Athletes with Carolina connections you should follow during the Paris Olympics

PARIS, France — The Paris Olympics is getting underway. The action began Wednesday with eight men’s soccer matches and the preliminary phase for rugby sevens, and the opening ceremony is set for Friday. 

Each day’s most popular events will air live on WCNC Charlotte in the morning and afternoon in the United States. USA Network, E!, CNBC and GOLF Channel also will show live action and Olympic programming. Peacock will serve as the U.S. streaming home. It will stream every sport, including all 329 medal events.

Swimming and gymnastics both begin Saturday. Swimming finishes on Aug. 4, and the final day for artistic gymnastics is Aug. 5. Track and field runs from Aug. 1-11.

The men’s basketball final is on Aug. 10, and the women’s championship is the following day. The gold medal match for men’s soccer is on Aug. 9 at Parc des Princes, and the women hold their final at the same venue the next day. Roland Garros hosts the women’s singles final for tennis on Aug. 3, and the men’s singles championship on Aug. 4.

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There are dozens of athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympics who have connections to North Carolina and South Carolina. Here are some of them to watch for and when they compete.

Liel Abada hails from Petah Tikva, Israel, and plays as a forward for Charlotte FC. Abada came to the Queen City in 2024 after playing three seasons with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. He scored 21 goals for Celtic and has netted four goals with Charlotte FC. Israel is making its first Olympics appearance in football since 1976. Abada’s Israel team played Mali on Wednesday, July 24, ultimately reaching a draw at 1-1. His team plays next on Saturday, July 27, at 1 p.m. against Paraguay. 

Bam Adebayo will compete in his second Olympics this summer. He got the nickname “Bam” after flipping a table like Bamm-Bamm Rubble on “The Flintstones.” He averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds as a senior at High Point Christian Academy. He was named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball and led his team to the state championship game. Adebayo’s first game is on Sunday, July 28, at 11:15 a.m. versus Serbia.

Perris Benegas got her start riding BMX with her older brother in their hometown of Reno, Nevada. This self-professed coffee enthusiast now lives near Raleigh with her golden retriever, Kiah. She placed fourth in her Olympic debut in 2021. Benegas first competes in the qualifying event on Tuesday, July 30, at 7:15 a.m. on E! 

Katherine Berkoff was born in Missoula, Montana, and is a student at North Carolina State University, pursuing a graduate degree in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology. She is a 5x NCAA Champion in 100m backstroke, 30x All-American in numerous swimming categories and a 6x ACC Champion for 100m backstroke and 400 medley relay. This is her first time competing in the Olympics. Berkoff has heats on Monday, July 29 at 5 a.m. which are available on streaming only.

Kaylyn Brown started running track when she was just 4 years old. As a teen, she became a star athlete at Mallard Creek. She won gold in the under-22 world championships in the 4×400 mixed relay. She owns the world record for 19-year-olds in the 400 meters with a time of 49.13 seconds. Brown will race in the first round of the mixed 4×400 on Friday, Aug. 2 at 12 p.m. on E!

Cierra Burdick graduated from Butler High School. After finishing an All-American career for the famed Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Burdick was a WNBA draft pick and played a handful of seasons for a handful of teams. Burdick will make her debut at the Olympic Games with the 3×3 basketball team, which will hit the court for the first time on July 30 against Germany. You can watch the match at 11:30 a.m. only on WCNC Charlotte. 

Gianluca Busio is from North Carolina. He was born in Greensboro, and is now a midfielder for Venezia FC in Italy. He signed an MLS contract with the Major League Soccer team Sporting Kansas City when he was just 15 years old. While Busio was the youngest player to sign with an MLS team since 2004, this is his first Olympics. 

Busio and Team USA lost their opening match 3-0 to France on Wednesday. Busio started the match and was substituted off in the 71st minute. 

Team USA’s next match comes against New Zealand on Saturday, July 27, at 1 p.m. The game will air on USA and Peacock.

Andrew Capobianco is from Holly Springs, North Carolina, and will be competing in his second Olympics. He is a one-time Olympic medalist, winning the silver medal for men’s 3m Springboard Synchro and placed 10th in the men’s 3m Springboard in Tokyo in 2020. This year, he’s focusing on the men’s 3m springboard event. Capobianco competes in the men’s 3m springboard preliminary on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 4 a.m. which is airing on E! and Peacock.

