Florida ranks in the top 20 states for most athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, including many from the Southwest region.
Making it to the Olympics is an accomplishment athletes all over the world dream of through their sporting careers.
Southwest Florida, from Tampa down the east coast, has an abundance of representatives set to compete in the games.
Meet the athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics:
Southwest Florida
Vincent Hancock
Vincent Hancock was born in Port Charlotte before moving to Georiga when he was three. Now living in Texas, Hancock continues his professional skeet shooting career.
Hancock is no stranger to the Olympic games as he made an appearance in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 and now 2024. He has captured a gold medal in three of his four appearances.
Hancock shoots for his fourth gold on Aug. 3.
Jeremiah Davis
Jeremiah Davis is representing Lehigh Acres on Team USA in Paris for his first-ever Olympic games. Davis made the 2024 Indoor Track & Field All-ACC 1st Team (Long Jump, Triple Jump) and was the 2024 ACC Indoor Field Performer of the Year.
In high school, Davis captured a Junior Olympics title before making his way to Florida State University. Davis says he is focused on bringing home a medal to the 239, but also wants to enjoy the experience and soak up everything that the games provide.
The men's long jump competition begins Aug. 4.
Brooke Henderson
Brooke Henderson, another LPGA member, will represent Canada in the 2024 games, though now resides in Miramar Lakes in Naples.
Henderson has 70 career top-10 finishes and 13 career victories on the LPGA. She will make her third Olympic appearance after competing in the 2016 and 2020 games. In 2016 she placed T7 and in 2020 she placed T29.
The Naples resident currently ranks second for rounds under par on the LPGA and she aims to capture a medal in Paris.
Malacchi Esdale
Malacchi Esdale spent three years in Naples where he played football at Naples High School. Now, Esdale has taken his skills to the rugby field.
Esdale joined the local rugby team, the Naples Bears while attending high school in Florida. Esdale is now a professional rugby player – one of the best in the world. He is headed to his second straight Olympic Games this summer to play for Team USA in Paris.
Fernando Jorge
Fernando Jorge is an Olympic champion canoeist who was born and raised in Cape Coral. The Cuba native competed in the Rio Olympics and won gold in Tokyo.
Fernando will be the first Cuban to ever compete on the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.
Tampa Region
Felicia Stancil
Felicia Stancil is a professional BMX racer who hails from Illinois but spends her time training in the Tampa region in Oldsmar.
She began her career at age six and won her first title at age nine. She attended Marian University on a cycling scholarship. After graduating in 2018, Stancil went on to finish the USABMX and World Cup series 2nd overall in the world. She was a member of the 2020 Olympic team in Tokyo and is returning to the stage for this year's games.
Kyle Dagostino
Kyle Dagostino was born and raised in Tampa where he attended Berkeley Prep in high school. After graduating he went on to Stanford as a Libero.
Dagostino won a gold medal in the 2022 Volleyball Nations League and has played professionally in Germany. Now, Kyle will try to help Team USA bring home its first gold medal in men's volleyball since 2008.
Noah Lyons
Noah Lyons, a Clearwater native, is competing in this year's games with the USA sailing team. The United States has won 61 total medals in sailing competitions in the Olympics in the past. That is the second most of any country, only behind Great Britain's 64.
Lyons took 1st place in the North American Championship, US National Championship and iQFOiL International Games Cadiz in 2023.
The Olympic sailing competitions begin July 28.
Kamren Larsen
Kamren Larsen was born in California but now spends his days training his Oldsmar as a professional BMX rider. Larsen is an Elite Men's National Team Member and is making his first appearance in the Olympics this year.
Larsen was the 2024 BMX National Champion and will look to carry his momentum into the games and capture a gold medal for the United States.
Stephen Nedoroscik
Stephen Nedoroscik is a resident of Sarasota Florida where he trains at EVO Gymnastics in the Men's Artistic program. Nedoroscik has four U.S. pommel horse titles which is tied for the most in U.S. history.
Nedoroscik has competed in the Olympic trials in the past, but this year he will make his first appearance.
The men's gymnastics competition begins on July 27.
Brody Malone
Brody Malone is another Sarasota resident who trains at EVO Gymnastics. Malone made his first Olympic appearance in 2020 and is returning to Paris this year.
Malone is a seven-time NCAA champion and was the 2021 U.S. all-around and vault champion and earned silver on still rings and high bar.
Paris will be a new experience for Malone. He will be the only gymnast on the U.S. men's team who has been to the games before.
Shane Wiskus
Shane Wiskus, another EVO Gymnastics member, hails from Minnesota but now lives and trains in Sarasota in the Men's Artistic Program.
Wiskus was the 2024 Winter Cup all-around silver medalist and floor exercise & high bar bronze medalist. He spent his college career at the University of Minnesota.
He will join Malone and Nedoroscik in Paris.
