Here are the Triangle athletes who will compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
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2020 Summer Olympics: North Carolina athletes
Here’s a look at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer’s coverage of athletes with ties to North Carolina competing at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021.
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With the 2021 Olympics set to take place in Tokyo from July 23 to Aug. 8, and the Paralympics to follow immediately after, here are athletes with ties to the Triangle area.
Hannah Aspden, swimming
A two-time Paralympic medalist, Aspden will participate in the Tokyo Paralympics. In the Paralympic trials in Minnesota, she placed first in the 50-meter free, 100-meter free, and 100-meter backstroke. Aspden graduated from Leesville Road High School in 2018 and attends Queens in Charlotte as a journalism and digital media major.
Shane Baz, baseball
A rising star with the Durham Bulls and the Tampa Bay Rays organization, Baz was named to Team USA on July 2. Since arriving in Durham from Double-A, Baz compiled a 1-0 record and 1.29 ERA in three starts through July 2. He struck out 20 and walked only three during that stretch. Baz has been selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game as part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Weekend on Sunday, July 11.
How he fared: After winning in the semifinal against Republic of Korea, 7-2, Team USA has the chance to bring home the gold in the final against Japan.
Tia-Adana Belle, track and field
Belle is headed to the Olympics for the second time in her track career. She will be one of eight athletes competing for Barbados in Tokyo. Five years ago, Belle ran for Barbados in the 2016 Olympics as a student-athlete from Saint Augustine’s University. She is the NCAA Division II national record-holder (55.42) in the 400 hurdles, her signature event.
A 12-time All-American, Belle was the Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in the CIAA and the Atlantic Region (twice). She graduated from SAU in 2018.
Simonas Bilis, swimming
Simonas Bilis completed his NC State career in 2016, appearing in the Rio Olympics during the same year. Five years later, he returns to the Olympic games and will represent Lithuania. He has 19 All-American awards under his belt as well as 16 ACC Championships.
How he fared: Lithuania failed to qualify beyond its heat in the 4x100m medley relay.
Andrew Capobianco, diving
A graduate of Holly Springs High School who competes for Indiana University, Capobianco is a two-time NCAA champion in 3-meter diving. In Tokyo, he’ll compete in individual and synchronized diving at the 3-meter height.
How he fared: Alongside Michael Hixon, Capobianco won the silver medal in the men’s synchronized 3m springboard diving competition.
Claire Curzan, swimming
Curzan, who’s from Cary and is a rising senior at Cardinal Gibbons, will be 17 at the start of the Olympics. She placed sixth in 2018 in the 100-meter butterfly. She earned qualification this year in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 56.43 seconds.
How she fared: Curzan earned a silver medal in the 4x100m relay. Though she did not participate in the final, but she earns the medal since she participated in the preliminaries.
Abby Dahlkemper, soccer
Dahlkemper was named to represent the US Olympic women’s soccer team in June. Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Dahlkemper competes on NC Courage in Cary as well as Manchester City.
How she fared: The United States defeated Australia in the Bronze medal game, 4-3.
Debinha, soccer
The NC Courage forward/attacking midfielder will play for her native Brazil in Tokyo. Debinha was the most valuable player of the Courage’s repeat NWSL title run in 2019. She has 40 goals in 102 international appearances for Brazil.
How she fared: Brazil fell to Canada in the women’s quarterfinal.
Crystal Dunn, soccer
The former UNC and NC Courage star who now plays for the Portland Thorns of the NWSL is going to her second Olympics. Dunn, who can play anywhere on the right side from defense to forward, was part of the disappointing Rio squad that crashed out in the quarterfinals as prohibitive favorites.
How she fared: The United States defeated Australia in the Bronze medal game, 4-3.
Abby Erceg, soccer
Erceg retired from representing her native New Zealand in 2017 after a dispute with the former coach, but the NC Courage captain is back playing internationally for his replacement and anchoring the back line for the Kiwis (or Football Ferns, as the women’s soccer team is known) at the Olympics.
How she fared: New Zealand was eliminated by Sweden to close out Group G.
Tim Federowicz, baseball
An Apex High School graduate and former UNC athlete, Federowicz will play for the US national team in baseball. Federowicz entered the MLB in 2011, most recently playing for the Texas Rangers. He signed a minor league contract with his first team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in December 2020.
How he fared: After winning in the semifinal against Republic of Korea, 7-2, Team USA has the chance to bring home the gold in the final against Japan.