Anna Cockrell is a Charlotte native competing in her second Olympics. The 2024 Olympics will be a chance at redemption for Cockrell after being disqualified in the Tokyo Olympics. The former NCAA champion is an advocate for mental health, documenting her difficult battle with depression throughout high school and college. Cockrell’s first race will be the women’s 400m preliminaries on Sunday, Aug. 4 at 4 a.m. which is only available on streaming.

A product of Hough High School in Cornelius, Erika Connolly has secured her spot on the women’s freestyle relay team at the Paris Olympics! She’s making a return trip to the games after a strong debut in Tokyo with a silver and bronze medal and will be focusing on making a splash with her teammates. Connolly has the women’s 4×100 free relay heats on July 27 at 7:30 a.m.

There aren’t many firsts left for Steph Curry, but 2024 marks the first time he will represent the U.S. in the Olympics. The four-time NBA champion became a household name when he led little-known Davidson to the Elite Eight in March Madness in 2008. Arguably the best shooter of all-time, Curry has made more 3-pointers than any player in NBA history. Curry’s first game is on Sunday, July 28, at 11:15 a.m. versus Serbia.

Justin Dowell started riding BMX at 8 years old in his hometown of Virginia Beach. He has won gold and silver in the world championships, competing every year from 2017-2023. Dowell is the only rider who performs his signature trick “The Twix” in competition. Dowell first competes in the qualifying event on Tuesday, July 30, at 7:15 a.m. on E! 

Felix Duchampt is ranked 48 in the world as a triathlete. He represented France in world triathlons until 2018 and has represented Romania, since 2019, including in the upcoming Paris Olympics. During his time at Queens University in Charlotte, Duchampt was awarded the SAC Runner of the Year and he won the Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year twice. The men’s triathlon final is on Tuesday, July 30, at 10 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte.

Crystal Dunn is a familiar face for US Soccer fans. She’s played on the national team for over 10 years and has scored 25 goals. She hopes to add some Olympic goals to her resume as she plays as a forward for Team USA in Paris. Dunn’s first match with Team USA is against Zambia on Thursday, July 25, at 3 p.m. which is streaming on Peacock.

Matej Dusa will be swimming for native country of Slovakia in the Paris 2024 Olympics, but he currently swims for Queens University in Charlotte. He is the three-time CSCAA National Invitational champion and a two-time ASUN Champion. Dusa will compete in the 50m free heats on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 10:15 a.m. on USA.

Casey Eichfeld will take on a challenging slalom course in Paris in his fourth Olympic run. He can often be spotted conquering rapids at The Whitewater Center in Charlotte, where he trains. His status as a now 4-time Olympian will never outshine his self-appointed title of ‘girl dad.’ He plans to take his daughter to Paris, where he’ll compete in the solo canoeing event. Eichfeld competes on Saturday, July 27, at 1 p.m. in slalom men’s canoe heats which airs on E!.

Bettina “Betti” Fabian is a committed freshman at NC State who will be competing in the women’s 10km Open Water for the Hungarian Team at the Paris Olympics. This is her first journey to the Olympics. She has won numerous awards in international swimming competitions, including two gold medals in the World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships and one gold medal in the Open Water Swimming World Cup. Fabian competes on Thursday, Aug. 8 at 1:30 a.m., in Women’s 10km Open Water which can be watched on streaming.

Emily Fox is familiar with international competition. She plays for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League in England, arguably the biggest women’s soccer league in the world. Paris will be her first shot at the Olympics, where she will play as a defender for Team USA. Fox competes on Thursday, July 25, at 3 p.m. in Team USA’s match against The Zambia and can be streamed on Peacock.

Veronica Fraley, a North Carolina native, is headed to Paris after winning Bronze in the discus event at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. This is her Olympics debut. This year, she was also the NCAA discus champion. She attended Clemson University before becoming a member of Team USA for the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships and the 2023 Pan American Games. 

Josh Green was born in Sydney, Australia two months after the city hosted the 2000 Olympics, according to Basketball Australia. He is the son of two semi-professional basketball players. As a teenager, Green moved to the United States and played for the University of Arizona and the Dallas Mavericks before the Charlotte Hornets. Green competes on Saturday, July 27, at 5 p.m. in Australia’s match against Spain.

Quincy Hall, a former NCAA champion and University of South Carolina runner, may become the second-ever Gamecock to take home an Olympic medal in the 400m race. He won the U.S. trials by running a personal best time of 44.17. That time now ranks fifth in the world. 2024 will be his first year participating in the Olympics. 

