When the Olympics begin in Tokyo, Japan on July 21, North Carolina will be well represented.
According to data compiled by WUNC, 33 athletes and coaches with connections to the Tar Heel State will be competing at the delayed summer games.
The 2020 Summer Olympics were supposed to have been held in 2020, but were postponed to an odd year, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Crowds in Tokyo will be smaller than usual, as Japanese officials announced the games will go ahead under a state of emergency and without any spectators at events.
The Olympics will wrap up on Aug. 8, and when they do, North Carolinians are hoping to come home with a few medals.
Here's all of the athletes and coaches connected to North Carolina who will be competing for Team USA. Some were born here, some went to school here, some work here and some just live here now.
This post will be updated throughout July and August.
Bam Adebayo
- Event: Men's Basketball
- NC Connection: Graduate of High Point Christian Academy; 2016 North Carolina Mr. Basketball
The 6-foot-9 23-year-old is a native of Newark, New Jersey, but played his high school basketball in the Tar Heel State, first at Northside High School in Pinetown and then in High Point. There, he became a McDonald's All-American, spent a season at the University of Kentucky and was then drafted by the Miami Heat. Adebayo was an NBA All-Star in 2020 and has twice been named to the league's All-Defensive Team. This will be his first Olympics.
- In Tokyo: In a contest where Adebayo tallied six points, six rebounds and four assists, the U.S. won the gold medal game in men's basketball, beating France 87-82. It was the 16th gold medal for the Americans in men's basketball.
Shane Baz
- Event: Baseball
- NC Connection: Durham Bulls Pitcher
A Triple-A pitcher of the Week and All-Star Futures game player, Baz was taken 12th overall by Pittsburgh in the 2017 amateur draft, and is 3-4 with a 2.12 ERA for Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, where he plays as right-handed pitcher. Baseball is back in the Olympics this year for the first time since 2008. Team USA has not won gold in it since 2000. Former Kannapolis Intimidators manager Ernie Young will be the team's hitting coach.
- In Tokyo: Baz was part of the U.S. baseball team that won the silver medal.
Erika Brown
- Event: Swimming (100-meter freestyle)
- NC Connection: Native of Charlotte; Graduate of Hough High School
A 2016 graduate of Hough High School in Cornelius, Brown qualified for her first Olympics by placing second in the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a time of 53.59 seconds. After winning a pair of state championships in North Carolina, Brown attended the University of Tennessee and was named the SEC Female Swimmer of the Year in 2020.
- In Tokyo: Brown won a bronze medal, placing third as part of the U.S. women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team.
Andrew Capobianco
- Event: Diving (3M Synchro Springboard; 3M Springboard)
- NC Connection: Graduate of Holly Springs High School
A native of New York who moved to Holly Springs at the age of 13, Capobianco will be competing in his first Olympics. He is one of the top divers in college athletics currently, as he's been named Big Ten Diver of the Year twice and has garnered seven All-American honors. He's won a pair of NCAA national championships in the 3-meter dive, which is one of two events he'll compete in at the Olympics.
- In Tokyo: Capobianco came home with one silver medal, which he won in the men's synchronized 3m springboard event.
Anna Cockrell
- Event: 400-meter hurdles
- NC Connection: Graduate of Providence Day School in Charlotte
Cockrell was born in California and attends USC, but lists Charlotte as her hometown. At the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 27, Cockrell clocked a time of 53.70 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles to break her own USC record and to finish third at the trials, securing her spot in Tokyo. It will be Cockrell's first Olympic games. This past spring, she became just the second woman ever to win the 100-meter hurdle and 400-meter hurdle events at the NCAA championships.
Gabbi Cunningham
Event: 100-meter hurdles
NC Connection: Former N.C. State sprinter; Charlotte native
A two-time All-American who ran for the Wolfpack, Cunningham will run the 100-meter hurdles as a replacement for U.S. hurdles champion Brianna McNeal. Cunningham is a former USA Pan-American junior team member. She came in at fourth place at the 100m hurdles trial, clocking in at 12.53 seconds, a personal best for her.
Claire Curzan
- Event: Swimming (100-meter butterfly)
- NC Connection: Cary resident; Student at Cardinal Gibbons High School
Curzan, a 17-year-old phenom of sorts, finished second in the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska with a time of 56.43 seconds to qualify for the Olympics. The Cardinal Gibbons product will be one of the youngest competitors ― in any sport ― in Tokyo. Curzan hasn't committed to a college yet, but the website SwimSwam has tabbed her as the top prospect in the 2022 class. Curzan shares a birthday with 23-time gold medalist Michael Phelps.
- In Tokyo: Curzan came back to Cary with a silver medal, placing second as part of the U.S. women's 4x100-meter medley relay.
