Dreaming of gold: Olympians with ties to Lexington competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics

Light the torch and cue that iconic Olympics theme song — we’re ready for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics happening Friday, July 26 to Sunday, Aug. 11.

At this summer’s Olympic Games, approximately 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees will compete across 32 sports — including some new ones. Since we’re all about keeping it local, we’ve rounded up 10 Paris 2024 Olympians with ties to Lexington, KY that you should keep your eye on. Let the Games begin .

Bam Adebayo, Men’s basketball
Fresh off signing a three-year extension with the Miami Heat, Adebayo is making his second Olympic appearance.

Anthony Davis, Men’s basketball
The Brow needs no introduction to the BBN, but we’re excited to see the former-Wildcat-turned-Laker hit the paint in Paris. If you can believe it, Davis has played 12 seasons in the NBA + is the eighth player ever to win NCAA title, NBA Championship, and Olympic gold medal.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Devin Booker, Men’s basketball
Despite only playing at UK for one season, Booker is a Lexington favorite after helping the Cats go 38-1 + advance to the Final Four during the 2014-2015 season. In the NBA, he’s played nine seasons for the Phoenix Suns, made four NBA All-Star appearances, and is playing in his second Olympics.

Lee Keifer, Fencing
This Lexingtonian + Wildcat alum is already a three-time Olympian and gold medalist. And to really sweeten the news, she’ll be competing alongside her husband and fellow fencer, Gerek Meinhardt.

Gerek Meinhardt, Fencing
Meinhardt is no stranger to the global competition scene as this will be his fifth Olympic appearance. He began fencing at 9 years old, went to the UK College of Medicine, and is a two-time bronze medalist.

Masai Russell, Track & Field: 100-meter hurdles
This former Wildcat is heading to her first Olympics and along the way, broke the US Olympic Trials record that Gail Devers has held for 24 years. Fun fact: Russell will be competing against her assistant coach from UK, Devynne Charlton, who is representing the Bahamas in the 60-meter hurdles.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Track & Field: 400-meter hurdles + 400-meter sprint
Despite only donning blue + white for one year, we are honored to have been called home during McLaughlin-Levrone’s decorated career. At age 24 she already has two gold medals from the 2020 Olympics + set the Olympic Trials record for the 400-meter hurdles (for a second time) at 50.65.

Andrew Evans, Track & Field: Discus
The 2014 graduate of UK will be participating in his second Olympics this summer after debuting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. At this year’s Trials, he was the only athlete to reach 66 meters on multiple throws.

Avery Skinner, Volleyball
Skinner played at Kentucky from 2017-2021, and was an integral part of the 2020 NCAA National Championship. She joins the US women’s team, which started the 2024 season ranked No. 2 in the world.

Rhyne Howard, 3x3 basketball
This Cleveland-born and Lexington icon was the first overall pick at the 2022 WNBA Draft, joining the Atlanta Dream. Howard will be part of the four-person roster representing Team USA in three-by-three basketball.