Hailing from Wake Forest University, Dearica Hamby is the school’s most decorated women’s basketball player. Hamby joins the 3×3 women’s basketball team at the Paris Olympics. Hamby currently reps the Los Angeles Sparks as a forward. Hamby makes her debut at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Hamby competes on Tuesday, July 30, at 11:30 a.m. in Team USA’s game against Germany and can be watched on WCNC Charlotte.

Quanera Hayes is from Hope Mills, North Carolina, and ran track while attending Livingstone College in Salisbury. She is competing in her second Olympics, after finishing 7th in the 400-meter race in Tokyo. Her personal record in the event is 49.72 seconds, and she used a time of 49.78 to win at the trials for the Tokyo Olympics. Hayes competes on Monday, Aug. 5, at 9 a.m. in the Women’s 400m and can be seen on WCNC Charlotte.

Hal Hershfelt was named an alternate for Team USA’s Paris efforts just a month after being called up to the national squad. The midfielder is in her rookie season in the NWSL with the Washington Spirit. At just 22, Hershfelt is one of the youngest players on the squad. Hershfelt competes on Thursday, July 25, at 3 p.m. in Team USA’s match against The Zambia and can be streamed on Peacock.

Ashley Hoffman played field hockey at UNC-Chapel Hill for four years and started in every game. She captained the team her senior year and won multiple awards with the team, including being named MVP for the NCAA and ACC tournaments. Hoffman and the rest of Team USA’s women’s field hockey team practiced at UNC Charlotte ahead of the Summer Games. Her mom is an Olympian, having won a bronze medal in 1984. This is her first time competing in the Olympics, and she’s the team’s captain. Hoffman competes on Saturday, July 27, at 1:45 p.m. in Team USA’s game against Argentina and can be streamed on Peacock.

North Carolina State University swim coach Braden Holloway is making the journey to Paris for the 2024 Olympics! He’ll be guiding the American swimmers to victory, and he won’t be the only member of the Wolfpack there either; two of his own swimmers will be competing for Poland. 

Canada’s Patrick Hussey is a familiar face for swimming fans in the Carolinas; he just graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill where he swam for the Tar Heels! He’s making his Olympic debut in Paris as he hits the water in the men’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay. Hussey competes on Tuesday, July 30, at 5 a.m., to see the Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay heats streaming on Peacock and then the Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay final at 2:30 p.m. on WCNC Charlotte.

Sanu Jallow-Lockhart was born in The Gambia and will be representing her country at the Paris Olympics, competing in the Women’s 800m. Her family came to the United States when she was 9 years old and she graduated from West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte in 2022, where she lettered for all four years. She now attends and competes in track and field at the University of Arkansas and plans to major in sports management. Jallow-Lockhart competes on Friday, Aug. 2 at 1:45 p.m. in Women’s 800m Round 1 and can be streamed on Peacock.

Melissa Jefferson is a Georgetown, South Carolina, native who already won a gold medal as part of Team USA’s 4×100-meter relay team in the 2022 World Athletics Championships. She raced at Coastal Carolina where she became the first ever individual NCAA National Champion in school history when she got a record time of 7.09 seconds in the 60-meter dash. The 23-year-old also placed first in the 4x100m relay team at the 2023 World Championships and first in the 2024 World Athletics Relays in the same event. Jefferson competes on Friday, Aug. 2 at 4 a.m. in Women’s 100m heat.

Nyls Korstanje, born in Nijmegen, Netherlands, will be competing in his second Olympics in Paris as a member of the Netherlands Swim Team. Korstanje is a senior at NC State and a 1x NCAA Champion in the 200 medley relay, a 22x All-American in multiple swim categories, and 11x ACC Champion. Korstanje competed in the 4×100 Medley Relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Korstanje competes on Friday, Aug. 2 at 5 a.m. in Men 100m butterfly heats and can be viewed on USA and streamed on Peacock.

Former Duke Blue Devil Brynn King is making her Olympic debut! She’ll hit the track with the American three-woman pole vault team, seeking to soar to success. King competes on Monday, Aug. 5 at a a.m. in Women’s pole vault qualifications and can be viewed on USA.

Evy Leibfarth first got into a boat in the Nantahala River near her hometown of Bryson City, North Carolina. She felt the rush at an early age. Her parents, Jean Fogler and Lee Leibfarth, were avid kayakers. Leibfarth’s dad even serves as her coach. Still just 20, she’s now a two-time Olympian. In the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Leibfarth placed 12th in the women’s solo kayaking event and 18th in canoeing. In the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, she won 1st in both events. 

Kelee Lepage lives in Charlotte, and first joined the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2020. This is her first time competing in the Olympics. Lepage competes on Saturday, July 27, at 1:45 p.m. in Team USA’s game against Argentina and can be streamed on Peacock. 