Crystal Dunn
- Event: Women's Soccer
- NC Connection: UNC-Chapel Hill graduate
Dunn helped the Tar Heels win a national championship in women's soccer in 2012, and then starred for the North Carolina Courage from 2018 to 2020, powering the club to two NWSL championships. Dunn now plays professionally for the Portland Thorns and this will be her second Olympics. In the 2016 games, Dunn scored in a group stage draw against Colombia. Like Sam Mewis, she was also a key part of the 2019 USWNT that won the World Cup.
- In Tokyo: The U.S. women's soccer team placed third at the Olympics, beating Australia in the bronze medal game.
Tim Federowicz
- Event: Baseball
- NC Connection: Graduate of Apex High School; Former UNC player
An All-ACC selection for the Tar Heels, Federowicz played eight seasons in the major leagues, most recently with the Texas Rangers in 2019. Before joining Team USA for the Olympics, Federowicz had been playing for the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Oklahoma City. Federowicz is playing as a catcher for the Americans, but has also been deployed as a first baseman and relief pitcher in the past. Baseball is back in the Olympics this year for the first time since 2008. Team USA has not won gold in it since 2000. Former Kannapolis Intimidators manager Ernie Young will be the team's hitting coach.
- In Tokyo: Federowicz was part of the U.S. baseball team that won the silver medal.
Naomi Graham
- Event: Boxing (75kg)
- NC Connection: Native of Fayetteville
The 32-year-old staff sergeant in the U.S. Army grew up in Fayetteville as the youngest of six kids. A member of the Army's World Class Athlete Program, Graham placed first in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for boxing and first in her division in the 2019 Pan American Games. In 2018, Under Armour named her the Elite Female Boxer of the Year. She has won medals in competitions in India, Spain and Poland. This will be her first Olympics and she is the first female to represent USA Boxing in the Olympics while being an active duty member of the military.
Chelsea Gray
- Event: Women's Basketball
- NC Connection: Duke graduate
A native of California, Gray starred for the Blue Devils from 2010 through 2014 and was twice an All-ACC selection. She helped guide to Duke to three ACC regular season titles and three trips to the Elite Eight. In the WNBA, Gray has been an All-Star three times and won a championship in 2016 with the LA Sparks. This will be her first Olympics, and she is also the first Duke women's basketball player to play in the games.
- In Tokyo: The U.S. women's basketball team won its seventh consecutive gold medal at the Olympics, beating Japan 90-75 in the title game. Gray had six points, four assists, one steal and one rebound in the gold medal bout.
Tobin Heath
- Event: Women's Soccer
- NC Connection: UNC graduate
One of the most decorated women's soccer players from UNC, Heath helped the Tar Heels win four ACC titles and three NCAA championships during her time in Chapel Hill. As a pro, she's been a mainstay on the U.S. women's national team since appearing in her first Olympics in 2008. This will be her fourth Olympics and she has the chance to win her third gold medal in the competition.
- In Tokyo: The U.S. women's soccer team placed third at the Olympics, beating Australia in the bronze medal game.
Kendra Harrison
- Event: 100-meter hurdles
- NC Connection: Graduate of Clayton High School; Former Gatorade North Carolina Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Kendra "Keni" Harrison won the women's 100-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a time of 12.47 seconds. It will be the first Olympics for the 5-foot-4 28-year-old. When she was at Clayton High School, Harrison won a pair of state titles and then went on to Clemson where she was an ACC champion in two events. Harrison transferred to Kentucky and won a pair of SEC championships too. This was her third time competing in the Olympic trials.
- In Tokyo: With a time of 00:00:12:52, Harrison won the silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles.
Quanera Hayes
- Event: 400-meter sprint
- NC Connection: Native of Hope Mills; Graduate of Livingstone College
At the U.S. Olympic Trials, Hayes clocked a season-best time of 49.78 seconds to finish first in the 400-meter sprint, booking her first ticket to the Olympics. At the trials, the 29-year-old Hayes was the only runner who was a product of a Division II HBCU. Represented by Nike, she bested Allyson Felix, a nine-time medalist. Hayes' son Demetrius joined his mom on the track after her victory on June 20.
Adrian Hegyvary
- Event: Track Cycling (Madison)
- NC Connection: Resident of Asheville
The 6-foot-3 Hegyvary will make his Olympic debut this summer as part of the U.S. team competing in the Madison, a relay event in track cycling. He and Daniel Holloway placed first in the Madison at the National Track Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019. At the Olympics, Hegryvary will pair with Gavin Hoover in the event. Hegyvary's wife, Rushlee Buchanan, is an Olympic cyclist for New Zealand.
David Kendziera
- Event: 400-meter hurdles
- NC Connection: Chapel Hill resident; UNC volunteer coach
Kendziera finished third at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 48.38 seconds. He's a graduate of the University of Illinois where he was the 2017 Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year, but volunteers as a coach with the track team at UNC, assisting Adrian Wheatley with the sprinters and hurdlers. This will be Kendziera's first Olympics, and he'll be competing against UNC graduate Kenny Selmon.