Emma Weyant
Emma Weyant. a 2020 Oympian, is making her return in the Women's 400M IM. Weyant spends her time training in Sarasota.
Her Olympic resume is polished with a silver medal in her first appearance. Her most recent victory was a bronze medal in 2022 at the World Championships.
Summer McIntosh
Summer McIntosh is a Canadian native but she trains with the Sarasota Sharks. The 17-year-old made her Olympic debut at 14, and since then she has become one of Canada's most successful swimmers of all time.
McIntosh won eight medals, four of which were gold, in the 2022 and 2023 World Aquatics Championship. McIntosh competed in the 2020 games in Tokyo and punched her ticket to Paris to make her return.
Austin Kraijcek
Austin Kraijcek is a Tampa native who became a professional tennis player in 2012. Kraijcek became the 20th American to rank World No. 1 in doubles in 2023.
Kraijcek captured his 1st Grand Slam crown at Roland Garros. He will enter the Paris Olympics ready to compete in tennis doubles.
Danielle Collins
Danielle Collins resides in Bradenton where she continues her tennis training. Collins is currently ranked 9th on the WTA Tour and she has captured two singles titles in 2024.
Throughout her career, Collins has been ranked as high as seven and has won four singles titles.
Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda, a Bradenton native, began her professional golf career in 2017. At just 25 years old, Korda has won 14 tournaments and two majors during his time on the LPGA.
Korda competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she captured a gold medal after taking first place. She also holds the second-best scoring average in the LPGA.
Korda will return to the Olympics where she aims to reclaim the gold medal for the United States.
Mary Tucker
Mary Tucker joined the air rifle team at Sarasota Military Academy where she began her career. Tucker earned a scholarship to the University of Kentucky and finished her college career at West Virginia University. During those years, Mary won numerous NCAA National Championships and was ranked the number one shooter in the entire world.
Tucker qualified for her first Olympic games in 2020. Now, she is set to return and compete in shooting events from July 27 until Aug. 5.
Christine Mansour
Christine Mansour originally hails from Naples, but now resides in Gainesville. Mansour will make her first Olympic appearance with the Team USA women's beach handball team.
Mansour has played beach volleyball for seven years and joined many teams. She played professionally in the Netherlands, started a team that was half European and half American, and has played for the US National Team. Beach handball is making its showcase as an exhibition sport at the 2024 Olympics, which is how the Olympic committee gauges interest for it to become a part of the games permanently.
Mansour has already racked up several awards and accolades in beach handball, but her trip to Paris to make history will be here before you even know it.
Clark Dean
Clark Dean is originally from Sarasota, but he went to Harvard and remained in the Boston area where he continues his rowing training.
This will be Dean's second Olympic appearance after he made his debut in the 2020 games. After COVID-19 spoiled the games in Tokyo, Dean is ready for a normal Olympics in Paris.
Sophia Vitas
Sophia Vitas trains her rowing skills in Sarasota. Vitas won the double sculls at the 2024 World Rowing Cup II.
This will be her first Olympic games with the US rowing team.
Bobby Finke
Bobby Finke, born and raised in Clearwater, is returning to the Olympics where he has previously won two gold medals.
His most recent victory was a silver medal in the 2023 World Championships in the 1500m freestyle.
The University of Florida grad makes his return to Paris at just 24 years old where he looks to capture another medal.
Nathan Harriel
Nathan Harriel is originally from Clearwater, where he began his professional soccer career. He now represents Team USA in the 2024 Olympic Games.
Harriel is a current member of the Philadelphia Union in the MLS.
Erriyon Knighton
Erriyon Knighton hails from Tampa where he began his professional track career. Knighton is a one-time world champion silver medalist and a one-time world champion bronze medalist, and this will be his second Olympic appearance.
Knighton specializes in the 100-meter and 200-meter races. He will return to the Olympics in Paris.
Monae Nichols
Monae Nichols will be competing in the women's long jump. Originally from Lakeland, she took her talents to Texas Tech for her college career.
Nichols is a one-time world indoor champion silver medalist.
Parker Valby
Parker Valby was born and raised in Tampa where she began her track career. She found herself in a Gators uniform after committing to the University of Florida.
At 21 years old, the six-time NCAA champion will make her Olympic debut for Team USA.
Dania Vizzi
Dania Vizzi is making her women's skeet debut in the Olympics. She began her career in Tampa where she was born and raised.
Vizzi earned her ticket to Paris after capturing a world champion title.
The Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics is Friday. A parade of athletes will be held on the Seine River with boats for each national delegation. These boats will be equipped with cameras to allow television and online viewers to see the athletes up close.
HOW TO WATCH
The preview of the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics will air on NBC2 at noon ET on Friday.
Live coverage of the Opening Ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. ET, and with an enhanced encore in primetime at 7:30 p.m. ET/MT/PT Friday evening.
The Ceremony is expected to last over three hours.
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