2024 Paris Olympics: Meet the Northeast Florida athletes going for gold

It’s time to light the torch.

Time to set the alarm clock.

Time to get used to the familiar BOOM-boom-boom-BOOM-boom of broadcaster NBC’s introductory music (officially, the composition is titled “Bugler’s Dream”) from now until the last flickers of the flame at the closing ceremonies.

The Olympic Games are nearly here, with Paris scheduled to welcome the world’s greatest athletes beginning with the opening ceremony on Friday, July 26.

Northeast Florida athletes are in the thick of the competition, and for the first time in eight years — the coronavirus-delayed Games in Tokyo were played before near-empty venues — they’ll get their chance to experience the full Olympics pageantry before packed crowds.

From longtime First Coast residents to recent arrivals, more than a dozen athletes with Jacksonville connections are expected to compete in Paris, a list headed by seven-time gold medalist Caeleb Dressel and quadruple Olympic champion Ryan Murphy.

Here’s what you need to know about the First Coast’s Olympic lineup, and when area athletes will enter the action across the Atlantic.

Note that athlete listings for later rounds are contingent on successful qualification from the preliminaries. Relay assignments are only tentative and are subject to change by United States team officials on the day of competition.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA NATIVES FOR TEAM USA

Winner of seven gold medals, and the world’s top sprinter in the pool for most of the last seven years, the former Clay High School and University of Florida swimmer is scheduled to race two individual events (the men’s 50-meter freestyle and 100 butterfly) and could take on several relays as well in his third Olympics.

Ryan Murphy, Ponte Vedra Beach

The Olympic backstroke champion in both the men’s 100 and 200-meter distances at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the former Bolles School swimmer won both events at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month for the third consecutive year. He enters Paris as a strong candidate to add to his six medals (four gold, one silver, one bronze), and could also race in the medley relays.

Poe Pinson, Fernandina Beach

A rising star in one of the newest Olympic sports, the 19-year-old will be competing for Team USA in the women’s street skateboarding event.

SWIMMERS REPRESENTING OVERSEAS TEAMS

McKenna DeBever (Peru)

A former Bishop Kenny High School swimmer, now 28, DeBever races the women’s 200-meter individual medley. She previously won the South American championship in the 200 IM for Peru in 2021, and also competed at the Tokyo Olympics.

Martin Espernberger (Austria)

A noted specialist in the men’s 200-meter butterfly, Bolles graduate Espernberger just finished his sophomore season at Tennessee and could be a contender. He won the SEC championship this winter and earned bronze in the world championships this February in Qatar, although many leading swimmers skipped that meet to focus on the Olympics.

Sabrina Lyn (Jamaica)

The rising sophomore sprinter at LSU, formerly at Bolles, is scheduled to race in the women’s 50 freestyle for Jamaica.

Lucero Mejia Arce (Guatemala)

Now entering her junior year at Bolles, she will be racing in the women’s 100 backstroke.

MANDARIN’S MARATHON MAN

Eduardo Garcia (U.S. Virgin Islands)

The Mandarin High School graduate, an SEC champion at the University of Florida nearly a decade ago, races in his first Olympic marathon for the U.S. Virgin Islands in the early morning hours on Aug. 10.

GOAL! JACKSONVILLE-BORN ATHLETE FOR UNITED STATES SOCCER

Djordje Mihailovic

Mihailovic was born in Jacksonville while his father, Aleks, was head coach at Jacksonville University, although he has spent most of his life in the Chicago area. The 25-year-old midfielder, now playing with the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, has 11 appearances for the full U.S. men’s national team and begins his Olympics on July 24.

ON YOUR MARK: MAJOR WORLD TRACK ATHLETES WHO TRAIN IN JACKSONVILLE

Andre De Grasse (Canada)

Champion in the 200-meter dash in Tokyo, De Grasse is scheduled to race both the 100 (Aug. 3-4) and 200 (Aug. 5-8) in Paris. He’s already won a gold medal, two silver medals and three bronze medals (two in the 100) as he enters his third Olympic Games.

Marcell Jacobs (Italy)

Three years ago, Jacobs surprised the world by winning gold in the men’s 100 in 9.80 seconds, and also helped Italy win the 4×100 relay. Now 29, Jacobs has been training in the area since late 2023.

Hakim Sani Brown (Japan)

A former University of Florida runner, he’s competing in his second Olympics and will race the 100. A double world junior champion in 2015, he won relay gold at the 2019 World Championships for Japan and reached the final in the 100 in 2022.

INTERNATIONAL GOLFERS RESIDING IN THE JACKSONVILLE AREA

Adrien Dumont de Chassart (Belgium)

The 24-year-old Dumont de Chassart, who stands 194th in the World Golf Ranking, earned his first professional win in 2023 on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Nico Echavarria (Colombia)

Echavarria celebrates his 30th birthday on Aug. 4, the same day as the final round of Olympic golf. Ranked No. 277, he played college golf at Arkansas and won the Puerto Rico Open on the PGA Tour in March 2023.

Carl Yuan (China)

Born in China, the 27-year-old is going into his second Olympics and enters at No. 160 in the World Golf Ranking. He played college golf at Washington.

