and earning Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year honors. 

ㅤ

Girma has 32 appearances with the senior national team under her belt and has quickly established herself as one of the country's best defenders. She’ll make her Olympic debut when the squad takes on Zambia on July 25. 

Sport: Athletics

Instagram

ㅤ

Sha’Carri Richardson burst onto the scene and grabbed everyone’s attention at the 2020 Olympic trials after blowing away her competitors and winning the 100m in just 10.86 seconds. Shortly after, though, Richardson tested positive for cannabis use and was subsequently disqualified from participating in the Olympics.

Since then, Richardson has discussed her journey, stating that she’s not just back—she’s better, not just in her running but also in her mental health and approach to track. At this year’s trials, Sha’Carri shined again, finishing her 100m race in 10.71 seconds. Richardson will finally get her chance to compete for Olympic glory on August 2, when women’s track and field kicks off.

Sport: Gymnastics

Instagram

ㅤ

Hezly Rivera got hooked on gymnastics at age ten, which prompted her incredibly supportive family to move from New Jersey to Texas so she could train with Valeri Liukin (Olympic star Nastia Liukin’s father). Initially, she set her goals to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but Rivera made the squad after posting stellar performances on the beam and uneven bars. 16-year-old Rivera is the youngest female athlete traveling to the Paris Games after qualifying at the U.S. Gymnastics trials.

Sport: Skateboarding — Park

Instagram

ㅤ

17-year-old Ruby Lilley wasn’t always a skateboarder; her first passions were ballet and ballroom dancing. After seeing her brothers skating, Lilley found her way onto the board and hasn’t looked back since, rising to a #14 world ranking in June. With one X Games silver medal already, Lilley will look to add more hardware to her trophy case on August 6, when women’s Park Skateboarding kicks off.

Sport: Basketball 

Instagram

ㅤ

Kahleah Copper’s story is one of grit, determination, and perseverance. After playing her college ball at Rutgers and getting drafted into the WNBA, Copper struggled to find her footing in the league. She worked in the shadows for years, and it all paid off in 2021 when the Chicago Sky won the Championship and Copper was named Finals MVP. In recent years, Copper has established herself as a star in the league and has started this 2024 campaign off by posting 30+ points eight times already this season. 

ㅤ

Copper used being cut from Team USA before the 2020 Tokyo Games as fuel for her growth over the years, and it’s paying off. Check out the emotional video of Copper finding out she made the squad here.

Sport: Swimming

Instagram

ㅤ

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’s had a more successful year than swimmer Gretchen Walsh. She had arguably one of the most decorated college seasons ever at the University of Virginia, setting and re-setting personal bests all season. At the ACC Championships, Walsh broke the NCAA record for the 50m freestyle, then the US record for the 100m freestyle the next night. On the meet's final night, Walsh became the first woman to swim a sub-45 second 100m free race.

ㅤ

Walsh’s dominance continued at the Olympic trials, where she clocked a new world record in the semifinal and swam the second-fastest time ever in the final round of the 100m butterfly. Walsh is peaking at just the right time to take on some stiff competition in Paris.

Sport: Breaking

Instagram

ㅤ

Logan Edra isn’t just making her first appearance at the Olympics — she’s competing in breaking, which will be an Olympic sport for the first time. Edra started breakdancing at age seven, and while she also trained in gymnastics, soccer, and tennis, dancing was her biggest passion. Her father gave her the b-girl name Logistx and encouraged her in her dance journey after introducing her to breaking. Edra credits breaking for helping her through mental health struggles and uses her platform to advocate for mental health awareness. Edra will compete on August 9, when breaking makes its historic Olympic debut.

Sport: Golf

Instagram

ㅤ

Lilia Vu started golfing at age seven after watching her dad and brother on the course. Vu had a successful college career, earning All-Pac 12 Honors and winning eight individual titles at UCLA. However, when Vu turned professional in 2018, she struggled to feel like she belonged in the LPGA. After missing out on the LPGA qualification in 2019, Vu went to the second-tier Epson Tour for a couple of years to gain more experience and refocus her mental health.

ㅤ

Vu found success after returning to the LPGA, winning the 2023 Chevron Championship and finishing #1 overall in LPGA winnings. Vu’s 2024 season hasn’t been easy, as she’s dealt with a back injury, but she’s now recovered and ready to bring her A-game to Paris.

Sport: Tennis

Instagram

ㅤ

Coco Gauff picked up a tennis racquet when she was six years old and quickly fell in love with the sport. At twelve, Gauff remarked that she wanted to be the greatest tennis player of all time. Fast forward a few years, and we’ve all watched as she has risen to the top of her game, where she now sits with the #2 world singles ranking and the #13 doubles ranking.

ㅤ

Just before Coco Gauff was set to travel to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics, a positive COVID-19 test derailed everything. Four years later, Gauff is ready to compete at her first Olympics in Paris. Read this letter she penned to her 17-year-old self and try not to get emotional about how far the tennis phenom has come.