Athletes with South Carolina ties to watch at the 2024 Paris Olympics

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are just around the corner.

The world’s best athletes will descend on France to compete for their countries across 32 sports from July 26 through August 11.

And, multiple athletes with ties to the Palmetto State will be there to represent Team USA and other countries.

Here are the Olympians with connections to South Carolina heading to the games:

Note: Did we miss an athlete? Let us know so we can update the list!

Canyon Barry: Men’s 3×3 Basketball

Canyon Barry, a former standout at the College of Charleston, will represent Team USA as part of the men’s 3×3 basketball team.

Barry played three seasons for the Cougars, averaging 12.8 points per game. He transferred to the University of Florida as a graduate student where he set the school record for consecutive free throws made with 42. He was named the Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year in 2017.

After college, Barry joined the NBA’s G League and played four seasons with the Iowa Wolves from 2018-2022. He also played professionally overseas in China, the Czech Republic, and Finland.

He was a member of the 2019 USA 3×3 World Cup Team that claimed a historic first gold medal with a 7-0 record and was the team’s second-leading scorer with 39 points. He has since become a fixture on USA Basketball’s 3×3 Men’s National Teams, representing the country in two FIBA World Cups, two FIBA AmeriCups, and one Pan American Games.

A native of Fort Wayne, Ind., Barry is the son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry.

The men’s 3×3 basketball tournament will begin on July 30 with the gold medal game slated for August 5.

Jimmer Fredette, Kareem Maddox, and Dylan Travis are also on the U.S. team.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn: Track and Field

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn is headed to Paris for her third Olympic games.

The North Charleston native will represent her mother’s home country of Puerto Rico in the women’s 100-meter hurdles. She brought home a gold medal that event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, completing her record run in 12.26 seconds.

She clipped a hurdle during the semifinals of the 2016 games in Rio De Janeiro and lost her chances at a medal.

Camacho-Quinn began her track career at Fort Dorchester High School before attending the University of Kentucky where she continued.

The first round of the women’s 100-meter hurdles competition will take place on August 7, followed by the semi-final on August 9 and the final on August 10.

Sabrina D’Angelo: Soccer

Sabrina D’Angelo, a former University of South Carolina goalkeeper, will represent her home country of Canada in a second Olympics.

The Welland, Ontario native was part of the Canadian national team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro.

D’Angelo set several records while playing for the Gamecocks from 2011 to 2014, including career minutes in goal (7,535) and career matches started by a goalkeeper (81).

She was selected 21st overall in the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft by the Western New York Flash. She went to play for Vittsjö GIK in Sweden before joining Arsenal, an English Women’s Super League club, in January 2023.

Canada’s first match in the group stage will be against New Zealand on July 25.

Quincy Hall: Track and Field

Quincy Hall, a University of South Carolina graduate, will make his first appearance in the Olympics this summer.

Hall won the 400-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials, running a personal best time of 44.17 seconds, to punch his ticket to Paris.

The Kansas City, Mo. native claimed the 2019 NCAA title in the 400-meter hurdles before switching to the dash in 2022.

He won a gold medal in the men’s 4×400-meter relay and a bronze in the men’s 400-meter dash at the 2023 World Championships.

Hall’s first race will be on August 4.

Melissa Jefferson: Track and Field

Melissa Jefferson, a Hemingway, S.C. native, has qualified to represent the U.S. in the 100-meter dash.

She earned a second-place finish at the Olympic Trials with a time of 10.8 seconds to earn a spot on Team USA.

Jefferson attended Coastal Carolina University where she claimed an NCAA National Championship title for the indoor 60-meter dash, the university’s first individual national championship.

She was also part of the Team USA squads that won gold medals in the women’s 4×100-meter relay at the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Jefferson will run her first race of the Olympics on August 2. The final is scheduled for the next day, August 3.

Emma Navarro: Tennis

Emma Navarro, a Charleston native, has been named to the 2024 United States Women’s Olympic tennis team.

She will compete in women’s singles alongside Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Danielle Collins.

Navarro, an Ashley Hall graduate and former NCAA Singles champion, is currently ranked at a career-high number 17 on the WTA Tour after advancing to the Round of 16 at Roland Garros.

She turned pro in the summer after her sophomore year at Virginia, earning her first WTA title at the Hobart International in January.

Tennis matches start July 27 at Roland Garros, the site of the French Open.

Raven Saunders: Track and Field

Raven Saunders, a Charleston native and Burke High School graduate, will make her third Olympic appearance in shotput at the 2024 games.

She finished second at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials to earn a spot on Team USA.

Saunders previously competed at the 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro Games and the 2020 Games in Tokyo, where she won a silver medal.

She gained national attention when she stepped off the podium during the medal ceremony photo-op, lifted her arms above her head, and formed an “X” with her wrists. Asked what that meant, she explained: ”It’s the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.” Days later, triumph met tragedy when Saunders unexpectedly lost her mother .

The qualifying round of the women’s shot put competition will be held on August 8 with the final scheduled for the next day, August 9.

A’ja Wilson: Women’s Basketball

A’ja Wilson, a former star at the University of South Carolina, is one of 12 players selected for the U.S. women’s basketball team at the 2024 Olympics.

This will be Wilson’s second Olympics. She won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Wilson led the Gamecocks to the school’s first NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship title in 2017 under coach Dawn Staley, earning the MVP award.

The Columbia-area native was selected first overall by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2018 WNBA draft and claimed the Rookie of the Year award her first season. She helped lead the Aces to back-to-back WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023.

A two-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner, Wilson is in her sixth season with the Aces, averaging 26.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.

Joining Wilson on Team USA are Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Cooper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, and Jackie Young.

The U.S. women’s basketball team will begin group play with a matchup against Japan on July 29 followed by a game against Belgium on August 1 and against Germany on August 4.

The women’s gold medal game is slated for August 11.

The Paris Olympics will air exclusively on NBC beginning July 26. News 2 will have full coverage, including live updates from the games.

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