The United States is expected to send around 600 athletes to the Tokyo Olympics. It will be the biggest group for the country since the 1996 Atlanta Games where 640 American athletes competed.
Here’s a list of the US athletes who have already earned berths in this Olympics which have been delayed for a year:
HALEY ANDERSON (SWIMMING)
The first American athlete and woman to qualify for Tokyo is Haley Anderson. She got her 3rd Olympic berth when she clinched the silver medal in the Open Water World Championship last July 2019. She had already won an open water swimming Olympic medal, courtesy of her 2nd place 10K finish in 2012.
JORDAN WILIMOVSKY (SWIMMING)
He became the first US man to qualify for the Tokyo Games after finishing 5th at the World Championships in the 10K. Tokyo will be his second Olympics. Wilimovsky, who is just 25 years old, had already won a 10K world title in 2015.
SUMMER RAPPAPORT (TRIATHLON)
In a late surge at an Olympic qualification event last August 2019 in Tokyo, she became the first US triathlete to qualify for Tokyo by being the top American finisher.
MARIEL ZAGUNIS (FENCING)
She will be joining her fifth Olympics. Zagunis, who is 36 years old, has already won 2 golds and 2 bronzes. She was also the US flag bearer at the 2012 opening ceremonies in London.
Chloe Dygert Owen (CYCLING)
She dominated the time trial world championship last September 2019 in England. This achievement made her the first US cyclist to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. She was 22 at that time, and that made her the youngest time trial world champion ever. And she did it by a record margin.
US MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
The US has earned a berth in men’s basketball in Tokyo. This team includes several NBA stars such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.
US WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
They have already earned a spot in women’s basketball for Tokyo. Team members include Diana Taurasi, Diamond DeShields, Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles and A’ja Wilson.
US WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM
They have already qualified for Tokyo last February 2020. There are several World Cup veterans in the team including Megan Rapinhoe, Alex Morgan, Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn.
US WOMEN’S SOFTBALL TEAM
At the first opportunity to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, they did so when, in August 2018, defeated host Japan to clinch the world title, their second in a row.
The members include Monica Abbott (the youngest, Ali Aguilar, Cat Osterman and Ally Carda.
GALEN RUPP (TRACK AND FIELD)
This long distance running veteran will be competing in his fourth Olympics in Tokyo. Rupp’s past achievements include winning a bronze in the 2016 Olympic marathon and garnering the silver in the 2012 games for the 10,000 meter run.
KYLE SNYDER (WRESTLING)
He qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after defeating fellow Ohio State graduate Kollin Moore in a Texas qualifier. He was the youngest American to win gold during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
HELEN MAROULIS (WRESTLING)
She is another defending US Olympic champion in wrestling aside from Snyder. She qualified for Tokyo after defeating Jenna Burkett in a qualifier just this April 2021.
BROOKE RABOUTOU (CLIMBING)
This 20 year old from Boulder, Colorado qualified for the Tokyo Olympics when she was 18 in her first attempt last August 2019. It was by virtue of her 9th place finish at the world championships. She is the daughter of 2 world cup climbing champions.
VINCENT HANCOCK (SHOOTING)
He is the two time American Olympic gold medalist in skeet shooting in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He has qualified for more than a year before the Tokyo Olympics.
DAVID BOUDIA (DIVING)
He didn’t earn a medal at the FINA World Championships in 2019, but fifth place was enough to earn Boudia a berth for the Tokyo Olympics.
But he has achieved a lot. Boudia is a 4 time Olympic medalist on the 10m platform which includes an individual gold during the London games. If he gets a fifth career Olympic medal in Tokyo, it would equalize him with Greg Louganis for the most medals by any American diver.
SAKURA KOKUMAI (KARATE)
She qualified for the Tokyo Olympics when she won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
She grew up in Hawaii where she learned karate, but also spent considerable time in Japan. She is now full time into karate in California preparating for the Olympics.
DONOVAN BRAZIER (TRACK AND FIELD)
He is the reigning world champion in the 800 meter run. And he also lowered the US indoor 800 meter record at the Millrose Games just last February 2020. He is the favorite to win this event in Tokyo.
AMRO ELGEZIRY (MODERN PENTATHLON)
When he represented his native Egypt, Elgeziry, he was already a 3 time Olympian.
He switched to Team USA, and has garnered his first Olympic birth as an American through a 5th place finish at the Pan Am Games. He holds the record in the Olympics for the swimming portion of the Modern Pentathlon.
JOHN JOHN FLORENCE (SURFING)
The 2 time world champion from Hawaii defied surfing icon Kelly Slater to acquire the last slot on Team USA surfing team. He qualified for Tokyo.
CAELEB DRESSEL (SWIMMING)
He is a multi swim event specialist – freestyle, butterfly and breaststroke sprints. He has been dubbed as the heir apparent to Michael Phelps. He has equaled the record of Phelps in the world championships with 7 gold medals in Budapest (2016). This was followed by the more recent Gwangju championships with 6 golds and 2 silvers.
He will be competing in Tokyo as the favorite in the 50 meter free, 100 meter free and the 100 meter fly.
JADE CAREY (GYMNASTICS)
She didn’t compete in the qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan last year, but the results there (before it was halted) combined with her already substantial achievements and standings lead did mean that she statistically garnered an Olympic berth.
The downside to this is Carey will only be competing in individual events and not in the team competition. Because 4 Olympic slots for this is up for grabs in an Olympic trial this year.
Written By: Jonathan Jesswani
