The Paris Olympiad is making headlines globally, and here in the US, we are proud of the hundreds of African American athletes participating in the games, far too many to enumerate in this article. Most casual consumers of any news will be acquainted with the primary Basketball, Gymnastics, and Track & Field competitors, so we will try to highlight a few who might otherwise escape your notice.
This is the second of a two-part feature, focusing on athletes whose primary medal events will be occurring over the next week or so through the end of the Games. Athletes competing in these events, which medal during the final week, include water polo (August 10), boxing, volleyball (August 9 and 10), and the discus throw (August 5).
Veronica Fraley, 24 year old Vanderbilt University graduate student and Raleigh, NC native will represent Team USA after she qualified in the Discus Throw at the Pan American Games, Santiago, 2023. The 2024 NCAA discus champion was a Bronze medalist in the discus (62.54m) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. This will be her fist Olympiad.
In Water Polo, 3-time Olympian, and 2-time Olympic medalist Ashleigh Johnson returns. Standing 6’1” tall, at 29 years of age, the Miami, Florida native, and Princeton University alumna won Gold in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and in Rio de Janeiro 2016. On the Mens side, 2-time Olympian Max Irving returns from the Standing 6’0” tall, at 29 years of age, the Long Beach, CA native, and University of California, Los Angeles alumnus is seeking his first medal.
Also 29 years of age, Cleveland, Ohio native Morelle McCane started Boxing at age 17 during her senior year of high school. The 1st-time Olympian qualified for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by securing a silver medal at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023, and is the first women’s boxer from Cleveland, Ohio, to qualify for an Olympic Games. Her favorite boxer is Muhammad Ali and she competes in the 66kg class.
Houston, Texas native Joshua Edwards, 6’3” started Boxing at six years old. He played basketball in high school, but followed his father’s footsteps into boxing full-time, and prides himself on
\\ having an upbeat and fun attitude in and out of the ring. The super heavyweight boxer also qualified for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 after winning gold at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023. 21 year old Jahmal Harvey also qualified in the Pan American Games, Santiago, 2023 at 57kg. The Oxon Hill, Maryland native grew up playing football and was introduced to boxing by his football coach.
Watch these Volleyball athletes: 2-time Olympian; 1-time Olympic Gold medalist Chiaka Ogbogu, 6’2”, at 29 years of age, from Coppell, Texas, University of Texas at Austin ’18 alumna. 2-time Olympian Jordan Thompson is a 6’4” 27 y/o from Edina, Minnesota, a University of Cincinnati ’19 alumna, Gold medalist Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 2-time Olympian Haleigh Washington also won Gold in Tokyo; the 28 y/o 6’3” Colorado Springs, Colorado native is a Pennsylvania State University ’17 alumna.