Originally from Ohio, McKenzie Long committed to North Carolina State University in 2017, spending four years running with the ‘Pack’. She will make her Olympics debut in Paris after taking third place in the trials. In 2022, she set a North Carolina State record of 23.00 in the 200 meters. She placed fifth in the 60 meters and second in the 200-meter race in the 2023 SEC indoors championships. She transferred to the University of Mississippi in 2023. At the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2024 Long won the 100-meter title with a time of 10.82. She then won the 200-meter title, clocking a time of 21.83, which is the second fastest time run by a collegiate.

This will be Adrienne Lyle’s third time competing in the Olympics. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. Dressage Team that she was on won the silver medal. She was raised in Whidbey Island, Washington and she grew up with horses being a big part of her life. Lyle competes on Saturday, July 27, at 4:30 p.m. and can be watched on E! 

Casey Murphy plays goalkeeper for Team USA and North Carolina Courage. She’s played with the international squad since 2021 and has earned 15 clean sheets in 19 appearances. Paris will be her first Olympics appearance. Murphy competes on Thursday, July 25, at 3 p.m. in Team USA’s match against The Zambia and can be streamed on Peacock.

CJ Nickolas is looking to add to his growing medal collection in Paris. The Brentwood, California native has won gold medals in the Pan American Championships and bronze medals in the World Taekwondo Grand Prix. Nickolas trains in Charlotte with Team USA and is competing in his first Olympics. Nickolas competes on Friday, Aug. 9 at 3 a.m. in Men’s 80kg preliminaries and can be streamed on Peacock. 

Fiona O’Keeffe, who calls Chapel Hill, North Carolina, her current stomping grounds, is a 26-year-old marathoner originally from California. Recently, she set a record for the fastest-ever time by a woman at the U.S. Marathon Trials, smashing the previous record by nearly three minutes after finishing in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 10 seconds. O’Keeffe competes on Sunday, Aug. 11 at 12 p.m. and can be watched on WCNC Charlotte.

Bartosz Piszcorowicz is proudly representing Poland and the NC State Wolfpack Nation in Paris! He’ll make a splash in two team events: the men’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay and the men’s 4 x 100m medley relay! He’s not the only Polish Wolfpack member in the water either; his childhood best friend Kacper Stokowski is also swimming in this year’s Olympic Games. Piszcorowicz competes on Saturday, July 27, where the 4x100m freestyle relay heats are at 5 a.m. and can be streamed on Peacock while the Men’s 4x100m freestyle relay final can be watched at 2:30 p.m. on WCNC Charlotte.

Seth Rider is a four-time World Mixed Relay Series Medalist, according to USA Triathlon. He grew up in Germantown, Tennessee where he started competing at age six. He graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in 2015 with a degree in environmental science. Rider competes on Tuesday, July 30 at 10 a.m. and can be watched on WCNC Charlotte.

Hannah Roberts started riding BMX when she was 9 years old, following in the footsteps of her cousin, BMX pro Brett Banasiewicz. A broken back nearly caused her to give up the sport at 10 years old. Roberts has been a dominant force in recent years, winning gold medal in six world championships. She heads to Paris with her eyes on gold after taking silver in Tokyo despite having the best overall score among all riders. Roberts competes on Tuesday, July 30 at 7:15 a.m. and can be watched on E! 

Apsara Sakbun lives in Charlotte and trains at a local YMCA. She’s an operations analyst for Charlotte-based Wells Fargo. Sakbun will make her Olympic debut this year. Known for breaking school records, she went on to represent Cambodia in the 2023 SEA Games, where she set national records in 3 different events. In 2024, Cambodia selected Sakbun to swim the 50m Freestyle event. Her sister would have taken the spot, had she declined. 

Knowing for their intense masks that represent their alter ego, Raven Saunders has improved in every Olympics since turning pro and looks to win their first gold medal in Paris. Saunders might be best known for what happened during the Tokyo medal ceremony, when they formed an “X” with their wrists. Saunders explained the “X” stood for “the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.” Saunders competes on Thursday, Aug. 8 at 9 a.m. in Women’s shot put qualifiers and can be watched on WCNC Charlotte.

Meredith Sholder played field hockey at the collegiate level at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2022. The Olympic Games in Paris are Sholder’s first Olympics. Sholder competes on Saturday, July 27, at 1:45 p.m. in Team USA’s game against Argentina and can be streamed on Peacock. 