Camilla Feeley, gymnastics
Feeley, a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, will compete in rhythmic gymnastics in 2021. She was a member of the 2018 and 2019 World Championships teams and severed as an alternate during the 2016 Olympics.
Lex Gillette, track and field
A two-time Paralympics silver medalist in 2004 and 2008, the Raleigh native has long been one of the world’s best blind long-jumpers. He trains in California now.
Allisha Gray, basketball
Gray, who spent two seasons at UNC before transferring to South Carolina, will compete in the 3x3 portion of the Olympic games. Now in the WNBA, Gray plays for the Dallas Wings.
How she fared: Gray helped the United States bring home the first ever gold medal in Olympic 3x3 basketball, defeating the Russia Olympic Committee 18-15. Gray scored four points in the medal-winning game.
Chelsea Gray, basketball
Gray played college basketball at Duke from 2010-2014 before entering the WNBA . She was announced as one of 12 WNBA players to represent the United States in Tokyo. Gray, 28, has played in the WNBA since 2015. She holds career averages of 11.7 points per game and 4.4 assists per game with a 38% 3-point percentage.
How she fared: Team USA won the semifinal game against Serbia, 79-59, and advanced to the gold medal game. In the win against Serbia, Gray scored 14 points.
Sophie Hansson, swimming
An NC State swimmer, Hansson will compete in representation of Sweden in the 2021 Olympics. Last season, Hansson won the National Championships in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay.
How she fared: In the 100m breaststroke, Hansson finished sixth in the final. In the 4x100m relay, Sweden finished sixth. Sweden finished 5th in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.
Keni Harrison, track and field
Harrison will participate in the 100-meter hurdles in Tokyo. Harrison set a world record for the 100-meter hurdles in 2016, running 12.20 seconds. She graduated from Clayton High School before running track at Clemson and later transferring to Kentucky.
How she fared: Harrison earned a silver medal in the 100m hurdles, finishing with a time of 12.52 seconds.
Tobin Heath, soccer
The UNC product and U.S. Women’s National Team veteran will be playing in her fourth Olympics. The 33-year-old forward has 33 goals in 169 international appearances.
How she fared: The United States defeated Australia in the Bronze medal game, 4-3.
Anton Ispen, swimming
Anton Ispen will represent Denmark in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, previously competing in the 2016 games in Rio. Ispen spent his collegiate career at NC State, winning the 2018 ACC Championship for the 1,650 freestyle.
How he fared: Ispen finished sixth in his heat of the 1500m freestyle and eighth in his heat of the 800m freestyle.
David Kendziera, track and field
Kendziera will compete in the 400-meter hurdle in Tokyo, representing Team USA. He competed in track at the University of Illinois and currently resides in Chapel Hill, NC. He qualified with a third-place finish of 48.38 seconds.
How he fared: Kendziera finished 12th in the men’s 400m hurdles, and third in his heat, with a time of 48.67 seconds.
Nyls Korstanje, swimming
An 11-time All-American at NC State, Nyls Korstanje will represent the Netherlands in Tokyo. Korstanje did not compete during the 2020-21 season for the Wolfpack, but did manage to qualify for the Olympics and participate in the 100m butterfly.
How he fared: The Netherlands finished sixth in the mixed 4x100m medley relay.
Lucas Kozeniesky, rifle
N.C. State’s first rifle Olympian in Rio in 2016, Kozeniesky, 26, will be looking to build on a gold medal in the 10-meter air rifle at the the 2019 Pan American Games.
How he fared: Kozeniesky took home the silver medal in the mixed 10m air rifle. In the Asaka shooting final, Kozeniesky finished 6th in the men’s 10m air rifle with a total score of 165.0.
Samantha Mewis, soccer
Mewis is a star midfielder for the NC Courage of the NWSL. She was the 2020 U.S. Soccer female player of the year and has earned five major trophies with the Courage, won the World Cup with the USWNT and played full-time in Europe with Manchester City.
How she fared: The United States defeated Australia in the Bronze medal game, 4-3.
Alexander Nørgaard, swimming
Alexander Nørgaard, who is committed to NC State for the Fall of 2021, will represent Denmark in the coming Olympic games. He competed in the 1500m freestyle in the 2019 World Aquatics Championships and earned a silver medal in the European Junior Championships.
How he fared: Nørgaard finished fourth in the third heat of the men’s 800m freestyle, as well as eight in his heat of the 1500m freestyle.
