The Olympic Games are returning this summer in Paris, with the opening ceremony scheduled for July 26. And the 2024 games will have their fair share of central Ohio connections.
At the Olympics, many athletes with central Ohio connections have found success, including four gold medals for Columbus natives and many more tied to graduates of Ohio State.
Here are the 10 best Olympians associated with central Ohio:
Hunter Armstrong: Swimming
Hunter Armstrong, a Dover, Ohio, native and former Ohio State swimmer, won gold at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo as a part of the 4×100-meter relay along with Andrew Wilson, Tom Shields and Blake Pieroni. Armstrong will return to Team USA in Paris.
Simone Biles: Gymnastics
Simone Biles, born in Columbus in March 1997, is one of the most decorated gymnasts in U.S. history. She won four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the floor exercise, vault, all-around and team competition. At the Tokyo Olympics, Biles helped the U.S. team to a silver medal and finished with a bronze on the balance beam. Biles will compete for Team USA in Paris as the country’s all-around, vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise champion.
Jerry Lucas: Basketball
Before Jerry Lucas was a seven-time NBA All-Star and a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member, he was an Ohio State first-team All-American helping Team USA to a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Lucas, from Middletown, led the team in scoring with 17 points per game, and scored 25 in the final two wins, against Italy and Brazil. In the 1960 Olympics, Team USA won by an average of 42.4 points with players such as Lucas, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson
Jesse Owens: Track & Field
While his illustrious Ohio State career included an hour-long stretch where he broke three world records at the 1935 Big Ten Championships, Jesse Owens ascent peaked at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won four gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter, the long jump and the 4×100-meter relay. Owens was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford in 1979.
Jerry Page: Boxing
Jerry Page, a Columbus native who went to Ohio State, followed up a silver medal performance at the 1983 Pan American Games with a gold medial as a light-welterweight at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Nichelle Prince: Soccer
After leaving Ohio State as a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, Nichelle Prince because the first representative of the Buckeyes women’s soccer team to play in the Olympics, winning bronze with Canada in Rio in 2016. Prince then won gold with Canada in Tokyo, starting each game of the team’s run.
Michael Redd: Basketball
Michael Redd, a Columbus native and a first-team All-Big Ten honoree at Ohio State, won gold with the U.S. in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Redd played in eight games during Team USA’s gold medal run and averaged 3.1 points in nine minutes per game.
Katie Smith: Basketball
Katie Smith, a Lancaster native, the 1996 Big Ten Player of the Year for Ohio State and a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member, has three gold medals with the U.S. She played with the team in 2000 in Sydney, 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing. In 19 international games, she averaged 4.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Kyle Snyder: Wrestling
Kyle Snyder, a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion heavyweight at Ohio State, has showed off his dominance in the Olympic Games. Snyder won gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and followed with a silver at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. He will participate in his third Olympic Games in Paris.
Staciana Stitts: Swimming
Staciana Stitts, a Columbus native, was a gold medalist in the 4×100-meter medley relay at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. She also competed in the 100-meter breaststroke.
cgay@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 10 best Olympians associated with central Ohio before 2024 Olympic Games
