Philadelphians to root for at the Paris Olympics

Opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics in Paris are one week from today, and there are plenty of hometown athletes to keep an eye on.

The big picture: 35 Olympians from Pennsylvania will compete in the games, including a handful from Philadelphia.

• Several more will compete in the Paralympics, which begin Aug. 26.

By the numbers: We have the fifth-most competitors in the country behind California, Florida, Texas and Illinois.

Here are a few athletes and events to watch:

Joel Embiid: Men's basketball

• The seven-time All-Star is coming off one of his best seasons, which was interrupted by a meniscus tear that doomed his chances of repeating as NBA MVP .

Yes, but: He struggled in exhibition games ahead of the Olympics, yet that hasn't shaken the confidence of Team USA head coach Steve Kerr.

• He's vowed to keep the Sixers' big man in the starting lineup.

The intrigue: The Americans have the most gold medals of any country in Olympic basketball. The men own 16 of those and are looking to win their fifth gold medal in a row.

Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas: Women's basketball

• Copper is making her first Olympics appearance. The 29-year-old — who's "just a kid from NorF Philly, " as she calls herself on X — played for Preparatory High School Charter and Girard College and was named a McDonald's All-American.
• The former first-round draft pick led the Chicago Sky to their first championship in 2021 and was named Finals MVP. She's now with the Phoenix Mercury.
• Thomas, 32, of Harrisburg, is a four-time WNBA All-Star for the Connecticut Sun.
• She helped the women's national team win gold in the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup.

Emelia Perry: Paratriathlon

• The 31-year-old Philadelphia-born athlete moved to Osaka, Japan, as a baby but returned to Pennsylvania in 2011 to run track at Ursinus College in Collegeville.
• In 2017, she suffered a spinal cord injury after tumbling 20 feet off a ladder. That didn't stop her as she began competing in wheelchair racing and triathlons in 2022.

Ariana Ramsey: Rugby

• The top of this Philadelphian's Olympic bio is telling: "daughter of Andrew Ramsey."
• Her late father died before seeing her compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo but she carries on his memory to Paris.
• "I do play with him in my heart," she told Dartmouth Sports in 2022.
• The multi-talented Ramsey is a former cheerleader and track star who took up rugby in high school. She speaks French and Mandarin.