Lucas Kozeniesky
- Event: Rifle (10-meter air)
- NC Connection: N.C. State graduate
This will be the second Olympics for Kozeniesky, who placed 21st in the 10-meter air rifle event at the Rio Olympics in 2016. That year, he became the first shooter from N.C. State to compete in the Olympics. The Fairfax, Virginia native will aim to fare better this time around. In his last major international competition, the 2019 Pan American Games, he won gold.
- In Tokyo: Kozeniesky was part of the U.S. men's team that won the silver medal in 10-meter Air Rifle Mixed Team.
Kara Lawson
- Event: 3x3 Women's Basketball
- NC Connection: Duke women's basketball head coach
Lawson has been coaching with USA basketball since 2017 and has coached the women's 3x3 team to seven gold medals in various competitions. But this year, for the first time ever, 3x3 basketball is an Olympic sport. Lawson will be the head coach of the team in Tokyo. A former Olympian herself -- winning the gold as a player in 2008 in Beijing -- Lawson will also work for NBC as a TV analyst during other basketball events. This past season was her first as the head women's basketball coach at Duke.
- In Tokyo: Lawson guided the U.S. women's 3x3 team to the first gold medal in the history of the sport at the Olympics. They beat Russia 18-15 in the final.
Evy Leibfarth
- Event: Kayak Slalom; Canoe Slalom
- NC Connection: Resident of Bryson City; Student at Davidson College
One of the top whitewater paddlers in the country, the 17-year-old from western North Carolina is the only female paddler on the U.S. Olympic Team. And with women's slalom canoe making its Olympic debut in Tokyo, Leibfarth will be the first American woman to compete in the sport on the Olympic level. She qualified for the Olympics back in 2019 at the age of 15. She's been medaling at international events since 2015, but this will be her first Olympics. At the 2021 US Olympic Team Trials, she placed first in both of her events.
Sam Mewis
- Event: Women's Soccer
- NC Connection: North Carolina Courage midfielder
A 6-foot-1 native of Massachusetts, Mewis has called North Carolina home since coming to the state with the NWSL's Courage in 2017. Since then, she's helped the club win a pair of NWSL championships and two shields. On the international stage, this will be Mewis' first Olympics, but she was a key member of the women's national team that won the World Cup in 2019. Mewis is sure to start often for the Americans in Tokyo; back in March, ESPN tabbed her as the best women's soccer player in the world.
Two of Mewis' North Carolina Courage teammates ― Debinha and Abby Erceg ― will be suiting up at the Olympics for Brazil and New Zealand, respectively. Additionally, North Carolina Courage forward Lynn Williams is an alternate for the U.S. team.
- In Tokyo: The U.S. women's soccer team placed third at the Olympics, beating Australia in the bronze medal game. Mewis scored in a quarterfinal win over the Netherlands.
Randolph Ross
- Event: 400-meter sprint
- NC Connection: Graduate of Garner High School; Sophomore at North Carolina A&T
The son of North Carolina A&T track and field coach Duane Ross ― who ran in the 2004 Olympics ― Randolph Ross won the NCAA championship in the 400-meter sprint this past spring with a world-leading time of 43.85 seconds. On the same track in Eugene, Orgeon on June 20, he qualified for his first Olympics by finishing third with a time of 44.74 seconds, behind a pair of two professional sprinters in Michael Norman and Michael Cherry at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
- In Tokyo: Ross came home with a gold medal, as he was part of the U.S. men's team that won the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 00:02:55:70.
Joe Ryan
- Event: Baseball
- NC Connection: Durham Bulls Pitcher
A former water polo player, Ryan is a starting right-hand pitcher for the Triple A Durham Bulls. He pitched for USA Baseball during the Olympic Qualifier in June. Baseball is back in the Olympics this year for the first time since 2008. Team USA has not won gold in it since 2000.
- In Tokyo: Ryan was part of the U.S. baseball team that won the silver medal. He made two starts on the mound in Tokyo.
Ryder Ryan
Event: Baseball
NC Connection: Huntersville native; former UNC Chapel Hill player
A Midwest League All-Star and Florida State League All-Star, Ryan plays as a pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He played at UNC Chapel Hill for the Tar Heels his freshman and sophomore years and later signed with Cleveland rather than return to school. He's played for the New York Mets, the Columbia Fireflies, St. Lucie Mets, and most recently, was assigned to the Round Rock Express of the Triple-A West league.
- In Tokyo: Ryan was part of the U.S. baseball team that won the silver medal. He pitched in four games in Tokyo.
