Paris Olympics: Eight athletes with central Ohio ties to watch

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — The world’s biggest sporting spectacle is about to unfold, with all eyes on France for the Paris Olympics.

Of the approximately 10,500 athletes competing this summer, the United States is sending the largest delegation with nearly 600 athletes headed to the French capital.

While 46 of them have ties to Ohio, here’s a look at eight individuals that central Ohio will be rooting for when the competition gets underway Wednesday, two days before the Opening Ceremony.

Hunter Armstrong (swimming)

After winning a gold in Tokyo with the United States men’s medley relay team, Armstrong is back at the Olympics and hungry for more. The former Buckeye will compete in two events in Paris: the men’s 100-meter backstroke and the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay.

Armstrong’s path to Paris had some surprises along the way. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, the Dover, Ohio native slipped at the start of his semifinal heat of the 100m backstroke and had to rally from last place to second to keep his Olympic bid alive.

Armstrong finished second in the final. He then finished fourth in the 100m freestyle final to secure a relay spot. The seven-time world champion said during the trials meet that he had been dealing with mental health issues this past year, describing it as “one of the hardest years” of his life.

McKenzie Long (track and field)

One of the surprise sprinters to qualify was 24-year-old McKenzie Long . The Ohio State and Pickerington Central will race in the 200 meters after finishing third in the U.S. Olympic trials final behind Gabrielle Thomas and Brittany Brown.

Long entered the trials after a successful collegiate season with Mississippi. At the 2024 outdoor NCAA championships, she won the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay. Long is hoping her NCAA titles can translate into her first Olympics as she aims to give the Americans two runners on the podium.

Kyle Snyder (wrestling)

Back for a third Olympic appearance, Snyder has revenge on his mind after a silver medal in Tokyo. The former Ohio State wrestler looks to return to the top of the podium after winning a historic gold at the Rio 2016 Games, becoming the first to win a world championship, NCAA title and Olympic gold in the same year. And at 20 years old at the time, he was the youngest American wrestler to win an Olympic title.

Now at 28, the three-time NCAA champion will try to make history. Should he win the 97-kilogram title in Paris, Snyder will become the fourth American two-time gold medalist. Standing in his way is Bahrain’s Akhmed Tazhudinov, who is the defending world champion in the weight division.

Jason Day (golf)

Australia’s Jason Day is heading to Paris for his first Olympic golf tournament. The Westerville resident is making his maiden Olympic appearance after skipping out on the Rio 2016 Games due to Zika virus concerns and not qualifying for the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Now at 36, Day will be in the field alongside the best golfers in the world playing at the famed Le Golf National course. The Australian broke a five-year drought last year when he won the Byron Nelson championship, his 13th and most recent PGA Tour win.

Patrick Schulte (soccer)

For the first time since 2008, a Columbus Crew player will play in the Olympics. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte is expected to start for Team USA in the men’s soccer tournament, which begins Wednesday at 3 p.m. against France in Marseille.

Schulte’s rise to Olympian began two years ago as the starting goalie for Columbus Crew 2, the Black & Gold’s developmental team. His success in 2022 earned him a first team contract where he eventually became the starter and was a key piece to the Crew’s 2023 MLS Cup title and the 2024 run to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.

Joe Kovacs (track and field)

A two-time silver medalist, Kovacs is making his third Olympic appearance competing in the men’s shot put. His wife, Ashley, is also his coach. She was on the coaching staff at Ohio State for seven years before taking a similar position at Vanderbilt. But since his runner-up finish in Tokyo, the duo became parents to a set of twins, prompting a move back to central Ohio .

To win gold, Kovacs will have to beat his U.S. teammate and two-time defending Olympic champion Ryan Crouser, who owns the world record in the shot put. Meanwhile, Joe Kovacs isn’t the only athlete that Ashley is coaching. She’s in charge of the United States women’s throwers as well.

Katelyn Abeln (shooting)

The Ohio State air pistol shooter was one of the first American athletes to qualify for the Paris Games and she could be one of the first to win a medal.

Abeln, a graduate student, has been named a first-team All-American and academic All-Big Ten multiple times while winning multiple NCAA championships with Ohio State. She is set to compete in the 10m air pistol and has an outside shot at a medal, with Tokyo silver medalist Antoaneta Kostadinova from Bulgaria being a favorite.

Annette Echikunwoke (track and field)

A graduate of Pickerington North, Annette Echikunwoke will be making her first Olympic appearance with Team USA. The former Cincinnati Bearcat will be competing in the women’s hammer throw, which begins in Paris with qualifying on Aug. 4 with the final on Aug. 6.

This is the 27-year-old’s first trip to the Olympics but not the first time she has qualified. In 2021, she qualified for the Tokyo Games while representing Nigeria. She was disqualified from competing after the African Federation of Nigeria did not set up proper drug testing with Echikunwoke citing “negligence of the federation” as a reason she couldn’t go to Tokyo. She switched her athletic allegiance to the United States afterwards.

NBC4 Paris Olympics Previews

• A look at the venues
• Six sports to learn more about
• Memorable moments for host nations
• Golf preview
• Water and extreme sports preview
• Team sports preview
• 22 international athletes to watch
• Swimming preview
• Track & Field preview
• Gymnastics preview
• Basketball preview
• Tennis preview
• Combat and racket sports preview
• Soccer preview
• Team USA guide
• How to watch Paris Olympics

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