Athletic talent from Arizona public universities on display at 2024 Paris Olympic Games

Arizona public universities will be well-represented at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. The games will include 44 athletes or coaches with ties to Arizona’s three public universities. The group will compete for 26 different countries, highlighted by eight members of Team USA, and span 13 different sports. 

Arizona State University will have 24 current and former athletes. The University of Arizona will be represented by 15 current students or alumni, and Northern Arizona University will have five alums competing.  

Arizona ranked 29th as an Olympic Hotspot, according to a study produced by LiveSportsOnTV.com. The rankings are based on the number of Olympic athletes participating in the Paris Olympics and their birthplace or hometown, weighted against the state population size. Arizona was also highlighted for the athletes’ diverse range of sports – BMX Racing, Road Cycling, Archery and Diving.  

“We are so proud of our current and former student-athletes who will be competing in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. On behalf of the board, we are thrilled to celebrate their accomplishments and their well-earned honors of representing their home nations,” said Arizona Board of Regents Chair Cecilia Mata. “At our public universities, elite athletes can find success at the highest level both in their sports and in the classroom. As the games kick off this week, we will be cheering loudly for our students as they compete amongst the world’s best athletes.”  

The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, July 26, where most of these 44 athletes and coaches will be on display during the Parade of Nations. 

Three to Watch  

Delaney Schnell – Women’s Diving, USA 
The decorated diver is a favorite to return to the medal podium in Paris. Schnell earned a silver medal in the Synchronized 10-meter Platform event at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games. As a Wildcat, she was the 2023 NCAA national champion in platform diving and a 12-time All-American across three events. The Synchronized 10-meter Platform event is scheduled for July 31.  

Nico Young – Men’s Track and Field, USA 
NAU’s standout distance-runner qualified for the Paris Olympics in just his second 10,000-meter race. He made the transition from road to the track in March and set a collegiate record of 26:52.72 to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials. He then placed third at trials with a time of 27:52.40 to earn a trip to Paris. Young won two individual and three team NCAA national championships at NAU. The Men’s 10,000-meter final is scheduled for Aug. 2.  

Jon Rahm – Men’s Golf, Spain 
The Arizona State alum will make his Olympics debut representing his home country of Spain. Rahm withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Games after testing positive for COVID-19. He is currently ranked 10th in the world golf rankings and finished tied for seventh in last weekend’s British Open, the final major championship of the 2024 professional golf season. Rahm earned 11 collegiate tournament wins while at Arizona State, the second most in program history. Men’s Individual Stroke Play is Aug. 1-Aug. 4. 

Below is a full list of Arizona public university connections at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: 

Arizona State University 
Promise Amukamara, women's basketball, Nigeria 
Luguentz Dort, men's basketball, Canada 
Jon Rahm, men's golf, Spain 
David Puig, men's golf, Spain 
Kevin Yu, men's golf, Chinese Taipei 
Alessandra Fanali, women's golf, Italy 
Alexandra Forsterling, women's golf, Germany 
Carlota Ciganda, women's golf, Spain 
Azahara Munoz, women's golf, Spain 
Linn Grant, women's golf, Sweden 
Gabi Rennie, women's soccer, New Zealand 
Max McCusker, men's swimming, Ireland 
Desirae Krawczyk, women's tennis, USA 
Beatrice Nedberge Llano, women's track & field, Norway 
Jorinde van Klinken, women's track & field, Netherlands 
Bente Rogge, women's water polo, Netherlands 
Lieke Rogge, women's water polo, Netherlands 
Blaire McDowell, women's water polo, Canada 
Mia Rycraw, women's water polo, France 
Dubem Nwachukwu, men's track & field, Nigeria 
Léon Marchand, men's swimming, France 
Ilya Kharun, men's swimming, Canada, current ASU student-athlete 
Tiago Behar, men's swimming, Switzerland, current ASU student-athlete 
Tolu Young, men's swimming, Fiji, current ASU student-athlete 
 
Northern Arizona University 
Nico Young, men's track & field, USA  
Abdihamid Nur, men's track & field, USA  
Luis Grijalva, men's track & field, Guatemala 

Adam Keenan, men’s track and field, Canada 
Geordie Beamish, men’s track and field, New Zealand 

University of Arizona 
Josh Green, men's basketball, Australia 
Chase Budinger, men's beach volleyball, USA  
Bianca Pagdanganan, women's golf, Philippines   
Jorge Iga, men's swimming, Mexico  
Giancarla Trevisan, women's track & field, Italy 
Edgar Rivera-Morales, men's track & field, Mexico 
Joseph Green, men's track & field, Guam 
Karolina Pahlitzsch, women's track & field, Germany 
Tomas Lukminas, men's swimming, Lithuania, current U of A student-athlete 
Ralph Daleiden, men's swimming, Luxembourg, current U of A student-athlete  
Delaney Schnell, women's diving, USA, current U of A student-athlete 
Maryam Sheikhalizadeh, women's swimming, Azerbaijan, current U of A student-athlete 
Steve Kerr, men's basketball, USA, coach 
Twila Kilgore, women's soccer, USA, coach 
Dwight Dumais, diving, USA, current U of A coach