The Lone Star State’s top university student-athletes will have the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics hosted in Paris beginning July 26.
Student-athletes currently studying at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas Christian University, and Texas A&M University will compete in Paris later this week. Here are the athletes from each institution representing their respective home countries.
University of Texas at Austin
The Longhorns will send six student-athletes to compete in Paris, including five swimmers and a track and field star.
In June, nearly 50 swimmers from the university participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Following the trials held in Indianapolis, Indiana, four student-athletes were chosen to represent the United States. One Longhorn will also have the opportunity to represent her native country, Germany.
Rising sophomore Erin Gemmell is one of the four athletes representing Team USA. She will compete in the 4×200 freestyle relay and the 200-meter freestyle, per the University of Texas at Austin athletic website.
Joining Gemmell in representing the United States will be Luke Hobson, a rising senior who will participate in the 4×200 freestyle relay and the 200-meter freestyle, a race in which he claimed first place in the Olympic trials.
Another Team USA student-athlete, David Johnston, will compete in the 1500-meter freestyle and the open water 10k. Johnston placed second in the 1500-meter freestyle event at the Olympic Trials.
Aaron Shackell, a rising sophomore at UT Austin, finished first in the 400-meter freestyle at the Olympic Trials, earning him a spot on Team USA. Shackell will be competing in the same event in Paris.
Anna Elendt will represent Germany in the 4×100 medley relay and the 100-meter breaststroke. Elendt was also a 2020 Olympian, with several impressive accolades during her collegiate career.
Longhorn Ackelia Smith will compete on behalf of her native country, Jamaica, in the long jump and triple jump events. Smith was named the 2024 Big 12 Indoor Champion for Long Jump and holds the record for Triple Jump Indoor & Outdoor in the Lone Star State.
Texas Christian University
The Horned Frogs are sending five student-athletes from various sports to participate in the Summer Olympics.
Rising sophomore Rhanishka Gibbs, representing the Bahamas, will compete in the women’s 50-meter freestyle. Gibbs placed first in the 50-meter breaststroke and the 50-meter fly in the 2024 Bahamian Championships.
Rising senior Jadon Wuilliez will be participating in the 100-meter breaststroke for his home country of Antigua. Wuilliez currently holds the record for this event in Antigua (58.73 seconds) and also holds the record in Antigua for the 50-meter breaststroke (26.98 seconds).
Two Frogs will represent Spain in the women’s beach volleyball event: Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno. The pair will be the first to make it to the Olympics in TCU beach volleyball history, according to the TCU Athletics website.
Hailey Van Lith, former LSU women’s basketball player, will join the Frogs this upcoming season as a senior student. Van Lith will play for the USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s National Team in Paris and is a five-time FIBA gold medalist.
Texas A&M University
The Aggies will send one of their top swimmers to Paris, Aviv Barzelay. Barzelay will represent her home country, Israel, this summer after qualifying with a new personal best of 2:09.63 for her 200-meter backstroke.
The full roster of athletes participating in this year’s Olympic games in Paris can be found on the Olympics website.
