The world is watching as athletes from around the globe, and right here in Baton Rouge, enter competition this week at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This spring, 225 covered four athletes with ties to the Capital Region and LSU—Vernon Norwood, Maggie Mac Neil, Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss—who had their hopes set on making their countries’ respective Olympic teams. They all achieved their goals and will compete in Paris, along with 20-plus current and former Tigers at the games.
Here’s who to watch over the 19 days of games, matches, races and events during the 2024 Paris Olympics. And to all the athletes listed here, congrats! The Capital Region is rooting for you. Let the games begin.
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Track and field
Thelma Davies
Country: Liberia
The former LSU sprinter will race in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4×100-meter relay.
Armand “Mondo” Duplantis
Country: Sweden
The reigning Olympic gold medalist and world record holder grew up in Lafayette and pole-vaulted for LSU in 2019. He’s expected to go big again in Paris.
Tima Godbless
Country: Nigeria
The LSU sophomore, who competed in the Tokyo Games, will return to the Olympics this summer and race with LSU teammate Favour Ofili on Nigeria’s 4×100-meter relay. She’ll also run the individual 100-meter.
Natoya Goule
Country: Jamaica
The 33-year-old former Tiger and middle-distance expert will compete in the 800-meter in her third Olympic Games.
JuVaughn Harrison
Country: United States
The former LSU jumper and six-time NCAA champion will compete in his second Olympic Games in Paris. He finished fifth in the long jump and seventh in the high jump in Tokyo.
Aleia Hobbs
Country: United States
The New Orleans native who ran for LSU from 2015-2018 will compete in her second Olympic 4×100-meter relay in Paris. She added a silver medal to her stacked resume for the race in Tokyo.
Shakeem McKay
Country: Trinidad and Tobago
The LSU sprinter earned himself and his teammates a spot at the Olympic Games in the 4×400-meter relay at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas.
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake
Country: Great Britain
The 200-meter specialist and former LSU trackster will race in the 4×100-meter relay. Mitchell-Blake will be on the hunt for a medal again after the 2020 Olympic gold was stripped from Team GB when teammate CJ Ujah was found guilty of doping.
Vernon Norwood
Country: United States
The four-time NCAA champion and 32-year-old from Morgan City, Louisiana, will compete in his second Olympic mixed 4×400-meter and men’s 4×400-meter relays, the latter of which he won gold for in Tokyo.
Favour Ofili
Country: Nigeria
The LSU alumna punched her ticket Paris after winning the 200-meter at an event held at the University of Florida in April. The six-time SEC champion will also run in the 100-meter dash for Nigeria.
Godson Oghenebrume
Country: Nigeria
The LSU sprinter, who helped the Tigers reach a 2023 NCAA win in the 4×100-meter relay, will represent his home country of Nigeria in the race in Paris. He will also compete in the 100-meter dash.
Ella Onojuvwevwo
Country: Nigeria
LSU’s quarter-mile specialist automatically qualified for the Olympic Games at the SEC Outdoor Championships in May. In doing so she also broke LSU’s 27-year-old record in the event. She’s also qualified to run in Nigeria’s mixed 4×400-meter relay in Paris.
Sha’Carri Richardson
Country: United States
The stylish sprinter is looking for redemption in Paris. After being disqualified for testing positive for THC in Tokyo, she’ll get a second chance at loosening Jamaica’s stronghold on the 100-meter dash in Paris. She will also represent Team USA in the 4×100-meter relay.
Claudio Romero
Country: Chile
The dominant discus thrower and fifth-year senior at LSU will compete in Paris. He currently holds the Chilean National record in the event and won the NCAA title in 2022 while attending the University of Virginia.
Swimming and diving
Pavel Alovatki
Country: Republic of Moldova
The LSU junior will compete in the 400-meter freestyle in Paris.
Juan Celaya-Hernandez
Country: Mexico
One of LSU’s most decorated divers with seven SEC championships and multiple school records, the former Tiger has qualified a second time to compete in the 3-meter synchronized diving events in Paris.
Brooks Curry
Country: United States
The former LSU sprint freestyler, who won LSU its first men’s swimming NCAA titles in years in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle in 2022, will swim the 4×200-meter freestyle relay in Paris. He won gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay in Tokyo.
Adrian Abadia Garcia
Country: Spain
The LSU NCAA qualifier will compete in the 3-meter synchronized diving events in Paris.
Jere Hribar
Country: Croatia
Just off his freshman year at LSU, the 20-year-old Croatian freestyler qualified to represent his country at the Olympic Games this April. He will compete in the 50-meter freestyle in Paris.
Jovan Lekic
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Another incoming sophomore, the middle-distance specialist will race in the 400-meter freestyle in Paris.
Sabrina Lyn
Country: Jamaica
An incoming sophomore, who trained at the prestigious Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, before coming to LSU, will make her Olympic debut in the 50-meter freestyle.
Maggie MacNeil
Country: Canada
The former Tiger who still trains in Baton Rouge will look to defend her title in the 100-meter butterfly in Paris. If she does so, she’ll be the first female in history to earn repeat Olympic golds in the event. She’ll also represent Team Canada in the 4×100-meter medley relay.
Chiara Pellacani
Country: Italy
The diver from Rome will compete in the 3-meter synchronized and 3-meter individual events in Paris.
Lizzie Cui Roussel
Country: New Zealand
The former Tiger will compete in her second Olympics in the 3-meter springboard events in Paris. She became the first New Zealand diver to compete at the Olympic Games when she qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Helle Tuxen
Country: Norway
One of Europe’s top divers, the recent LSU grad will compete in the individual 3-meter springboard events in Paris.
Other sports
Aleah Finnegan
Country: Philippines
The incoming LSU senior met several major athletic goals in the 2023-24 season. She helped the Tigers win their first-ever NCAA championship in gymnastics and also landed a spot at the Olympics, making her the first female gymnast to represent the Philippines in Olympic history.
Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss
Country: United States
The former Tigers are one of the top-ranked beach volleyball teams in the world and are expected to be top contenders for gold in the women’s beach volleyball tournament in Paris.
Duop Reath
Country: Australia
The 6-foot-9-inch former LSU basketball forward will play for Team Australia again in Paris. He helped the Aussies earn a bronze medal in Tokyo and currently plays in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Neal Skupski
Country: Great Britain
The former LSU tennis player made his Olympic debut in Tokyo and will return this summer to compete in the men’s doubles tournament. He’s won three Wimbledon doubles titles since 2021.
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Hailey Van Lith
Country: United States
The former LSU women’s basketball star will rep Team USA in the 3×3 Women’s Basketball competition in Paris. Van Lith won gold for her country at the FIBA 3×3 World Cup last year.
Tremont Waters
Country: Puerto Rico
The former LSU basketball guard will compete in the men’s tournament for Puerto Rico. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2019 and currently plays for the Gigantes de Carolina in Puerto Rico.