Olympic Games in Paris: Meet Team USA

2024 Summer Olympics: When to watch Northeast Florida’s athletes

Wednesday, July 24

Friday, July 26

Saturday, July 27

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, men’s 4×100 freestyle relay (Caeleb Dressel)

• 1 p.m.: Men’s soccer first round, New Zealand vs. United States (Djordje Mihailovic)

• 3:50 p.m.: Swimming finals, men’s 4×100 freestyle relay (Caeleb Dressel)

Sunday, July 28

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, men’s 100 backstroke (Ryan Murphy)

• 6 a.m.: Women’s street skateboarding preliminaries (Poe Pinson)

• 11 a.m.: Women’s street skateboarding preliminaries (Poe Pinson)

• 3:37 p.m.: Swimming semifinals, men’s 100 backstroke (Ryan Murphy)

Monday, July 29

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, women’s 100 backstroke (Lucero Mejia Arce)

• 3 p.m.: Swimming semifinals, women’s 100 backstroke (Lucero Mejia Arce)

• 3:22 p.m.: Swimming final, men’s 100 backstroke (Ryan Murphy)

Tuesday, July 30

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, men’s 200 butterfly (Martin Espernberger)

• 1 p.m.: Men’s soccer first round, Guinea vs. United States (Djordje Mihailovic)

• 2:41 p.m.: Swimming semifinals, men’s 200 butterfly (Martin Espernberger)

• 2:57 p.m.: Swimming final, women’s 100 backstroke (Lucero Mejia Arce)

Wednesday, July 31

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, men’s 200 backstroke (Ryan Murphy)

• 2:36 p.m.: Swimming final, men’s 200 butterfly (Martin Espernberger)

• 3:34 p.m.: Swimming semifinals, men’s 200 backstroke (Ryan Murphy)

Thursday, Aug. 1

• 3 a.m.: Men’s golf, first round (Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nico Echavarria, Carl Yuan)

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, men’s 50 freestyle (Caeleb Dressel)

• 2:37 p.m.: Swimming final, men’s 200 backstroke (Ryan Murphy)

• 2:44 p.m.: Swimming semifinals, men’s 50 freestyle (Caeleb Dressel)

Friday, Aug. 2

• 3 a.m.: Men’s golf, second round (Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nico Echavarria, Carl Yuan)

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, men’s 100 butterfly (Caeleb Dressel)

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, women’s 200 individual medley (McKenna DeBever)

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, mixed 4×100 medley relay (Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Murphy)

• 2:30 p.m.: Swimming final, men’s 50 freestyle (Caeleb Dressel)

• 3:09 p.m.: Swimming semifinals, men’s 100 butterfly (Caeleb Dressel)

• 3:34 p.m.: Swimming semifinals, women’s 200 individual medley (McKenna DeBever)

Saturday, Aug. 3

• 3 a.m.: Men’s golf, third round (Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nico Echavarria, Carl Yuan)

• 4:35 a.m.: Track and field preliminaries, men’s 100-meter dash (Andre De Grasse, Marcell Jacobs, Hakim Sani Brown)

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, women’s 50 freestyle (Sabrina Lyn)

• 5 a.m.: Swimming preliminaries, men’s 4×100 medley relay (Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Murphy)

• 5:45 a.m.: Track and field first round, men’s 100-meter dash (Andre De Grasse, Marcell Jacobs, Hakim Sani Brown)

• 2:30 p.m.: Swimming final, men’s 100 butterfly (Caeleb Dressel)

• 2:39 p.m.: Swimming semifinals, women’s 50 freestyle (Sabrina Lyn)

• 2:59 p.m.: Swimming final, women’s 200 individual medley (McKenna DeBever)

• 3:33 p.m.: Swimming final, mixed 4×100 medley relay (Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Murphy)

Sunday, Aug. 4

• 3 a.m.: Men’s golf, final round (Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nico Echavarria, Carl Yuan)

• 12:30 p.m.: Swimming final, women’s 50 freestyle (Sabrina Lyn)

• 1:12 p.m.: Swimming final, men’s 4×100 medley relay (Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Murphy)

• 2 p.m.: Track and field semifinals, men’s 100-meter dash (Andre De Grasse, Marcell Jacobs, Hakim Sani Brown)

• 3:55 p.m.: Track and field final, men’s 100-meter dash (Andre De Grasse, Marcell Jacobs, Hakim Sani Brown)

Monday, Aug. 5

Tuesday, Aug. 6

Wednesday, Aug. 7

Thursday, Aug. 8

• 5:35 a.m.: Track and field preliminaries, men’s 4×100-meter relay (Andre De Grasse, Marcell Jacobs, Hakim Sani Brown)

• 2:30 p.m.: Track and field final, men’s 200-meter dash (Andre De Grasse)

Friday, Aug. 9

• 1:45 p.m.: Track and field final, men’s 4×100-meter relay (Andre De Grasse, Marcell Jacobs, Hakim Sani Brown)

Saturday, Aug. 10

Sunday, Aug. 11

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville athletes competing in 2024 Olympic Games in Paris