Northeast Ohio native athletes competing in Olympics 2024

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PARIS (WJW) – Athletes from across the world are getting ready to try for gold in the 2024 Olympics, which kicks off in Paris this week.

Team USA is sending 592 qualifying athletes to compete, including 122 Olympic medalists, according to team officials.

Some of those Olympians, both new and returning, have roots right here in Northeast Ohio.

Katie Moon

Pole vaulting champion Katie Moon will be making big leaps to defend her Olympic title in Paris after earning gold in Tokyo four years ago.

The 33-year-old grew up in Olmsted Falls before attending Ashland University and studying fashion in Paris in 2013.

Moon made her first Olympics appearance in 2020, when she took home the gold medal in women’s pole vaulting.

Earlier this month, Moon spoke out on social media, ensuring fans she’s ready to do it again.

“Nothing in this sport is guaranteed, and I’m so blessed and honored to have the chance to represent my country, and defend my title,” Moon said in a Facebook post after trials. “I would not be going to Paris without my incredible therapy team that got me through this injury. I would not be going to Paris without a coach that, while modifying as we needed to, accepted nothing less than my best every day. I would not be going to Paris without my family, friends, agent, and sponsors supporting me every step of this journey.”

Outside of the Olympics, the Northeast Ohio native is a two-time national indoor pole vault champion and has earned a slew of medals in world championships since 2018.

Learn more about Moon here.

LeBron James

It should be no surprise to see the “kid from Akron” on this list, who is heading to Paris as a four-time Olympian.

LeBron James grew up in Akron and attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School before kicking off one of the best basketball careers in history, notably helping the Cleveland Cavaliers end a decades-long championship drought in 2016. He was recently joined by his son, Bronny James, with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James helped Team USA earn a bronze medal in Athens in 2004, but he went on to become a two-time gold medalist with wins in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.

According to sports records, he is just one of three American men to have played basketball in at least three Olympics, the others being Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant.

The 39-year-old was selected to be one of the Team USA flagbearers during this year’s opening ceremony.

Learn more about James’ Olympics experience here.

Hunter Armstrong

Swimming star Hunter Armstrong is returning to the Olympic waters, reaching for another gold after seeing success in 2020.

Armstrong, 23, grew up in Dover of Tuscarawas County, where he went to Dover High School. He later attended the Ohio State University.

During his first Olympics, Armstrong earned gold in the 4 x 100m medley relay in Tokyo. He placed ninth in the 100m backstroke.

“What a week! Five months ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed of getting another opportunity to represent the USA,” Armstrong said on Instagram late last month. “The job is not done though, back to training.”

Outside of the Olympics, has also earned 10 medals in world championships since 2022, including most recent golds in the 4 x 100m medley relay and the 50m backstroke.

Armstrong holds the world record for the 50m backstroke, which he set at the Phillips 66 International Team Trials in 2022.

Learn more about him here.

Lee Kiefer

Fencing gold medalist Lee Kiefer is heading to Paris alongside her husband, fellow Olympian fencer Gerek Meinhardt, both ready to represent Team USA.

Kiefer, 30, was born in Cleveland but calls Lexington, Kentucky home, according to USA Fencing.

She started fencing at five years old and became the youngest member of the U.S. Senior World Foil Team in 2009.

This will be Kiefer’s fourth Olympics. She earned gold in women’s individual foil in Tokyo four years ago. She also competed in London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Kiefer shared a photo training with her husband last week, saying, “Ready for Paris! Finished our last practice at Bluegrass this morning. Flying to France tomorrow!”

She has earned plenty of accolades over the years, including 11 world championship medals since 2008.

According to Team USA, Kiefer became the first American woman in history to earn a first place foil ranking in 2017.

Read more about Kiefer here.

Marcus Christopher

Marcus Christopher is taking his BMX bike to the Olympics for the first time in what he calls a dream come true.

The 21-year-old Canton native qualified after finishing in second place in the Men’s BMX Freestyle at the OQS Budapest in June.

“Still in disbelief, I put down a run that landed me in 2nd place! That 2nd place got me enough points to earn a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics!” Christopher said in an Instagram post. “So excited to make my dream of being in the Olympics come true along fellow American (Justin Dowell).”

According to X Games, Christopher placed first in the X Games Ventura 2024.

Learn more about him here.

Morelle McCane

Morelle McCane is making her Olympics debut as the first female boxer from Cleveland to qualify for the games.

The 29-year-old Glenville High School alum has been training for more than a decade. She qualified for Paris after placing in the top 2 at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile last fall.

FOX 8’s John Sabol spoke with McCane about it earlier this year.

“I teared up, I’m not going to lie,” McCane said. “When I came out the ring, they gave you a ticket … your ticket to Paris. I got that ticket and I looked at it and a tear fell down. I was like, ‘wow!’”

McCane is a nine-time USA National Champion, four-time National Golden Cloves Champion and has competed in 10 countries around the world, FOX 8 previously reported.

Learn more about McCane here.

Trevor Bassitt

Track athlete Trevor Bassitt is getting ready to make his first run for a gold medal during the Paris Olympics.

Bassitt grew up in Bluffton, Ohio, but he later competed in track and field at Ashland University.

The 26-year-old has made some impressive runs on the track field, including earning world championship gold medals in the 4x400m relays in 2022 and 2023.

“Trevor Bassitt, Olympian,” he posted to Instagram earlier this month. “Continued to trust God’s plan and His timing and He delivered me in a big way. Beyond thankful and blessed for everyone in my corner. See y’all in Paris.”

Learn more about him here.

The opening ceremony will be Friday, July 26. The games will continue through Sunday, August 11. Keep up with coverage from Paris here.

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Jordan Unger

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