Get to Know 13 of Team USA’s Biggest Stars Ahead of the 2024 Olympics
From previous record-breakers to emerging gold medal hopefuls, Team USA will boast plenty of star power at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris.
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The United States has won the most gold medals in three consecutive Summer Olympics, and a new crop of hopeful champions is vying to keep the streak alive this month.
After the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo by a full year, the Olympics are back on schedule with Paris hosting the festivities from July 26 through August 11. As in the past, American teams and athletes are among the favorites in a variety of events. From familiar faces like Katie Ledecky in the pool to rising stars like sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, the group is getting ready to showcase its talent to the world.
Here are 13 members of Team USA you’ll want to keep an eye on during the 33rd Summer Olympiad.
Trinity Rodman
Women’s soccer
As expected, 22-year-old Trinity Rodman earned one of the forward spots for the U.S. Women’s National Team’s Olympic squad.
Trinity, the daughter of Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, began playing soccer at age 4 and won multiple youth national championships. She became the then-youngest draft selection in NWSL history in 2021 at age 18 and helped the Washington Spirit win the league championship as a rookie.
With seven goals in 38 career appearances for the USWNT as of July 1, Rodman is considered one of the club’s next great stars, much like Alex Morgan or the recently retired Megan Rapinoe before her.
Simone Biles
Artistic gymnastics
Simone Biles became one of the headliners of the Tokyo Games for an unexpected reason. She withdrew from four of her five scheduled finals after revealing she had “the twisties,” or the feeling that her mind and body were disconnected during routines.
“I didn’t want to risk the team a medal for kind of my screw-ups because they’ve worked way too hard for that,” said Biles, who did win bronze on the balance beam back in 2021.
Now 27, Biles became the oldest U.S. all-around champion in history in August 2023 and just clinched her third Olympic berth with an all-around title at the U.S. Team Trials. Joining her in Paris will be previous gold medalists Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey, as well as Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera.
Katie Ledecky
Swimming
Katie Ledecky is already one of the most decorated Olympic swimmers in history. She has the second-most gold medals of any women’s swimmer with seven as well as 10 total medals. That’s two off the record held by former American competitors Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson.
And the 27-year-old just became the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic qualifying event, the 800-meter freestyle, four times. Ledecky won two more of her primary races—the 400- and 1,500-meter freestyles—and is expected to also swim the 4x200 relay, meaning she could cement her GOAT status by the end of the Games.
Katie Grimes
Swimming
Ledecky might reign over the indoor pool, but 18-year-old Katie Grimes is quickly becoming known for open water, or marathon, swimming. She became the first U.S. athlete to clinch a berth for the Paris Games with her bronze medal in the discipline at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Despite her young age, Grimes already has Olympic experience. She was the youngest member of Team USA in Tokyo at age 15, competing indoors in the 800-meter freestyle.
Ledecky took notice, once calling Grimes “the future” of the sport. “That was pretty crazy,” Grimes said. “She and Michael Phelps were the it-swimmers, so I always looked up to her.”
Sha’Carri Richardson
Track & field
With a victory in the 100-meter sprint at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Sha’Carri Richardson staked her claim as the fastest woman in the world. She’ll finally get the chance to prove it in the Olympics.
Richardson dashed to victory at the U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials in Oregon, winning the 100 meters in 10.71 seconds—the best time of any runner in the world this year—to earn her spot.
The 24-year-old wasn’t eligible to compete at the Tokyo Games after a failed drug test for marijuana annulled her qualification. Richardson took full responsibility: “I know what I did. I know what I’m supposed to do and am allowed not to do, and I still made that decision. I’m not making an excuse.”
Noah Lyles
Track & field
Sprinter Noah Lyles has said he is “coming after all the medals” in Paris after his amazing feat at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. There, he became the first runner since Jamaican star Usain Bolt to complete a treble, winning gold in the 100- and 200-meter sprints and 4x100 relay.
Florida-born Lyles will go for gold in two events after winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Olympic Trials. Lyles, who will be 27 at the start of the Olympics, has also declared his intention to run the 4x400 relay.