Jahlil Okafor, basketball
A former standout at Duke, Jahlil Okafor represents Nigeria in the Olympic games. Okafor won a national championship with Duke in 2015 and was drafted #3 overall in the same year.
How he fared: Nigeria fell to Italy 80-71 in its last game. Okafor scored 14 points in the contest.
Javianne Oliver, track and field
A former UNC Tar Heel for one season, Oliver is set to compete in the 100-meter dash in Tokyo. She also competed at the University of Kentucky, where she finished second in the 60-meter dash in the 2017 NCAA indoor championships.
How she fared: Oliver finished fifth in her heat of the 100m dash with a time of 11.08.
Andrea Podmanikova, swimming
Andrea Podmanikova of Slovakia secured Olympic berth as a swimmer for the 2021 games. A junior at NC State, she is an All-American in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. She also made the Academic All-ACC team in 2021.
How she fared: Podmanikova finished first in the second heat of the women’s 100m breaststroke and seventh in her heat of the 200m breaststroke.
Noe Ponti, swimming
A fellow NC State commit along with Nørgaard, Noe Ponti will represent Switzerland as an Olympic athlete in Tokyo. The 20-year-old also participated in the Swiss National Championships in a variety of events in 2021.
How he fared: Ponti earned Bronze in the men’s 100m butterfly, finishing with a time of 50.74 seconds.
Summer Rappaport, triathlon
Rappaport, a current Durham resident, was the first athlete to qualify to represent the U.S. in the triathlon. Rappaport is originally from Colorado and graduated from Villanova in 2013.
How she fared: Rappaport finished 14th in the women’s triathlon, and finished second in the mixed triathlon relay.
Randolph Ross, track and field
A graduate of Garner High, Ross qualified for the 400-meter race in Tokyo, running a 44.74. Currently a student at North Carolina A&T, Ross recently won two national championships in track and field: one for the open 400m and the other for the 4x400m. His father, Duane, coaches Ross at N.C. A&T and represented the U.S. in Athens in 2004.
How he fared: Ross and his 4x400m relay team advanced to the final, finishing first in their heat. Ross finished fourth in his 400m heat, but did not qualify for the final.
Shawn Rowe, track and field
A graduate of Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, Rowe made the Jamaican Olympic Team after placing second in the 400-meter hurdles at the country’s Olympic Trials. A 2017 SAU graduate, Rowe was a four-time NCAA Division II national champion and six-time first-team All-American in college. He won the 400 hurdles national title and helped the Falcons win two national crowns and four CIAA titles.
How he fared: Rowe finished sixth in his heat of the 400m hurdles semifinal, with a time of 48.83 seconds.
Joe Ryan, baseball
Ryan pitched for USA Baseball during the Olympic Qualifier round in June, striking out ten batters over 4.2 innings of work against the Dominican Republic. In nine outings (eight starts) with the Bulls through July 2, Ryan posted a 3-3 record and 3.73 ERA, adding 54 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .181 batting average.
How he fared: After winning in the semifinal against Republic of Korea, 7-2, Team USA has the chance to bring home the gold in the final against Japan.
Ryder Ryan, baseball
Ryan played baseball at UNC for two seasons before being drafted into the MLB by the Cleveland Indians in 2016. He currently plays for Round Rock Express, the minor league affiliate for the Texas Rangers.
How he fared: After winning in the semifinal against Republic of Korea, 7-2, Team USA has the chance to bring home the gold in the final against Japan.
Emma Schieck, volleyball
A rising junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, Schieck began playing sitting volleyball in 2017 and will represent the U.S. in the sport in Tokyo. Schieck has a Brachial Plexus injury that limits mobility in her left arm. Still, she plays standing volleyball for the Precision Athletics Volleyball Club in Mooresville, N.C.
Kenny Selmon, track and field
Selmon was a two-time ACC champion at North Carolina and qualified for Tokyo by finishing second in the 400-meter hurdles. David Kendziera, a volunteer track coach at UNC, finished just behind him in third and will join him at the Olympics.
How he fared: Selmon finished fourth in his heat of the 400m hurdles semifinal, running a time of 48.58 seconds.
Steven Solomon, track and field
Set to compete for the 400m, Solomon will represent Australia in the Tokyo Olympics. Solomon graduated from Duke in 2018. He also competed in the 2012 Olympics in London, participation in the 400m there as well.
