AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File
July 26- August 11, 2024
Theme: “Games Wide Open”
Click here for full schedule
How to Watch
- NBC and Telemundo will broadcast at least nine hours of coverage from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET each day.
- Some events will air on the USA Network, Golf Channel, CNBC and E!
- Peacock will livestream every event, including the opening and closing ceremonies.
Check out the most talented Texas Olympians, past and present
Meet Some of the Texans on Team USA
Athletes who formerly or currently live in Texas indicated with a 🤠
Women’s Gymnastics
🤠 Simone Biles Spring
🤠 Jordan Chiles Conroe
🤠 Hezly Rivera Plano
Alternates
🤠 Joscelyn Roberson Conroe, Texarkana
From left to right, Joscelyn Roberson, Suni Lee, Hezly Rivera, Jade Carey, Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles and Leanne Wong smile after they were named to the 2024 Olympic team at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials on Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Men’s Basketball
🤠 Kevin Durant UT grad
Joel Embiid
Kawhi Leonard
Anthony Edwards
Tyrese Haliburton
Women’s Basketball
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
🤠 Brittney Griner Houston
Texas Track Stars to Watch:
Jarrion Lawson – Men’s Long jump
Jarrion Lawson’s athletic talent was apparent in his freshman year at his Texarkana high school. At University of Arkansas, he excelled in the long jump and won his first NCAA title his sophomore year. In 2018, Lawson tested positive for a banned steroid, and was banned from the sport for 4 years. His ban was overturned after he proved the steroid came from tainted beef and he returned to the field in 2020.
Taliyah Brooks – Heptathlon
This Wichita Falls native went on to be a multi-event athlete at the University of Arkansas, securing a NCAA Division I title in the pentathlon. At the United States Olympic Track and Field Trials this year, Brooks finished third in the heptathlon with a career-best score.
Sha’Carri Richardson -Women’s 100m
In the 100 meter, the Dallas native became one of the 10 fastest women in history at 19 years old. She’s currently ranked no. 4. Her style is inspired by track legend Florence Griffith Joyner.
After disqualification from the 2020 Tokyo Games due to a failed marijuana test, the track and field sprinter is back with Team USA. She won the world title for the 100 meter this past fall, and is the one to beat at the Paris Games.
Fred Kerley– Men’s 100m
Originally from San Antonio, 29 year-old Kerley is on his way to his second Olympics as part of the 100m USA track team. Adopted by his aunt Virginia as a toddler, Kerley’s credits her with being the inspiration for his track career. Kerley’s “keep pushing” mindset has allowed him to truly test the boundaries of track and have led him to excel in competitions and in life.
Bryce Hoppel– Men’s 800m
Born in Midland, this 6-time U.S. champion and two-time NCAA champion is heading to his second Olympic games competing in the 800m dash. Just 26 years old, this 2x Olympian broke a 32-year-old record during the 800m trials final, aiming to carry that positive momentum into the games in Paris.
Alaysha Johnson- Women’s 100m hurdles
A 27 year old hurdler from Spring, TX, Johnson placed second in the Olympics trials for the 100m hurdles event. During the U.S. Olympic Trials, Johnson competed unsponsored, meaning any expenses relating training, competition fees, travel, and more were out-of-pocket, and competed wearing an outfit made by an indie Black designer. After the trials, she got signed by Oakley for the games due to the perseverance she showcased throughout the trials.
Jasmine Moore – Women’s Long jump
23 year old Jasmine Moore made history as the first U.S. woman to qualify for the Olympics in both the long jump and triple jump events in 2022. This Grand Prairie, TX native has been involved in track and field since elementary school, and even participated in her first olympics at the 2020 Tokyo Games as a sophomore in college. Being one of the youngest people in the USA, Moore is a Texan to watch as she competes in not just one Olympic event, but two.
