ROANOKE, Va. – Out of nearly 600 athletes competing for Team USA in the Paris Olympics, 15 call Virginia their home and some while not born in the state have some sort of connection to it.
10 News has been following the games extensively and cheering on Team USA throughout it all. There’s something special though when a piece of Virginia is the reason the team’s medal count goes up.
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As of Friday, athletes we’ve been following accounted for 11 of Team USA’s 111 total medals.
Here are just some of the accomplishments our athletes have obtained while in the city of light.
Noah Lyles, Track and Field, Alexandria
Some can argue Lyles is the fastest man alive after beating other sprinters in the 100-meter dash to take home gold.
There were also high hopes for Lyles in the 200-meter race but reports came out later that Lyles was diagnosed with COVID-19 after the race. YET, he still took home a bronze medal. After falling ill, Lyles pulled out of the rest of his competitions.
Grant Holloway, Track and Field, Chesapeake
It was a revengeful Olympics for the Chesapeake native after taking home gold in the 110-meter hurdles. Holloway earned a silver medal in the 110-meter hurdle event at the 2021 Tokyo Games
Cole Hocker, Track and Field, Trains in Blacksburg
He may not be from Virginia, but Cole Hocker definitely has some sort of home in Blacksburg. The long-paced runner trains in the college town and his training paid off for one of the more surprising finishes during the Olympics.
Hocker finished 1st in the 1,500-meter race.
Torri Huske, Swimming, Arlington
One of the more decorated Olympians returning to the States is the Arlington native, Torri Huske. Huske is bringing home three gold medals (Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay, Women’s 100m Butterfly, Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay) and two silver medals (Women’s 100m Freestyle and Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay).
Gretchen Walsh, Swimming, Former UVA Swimmer
It’s impossible to think of UVA swimming without thinking about the Walsh sisters. Gretchen is taking home four medals, two gold (Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay and Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay) and two silver (Women’s 100m Butterfly and Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay).
Jennifer Valente, Cycling, Trains in Roanoke
Jennifer Valente is not a new name to 10 News. She trains in the Roanoke Valley with Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24 Cycling team.
Valente took home Gold along with her teammates during the Women’s Team Pursuit. She is expected to bring back some more hardware as Valente is the odds-on favorite to win the Women’s Omnium on Sunday.
Keep watching 10 News the rest of the weekend to see the final events in the 2024 Paris Olympics.