Additional Athletes With North Carolina Ties
Are Competing At 2024 Summer Olympic Games
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
Beyond the 2024 Summer Olympics participants who have connections to various North Carolina colleges and universities, dozens of additional athletes competing in France have significant ties to North Carolina cities, high schools and top-level professional sports teams, including the Charlotte Hornets (National Basketball Association), Charlotte FC (Major League Soccer) and North Carolina Courage (National Women’s Soccer League).
Josh Green, an offseason acquisition of the Hornets, is representing his native Australia in the men’s basketball competition. Green, 23, played the past four seasons for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, who drafted him in the first round in 2020.
Liel Abada, a first-year player for Charlotte FC, is representing his native Israel in the men’s soccer competition. Abada, 22, has represented Israel’s youth teams since 2020 and the national team since 2021 in various international competitions.
The Courage is represented in Paris by one prominent former player, Team USA forward Lynn Williams, and four current members of the franchise: 2023 NWSL most valuable player Kerolin (Brazil), goalkeeper Casey Murphy (USA), defender Feli Rauch (Germany) and forward Cortnee Vine (Australia).
In addition, many of this year’s Summer Olympics competitors are products of North Carolina high schools, including Team USA members Bam Adebayo (men’s basketball), Kaylyn Brown (women’s track & field), Cierra Burdick (women’s basketball), Erika Connolly (women’s swimming), Veronica Fraley (women’s track & field) and Sammy Sullivan (women’s rugby).
(Note: Additional products of North Carolina high schools are mentioned separately, as part of our “colleges and universities” list.)
Other Summer Olympians live and/or train in North Carolina, such as canoe competitor Casey Eichfeld, who utilizes The Whitewater Center in Charlotte.
Most of the athletes listed below are competing for the United States in France, while others represent Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Gambia, Germany, Israel or Laos.
More Olympians With North Carolina Ties
(Name, Country, Sport)
Liel Abada, Israel, Men’s Soccer
(current player for Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer)
Bam Adebayo, USA, Men’s Basketball
(Pinetown Northside HS and High Point Christian Academy)
Perris Benegas, USA, Women’s BMX Freestyle
(lives in Fuquay-Varina)
Kaylyn Brown, USA, Women’s Track & Field (Mixed 4×400 Relay)
(Mallard Creek HS in Charlotte)
Cierra Burdick, USA, Women’s Basketball (3×3)
(Butler HS in Mathews)
Gianluca Busio, USA, Men’s Soccer
(born/raised in Greensboro; formerly NC Fusion Soccer Club)
Andrew Capobianco, USA, Men’s Diving (3m Springboard)
(Holly Springs HS)
Anna Cockrell, USA, Women’s Track & Field (400 Meters)
(Providence Day School in Charlotte)
Erika Connolly, USA, Women’s Swimming (4×400 Freestyle Relay)
(Hough HS in Cornelius)
Casey Eichfeld, USA, Men’s Canoe (Slalom)
(trains at The Whitewater Center in Charlotte)
Veronica Fraley, USA, Women’s Track & Field (Discus)
(Wakefield HS in Raleigh)
Josh Green, Australia, Men’s Basketball (3×3)
(current player for Charlotte Hornets of NBA)
Steven Insixiengmay, Laos, Men’s Swimming
(Forsyth Country Day School in Lewisville)
Sanu Jallow-Lockhart, Gambia, Women’s Track & Field (800 Meters)
(West Mecklenburg HS in Charlotte)
Kerolin, Brazil, Women’s Soccer
(current player for North Carolina Courage of NWSL)
Evy Leibfarth, USA, Women’s Canoe/Kayak
(born in Sylva; raised in Bryson City; plans to attend Davidson)
Kelee Lepage, USA, Women’s Field Hockey
(lives in Charlotte)
Casey Murphy, USA, Women’s Soccer
(current player for North Carolina Courage of NWSL)
CJ Nickolas, USA, Men’s Taekwondo
(trains in Charlotte)
Fiona O’Keeffe, USA, Women’s Track & Field (Marathon)
(trains in Chapel Hill)
Feli Rauch, Germany, Women’s Soccer
(current player for North Carolina Courage of NWSL)
Hannah Roberts, USA, Women’s BMX Freestyle
(lives in Jacksonville; trains in Wilmington)
Aspara Sakbun, Cambodia, Women’s Swimming (50m Freestyle)
(lives, trains and works in Charlotte)
Sammy Sullivan, USA, Women’s Rugby
(Jack Britt HS in Fayetteville)
Mary Tucker, USA, Women’s Shooting (Three Events)
(born in Pineville)
Cortnee Vine, Australia, Women’s Soccer
(current player for North Carolina Courage of NWSL)
Lily Williams, USA, Women’s Cycling
(lived/trained in Asheville for many years)
Lynn Williams, USA, Women’s Soccer
(former, long-time player for North Carolina Courage of NWSL)
