The Virginians to watch in the 2024 Paris Olympics

The Summer Olympics begin Friday in Paris, which means it's time to watch TV at odd hours and root for the athletes with Virginia ties.

Why it matters: Nothing makes Americans more patriotic than when team USA goes against literally any other country — or when Europeans start trashing us (specifically the Brits with their beans-on-toast breakfast).

Zoom in: Nearly 600 athletes make up Team USA , and 15 are from Virginia.

• Only one was born in Richmond (more on him below).
• At least three dozen Olympic athletes are current, former or incoming student-athletes at Virginia schools, including golfer Rafael Campos from VCU — though not all are Team USA.
• Nearly 70% are either swimmers or run track and field. More than 60% are women.

Fun fact: UVA is especially representing this year.

• A quarter of the 20-person U.S. swim team are current or former UVA students, including sisters Gretchen and Alex Walsh .
• Its head coach is Todd DeSorbo , who also coaches UVA's swim team.
• Two former Hoos are competing on the U.S. women's tennis team.

Honorable mentions: Lori Lindsey, a former U.S. women's soccer player who lives in D.C., also went to UVA and will be an NBC broadcaster.

• So will Lindsey Shoop, a rower who was born in Charlottesville, went to UVA and is an Olympic gold medalist.

Here are some Virginia Olympians to watch:

🏊🏻‍♂️ Charlie Swanson: The St. Christopher's grad is the only born-and-raised Richmonder on Team USA.

• He clinched his spot in the Olympics after taking the top second spot in the swimming trials for the men's 100-meter breaststroke .
• Olympic swimming schedule .

👟 Grant Holloway: The hurdler from Chesapeake has repeatedly broken his own world record in the 60-meter hurdles (currently 7.27 seconds).

• He also clocked the fourth-fastest time in history in the 110-meter hurdles at the Olympic trials last month.
• His schedule .

🦋 Thomas Heilman: The 17-year-old from Crozet beat Michael Phelps' 100-meter record in the Olympic trials last month — and he's the youngest swimmer since Phelps to qualify for Team USA.

• He'll be swimming the 100 and 200-meter fly.
• His schedule .

⚽️ Emily Fox: The Ashburn native is a right back for the U.S. women's soccer team , which is seeking redemption after a quarterfinal elimination in the 2021 Tokyo Games.

• The U.S. women's soccer team schedule .

What's next: Watch the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony live on NBC and Peacock at 1:30pm ET.

• Prime-time coverage begins at 7:30pm ET.

Go deeper:

• How to watch the opening ceremony .
• More athletes to watch .
• Summer Olympics marks historic moment for gender equality .
• View all of Axios' Olympics coverage from Paris .