How he fared: Solomon finished third in his heat of the men’s 400m, running a time of 45.15 seconds.
Jessica Springsteen, equestrian
The daughter of musician Bruce Springsteen, Jessica graduated from Duke in 2014. She joins the equestrian jumping team for the United States. Springsteen currently ranks 27th in the world and will ride Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood Stallion.
Morgan Stickney, swimming
Stickney, who trains at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, was once an Olympic contender in the 1500-meter freestyle before complications from a broken foot led to the amputation of both of her lower legs. She’ll compete in the 400-meter freestyle in the Tokyo Paralympics.
Kacper Stokowski, swimming
A former Florida Gator, Kacper Stokowski of NC State will represent Poland in the 2021 Olympics. Stokowski is a silver medalist in the 200m backstroke at the NCAA Championships, and also achieved much success in prep swimming, medalling in multiple World Junior Championships.
How he fared: Stokowski finished in first place in the second heat of the men’s 100m backstroke, with a time of 53.99 seconds. As a member of Poland’s team, he finished sixth in the first heat of the 4x100m medley relay.
Naya Tapper, rugby
A 2016 UNC alum, Tapper is set to make her Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021. She took up rugby while at UNC and currently plays for the Women’s Sevens Residency Program.
How she fared: Team USA placed sixth overall in rugby, losing in the 5-6 placement game to Australia.
Jayson Tatum, basketball
The former Duke star continues a long line of former Triangle college basketball notables representing the United States at the Olympics. Tatum follows Harrison Barnes and Kyrie Irving in 2016, Carlos Boozer in 2004 and 2008, Vince Carter in 2000, Grant Hill in 1996 and Michael Jordan and Christian Laettner on the Dream Team in 1992. Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski coached the U.S. team in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
How he fared: The United States will face in the gold medal game, after previously losing to the team earlier in the Olympics. In the semifinal win against Australia, Tatum scored nine points.
Ashley Twichell, swimming
A Duke graduate who trains at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, Twichell clinched a spot last summer to represent the United States in the 10-kilometer open water swim. She’ll be 32 when she swims in Tokyo, making her the oldest first-time American swimmer at an Olympics since 1908.
Andreas Vazaios, swimming
A graduate of NC State, Andreas Vazaios will participate in the Tokyo Olympics as a representative of Greece. Vazaios is a 4-time NCCA champion and 13-time All-American from his time with the Wolfpack.
How he fared: Vazaios participated in the 4x100 relay for Greece, finishing in eighth place in the first heat. He finished 7th in the fifth heat of men’s 200m individual relay.
Lynn Williams, soccer
One of the top scoring players in NWSL history, Williams has led the NC Courage in scoring in the past three full seasons. She will be one of four alternates with the U.S. team in Tokyo, traveling with the team but not playing unless another member of the team becomes unavailable.
How she fared: The United States defeated Australia in the Bronze medal game, 4-3.
Jordan Windle, diving
A two-time NCAA champion at Texas, Morrisville’s Windle qualified for Tokyo in platform diving. Born in Cambodia, he was adopted by a single father when he was 18 months old and with his father Jerry has written a children’s book about their experience.
How he fared: After finishing 15th in the preliminaries, Windle will compete in the semifinal for the 10m platform.
Alex Young, track and field
Young will throw the hammer for the U.S. in Tokyo. He first attended Gardner Webb, where he was recently added to their athletic Hall of Fame, as a shot put and discus thrower. He transferred to Southeastern Louisiana University, and there met up with coach Amin Nikfar, who is now a coach at UNC. Since moving to Chapel Hill in 2019, Alex continues to train with Nikfar.
How he fared: Young finished 11th in Group A of the hammer throw, with a throw of 75.09 meters. This was not enough to get him to the finals, however.
Katie Zaferes, Triathlon
Zaferes returns to the Olympics to compete in the Triathlon, as she represented the U.S. in 2016. Zaferes lives in Durham but is originally from Maryland and graduated from Syracuse in 2012. She has medalled 23 times in the ITU World Triathlon Series, including six gold medals.
How she fared: Zaferes took home bronze in the women’s triathlon, with a time of 1:57:03. She also finished second in the mixed triathlon relay.
Know of a Triangle Olympian or Paralympian who isn’t on this list? Email sports@newsobserver.com to let us know.
This story was originally published June 23, 2021 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Here are the Triangle athletes who will compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics."
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