Kacper Stokowski is back in the water for Poland for the Paris Olympics! This former member of the Wolfpack nation is joined by childhood best friend and fellow NC State alum Bartosz Piszcorowicz this time, and he’ll make a splash for the men’s 100m backstroke and the men’s 4x100m medley relay. Stokowski competes on Friday, Aug. 30, at 6 a.m. in Team USA’s game against China.

Sammy Sullivan is a rugby player from eastern North Carolina. She will participate in her first Olympic Games in 2024. After graduating West Point, Sullivan entered the Women’s Premier League playing fifteens and went to the 2022 Pacific Four Series with the USA Women’s Eagles, debuting against Canada. She joined USA Sevens National Team later in 2022 and had her Sevens debut in the Rugby World Cup in Cape Town. She ended the year with her World Rugby Sevens Series debut in Dubai. She is one of only a few on the Women’s Eagles team to debut in both fifteens and sevens in the same year. Sullivan competes on Sunday, July 28, at 9:30 a.m. in Team USA’s game and can be streamed on Peacock.

Naya Tapper was an All-American track and field star at West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, but found rugby at the University of North Carolina, where she joined a club team on campus. She joined the U.S. Women’s Sevens squad in 2016. Her rare combination of speed and power made her one of the best players in team history and landed her an Olympics debut in Tokyo. She is the team’s co-captain in the 2024 Olympics. Sullivan competes on Sunday, July 28, at 9:30 a.m. in Team USA’s game and can be streamed on Peacock.

US Olympic shooter Mary Tucker was born in Pineville and now lives in Sarasota, Florida. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won silver in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed and placed 6th in the 10m air rifle. Mary started shooting rifles in high school and quit her high school shooting team so she could teach herself using online resources, earning her the nickname “rebel child.” Tucker competes on Saturday, July 27, at 4:30 a.m. in the Mixed Team Air Rifle Final and can be watched on CNBC or streamed on Peacock. 

Yet another North Carolina State University Wolfpack swimmer hits the pool for the Paris Olympics! Andreas Vazaios will represent Greece, racing with teammates in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle relays. This is his fourth appearance at the Olympic Games. Vazaios competes on Saturday, July 27, at 10:30 a.m. in the Men’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats and can be watched on WCNC Charlotte.

Danielle Williams is an alumna of Johnson C. Smith University, where she won several NCAA titles, CIAA championships, and All-America honors. She is representing Jamaica in Paris, which is her first time competing in the Olympics. Williams competes on Wednesday, Aug 7, at 4 a.m. in the Women’s 100-meter hurdles and can be streamed on Peacock.

Lynn Williams is a seasoned veteran on the international circuit. She’s scored 18 goals in 65 appearances with the team as a forward. Williams’ first NWSL team was the North Carolina Courage, who she played with from 2017 to 2021, scoring 42 goals in 81 matches. Williams currently plays with NJY/NY Gotham FC. Williams competes on Thursday, July 25, at 3 p.m. in Team USA’s match against The Zambia and can be streamed on Peacock.

A’ja Wilson is from Columbia, South Carolina, and went to the University of South Carolina. She competed in the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 and received a gold medal as part of Team USA’s women’s basketball team. Wilson competes on Monday, July 29, at 3 p.m. in Team USA’s match against Japan and can be watched on USA or streamed on Peacock.

Hailing from Pennsylvania originally, Madison Wiltrout holds the ACC record for women’s javelin during her time at UNC Chapel Hill. The now-25-year-old qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials back in 2016. Witrout competes on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 3 p.m. in the Javelin Throw. 

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The Carolinas also have Paralympians competing. Those games start Aug. 28 and go through Sept. 8 and are also being held in Paris, France. 

Hannah Aspden returns to the Paralympics for a third time! A native of Raleigh and graduate of Queens University of Charlotte, Aspden is looking to add to her medal count as she represents the Tar Heel State and the United States in Paris. She specializes swimming backstroke and has competed in the women’s 100-meter medley relay as well.

Carson Clough is a Charlotte native and will be competing in his first Olympics on the U.S. Elite Paratriathlon Team. After losing part of his leg in a boating accident five years ago, Clough began competing in triathlons with his first prosthetic. After an astounding rise in the ranking, Clough is going to Paris to compete in the Paralympics. 

Statesville-native Emma Schieck will compete in her second Olympics in Paris. Schieck, who suffers from nerve damage, was a standout volleyball player at South Iredell High School. She joined Team USA’s National Sitting Volleyball Team ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics and helped the team win gold.  

The Associated Press contributed to this report.