Kevin Durant
Men’s basketball
After his Phoenix Suns lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs in April, Kevin Durant can rebound by making history on a national team featuring other NBA stars such as Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid.
The 35-year-old Durant needs to score 54 points to pass Lisa Leslie as the all-time leading scorer in U.S. Olympic basketball history. He can also become the first U.S. men’s player to win four Olympic gold medals, breaking a tie with now-retired Carmelo Anthony.
Kelsey Plum
Women’s basketball
Kelsey Plum, a WNBA star with the Las Vegas Aces, won gold at the last summer games in 3x3 basketball. Now, the 29-year-old will compete in traditional full-court hoops alongside superstars like Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, and Breanna Stewart.
Plum, who played collegiately at Washington, is the second-greatest scorer (3,527 points) in Division I women’s basketball history. She trails only current Indiana Fever rookie and Team USA alternate Caitlin Clark.
A 5-foot-8 guard, Plum has led the Aces to back-to-back WNBA titles and averaged more than 19 points through her first nine games this season.
Scottie Scheffler
Men’s golf
Scottie Scheffler, 27, is currently No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking and Olympic qualifying standings—officially earning his spot for Paris with teammates Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Wyndham Clark.
The New Jersey native has already had an eventful year. Scheffler was arrested at the PGA Championship in May and accused of second-degree assault of a police officer, though he was released within hours and all charges were later dropped. Less than a month after, he rebounded with a victory in The Memorial tournament on June 9 and just won the Travelers Championship.
“It’d be a nice little thing to be able to trash talk my buddies about when they say golfers aren’t athletes, and I can claim I’m an Olympian,” Scheffler said.
Coco Gauff
Women’s tennis
Coco Gauff is the top-ranked American tennis player at No. 2 in the world, and her Summer Olympics debut is three years overdue. The now-20-year-old qualified for the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 but withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19 days before the start of competition.
Now a major champion after her U.S. Open win in 2023, Gauff is the headlining American player in Paris and also expected to compete for the doubles podium with partner Jessica Pegula. “The goal is to medal and hopefully come home with gold. But I really want to enjoy the experience and not make it so much pressure like other tournaments,” Gauff said earlier this year.
Victor Montalvo
Breaking
The Olympics will feature four new events this year: skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing, and breaking. Victor Montalvo, 30, and Sunny Choi will be the first U.S. representatives in the latter.
Known as “B-Boy Victor,” Montalvo began learning the sport at age 6 with the help of his father and uncle. He is known for his signature move the “Supa Montalvo,” in which he drops to a crouch on one hand and performs 360-degree spins.
Because of his age, Montalvo believes this could be his only chance at gold. “The kids now are crazy,” he told Rolling Stone. “They’re like, flying. Incredible stamina. I’m not the same as when I was younger. I’m not as fast, as strong. Maybe more creative.”
Maggie Steffens
Women’s water polo
You probably didn’t know the U.S. women’s water polo team has won three straight Olympic gold medals. Maggie Steffens, 31, is the squad’s captain and record-breaking star.
The California native scored 18 goals during the last Team USA run to gold in Tokyo, becoming the leading scorer in Olympic history with 56 goals. Steffens has her squad peaking at the right time once again, with the U.S. winning at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Qatar.
She’s also committed to growing public interest in the team and helped secure a sponsorship from Public Enemy rapper Flavor Flav.
Chase Budinger
Men’s beach volleyball
The United States has built a winning reputation in beach volleyball thanks to women’s stars like Misty May Treanor, Kerri Walsh Jennings, and April Ross. But 36-year-old Chase Budinger is the spiker to keep an eye on in Paris.
A three-time state volleyball champion in high school, Budinger chose to focus on basketball, leading to a standout run at the University of Arizona and seven seasons in the NBA. When he was done with hoops, he joined the AVP professional tour in 2018.
As of June 30, Budinger and partner Miles Evans are ranked No. 13 in the world. The duo could make for a thrilling underdog story with a deep run.
Tyler Piccotti first joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor in February 2023, and before that worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. When he's not writing and researching his next story, you can find him at the nearest amusement park, catching the latest movie, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.