Kenny Selmon
- Event: 400-meter hurdles
- NC Connection: UNC graduate
A former three-time ACC champion, Selmon punched his ticket to his first Olympics by finishing second in the 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials. His time of 48.08 seconds at the trials were his personal best. Selmon left UNC holding 10 program records in track and field.
Luka Slabe
- Event: Women's Volleyball
- NC Connection: N.C. State women's volleyball head coach
Slabe, a native of Slovenia, has been the head coach of the women's volleyball team at N.C. State since 2020 and has worked with USA Volleyball for three years. Before that, he was an assistant coach for the men's team at BYU, his alma mater. Slabe has also been the head coach of the men's Slovenian national team. On June 25, Slabe helped guide the American women to their third-straight FIVB Volleyball Nations League trophy.
- In Tokyo: The U.S. women's volleyball team captured their first gold medal at the Olympics, topping Brazil in the final.
Michael Smolen
- Event: Canoe Slalom
- NC Connection: Resident of Charlotte; Graduate of Belmont Abbey College
Smolen was born in Poland, but grew up in Sylva, went to Belmont Abbey College and now lives in Charlotte. This will be his second appearance at the Olympics for the U.S., as he placed 12th in Single Kayak at the 2016 games in Rio. His father Ralph was once a member of the Polish national team.
John Stefanowicz
- Event: Greco Roman Wrestling (87kg)
- NC Connection: Marine Staff Sgt. at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville
A two-time gold medalist at the Pan-American Wrestling Championships, Stefanowicz qualified for his first Olympics in April by sweeping competitor Joe Rau in the 87kg (192 pounds) bout. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Stefanowicz is a member of the All-Marine Wrestling Team and will be the first member of that team to compete in the Olympics since 1992.
Trevor Stewart
- Event: 4x400-meter relay
- NC Connection: North Carolina A&T senior
With a time of 44.9 seconds at the 400-meter sprint finals, Stewart placed fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials, just behind his teammate Randolph Ross. While he didn't make the cut for the 400-meter sprint at the Olympics, Stewart's time was good enough to earn him a spot on the relay team. Stewart and Ross will be part of the first group of N.C. A&T athletes to appear at the Olympics since 1992. Also part of that group is Akeem Sirleaf and Daniel Stokes, who will be representing Liberia and Mexico, respectively.
- In Tokyo: Stewart came home with a gold medal, as he was part of the U.S. men's team that won the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 00:02:55:70. He also won a bronze medal as part of the team that place third in the 4x400-meter mixed relay. The medals won by Stewart and N.C. A&T teammate Randolph Ross are the first in the university's history.
Jayson Tatum
- Event: Men's Basketball
- NC Connection: Former Duke player
Tatum spent just one season at Duke, but was one of the top players in the country, earning All-ACC and All-ACC Tournament Team honors and led the Blue Devils to a No. 2 seed in the 2017 NCAA tournament. Since then, he's become one of the top players in the NBA, averaging more than 23 points-per-game in the past two seasons while earning All-Star nods. This will be Tatum's first Olympics. Another one-and-done Duke player, RJ Barrett, will play for Canada.
- In Tokyo: In a contest where Tatum tallied 19 points and seven rebounds, the U.S. won the gold medal game in men's basketball, beating France 87-82. It was the 16th gold medal for the Americans in men's basketball.
Ashley Twichell
- Event: Swimming (10-kilometer)
- NC Connection: Duke graduate; Duke volunteer coach
A 2011 graduate of Duke, Twichell was an All-American and an ACC champion while swimming for the Blue Devils. She joined Duke's staff as a volunteer assistant coach in 2014 and has since trained in Cary. The 32-year-old will be the oldest first-time swimmer at an Olympics for Team USA since 1908.
Caine Wilkes
- Event: Weightlifting (+109kg)
- NC Connection: Resident of Matthews
Wilkes has been lifting weights for more than 20 years, but this will be his first Olympics. A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, Wilkes moved to Matthews to train. He is a three-time Pan American champion -- winning in 2014, 2017 and 2019 -- and garnered silver medals three other times. He will be 34 years-old when the games start.
Jordan Windle
- Event: Diving (3-meter, 10-meter)
- NC Connection: Grew up in Morrisville
Windle was addopted from Cambodia when he was 18 months old and raised by his adoptive father, Jerry Windle, in Morrisville. Windle began training in diving at Duke several years ago. At the University of Texas, he was a three-time men's Big 12 Diver of the Year and was an NCAA champion in platform diving in 2019.
Katie Zaferes
- Event: Triathalon
- NC Connection: Cary resident
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Zaferes is a professional triathlete. who is the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Series women's champion. She ran track while attending North Carroll High School and Syracuse University.
- In Tokyo: Zaferes came home with a silver and a bronze medal, placing second in the mixed relay triathlon and third in the women's individual triathlon.