Gabby Thomas – Women’s 200m
Raised in Massachusetts before getting her bachelor’s at Harvard University, Gabby Thomas came to Texas for graduate school, receiving a master’s in epidemiology from University of Texas in 2023. She currently lives in Austin and trains with Tonja Buford-Bailey while working at an area health clinic. After earning bronze in the women’s 200 meter, and silver in the 4×100 during the 2020 Tokyo Games, she’ll compete in the 200 meter in Paris.
Check out the Netflix documentary Sprint, profiling many of these athletes
Olympic Events That Deserve More Hype
Across the world, swimming, athletics (track & field), and soccer are the most watched events in the Olympics. Americans spend hours enjoying the pressure of gymnastics routines and basketball games, but perhaps it’s time to broaden our horizons. Is there something out there that might interest you more, or a new sport you haven’t yet checked out? Here are some lesser-known sports and events to keep your eye on during the Paris games.
Breaking or Breakdancing
From the streets to the world stage, for the first time breakdancing has been added to the Olympics this year. Characterized by acrobatic movement and stylized footwork, breaking celebrates creativity, passion, and individuality all over the world. At the Olympics, the competition will consist of battles between dancers where they go head-to-head showing their best moves in various rounds. Judges score based on criteria such as creativity, technique, and musicality. (Here’s the schedule)
*A Texan Breaking Boundaries: Jeffrey Louis, also known as Jeffro, is an American breakdancer from southeast Texas on his way to Paris this year. Growing up amongst Houston’s diverse and unique influences pushed Louis to start competing professionally. Relatively unknown to the world, bringing breakdancing to the big screen will truly elevate the recognition that this professional sport deserves.
Jeffrey Louis, aka b-boy Jeffro, of the United States, gestures before a quarterfinal match against South Korea’s Hongten for the Breaking B-Boys Finals in the 2024 Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
Race walking
Race walking isn’t a new sport, but a Victorian pastime that first entered the Olympics in 1904. It’s categorized under Athletics or Track & Field. In the 19th century, the sport took place on an indoor track, but now the event takes place outside. Competitors must keep one foot on the ground at all times. If there’s no visible contact with the ground, it’s called lifting and will be penalized. (Here’s the schedule)
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is one of the oldest forms of martial arts in the world, and its name translates appropriately to fit its description: Tae (foot), Kwon (hand), Do (art). The art of self defense first appeared in the Olympics in 1988 as a demonstration sport, but then later appeared as a full medal sport at the Sydney 2000 Games. This combat sport not only showcases stylized kicking and punching, but it also prioritizes the unity of the mind, body, and life through physical movements. In competitions, the sparring between competitors seems like a dance through the distinctive movements of the players, making this sport an edge-of-your-seat watch. (Here’s the schedule)
* A Kickin’ Texan to Watch:
Jonathan Healy is a 27-year-old taekwondo athlete from Spring, TX that has been competing for over 10 years. He won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in the men’s +80 kg and has competed around the world. Apart from Taekwondo, he enjoys woodcarving (in which he earned an international award) and eating pasta as a pre-competition meal. His perseverance and dedication throughout the years has truly pushed him to be the Olympic-level athlete he is today.
AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
Shooting
Shooting is an oldie, but goodie. The sport debuted when the Olympics did, and now athletes from more than 100 countries take part. There are three disciplines: rifles, pistols, and shotguns. Athletes aim at targets from different positions at various distances. The best competitors shoot quickly and accurately, having some of the best reflexes in all the games. (Here’s the schedule)
*Texans with a good shot
In this year’s Olympics, three out of the eight members of the USA shotgun shooting team are Texans! You’ll see Austen Smith of Keller making her second Olympic appearance, competing in the shotgun skeet. Newbies Ryann Phillips of Gail and Conner Prince of Burleson will shoot in the women’s trap and men’s skeet, respectively.
Paralympics August 28- September 8
The Paralympic Games involve athletes with a range of disabilities that are organized in conjunction with the Olympic Games. The Paralympics began as a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948 and later drew over 400 athletes from 23 different countries in the 1960 Rome Games.
A select number of events will be airing on CNBC, USA Network, and NBC, while all 22 Paralympic events will be available to stream on Peacock.
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