22 former Penn State athletes heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics

After racking up six medals at the Tokyo Olympics, 22 former Penn State athletes will be heading to Paris in search of more hardware, including three-time Olympian Joe Kovacs.
Joe Kovacs places second in the shot put at 73-7 1/4 (22.43m) during the US Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field
Joe Kovacs places second in the shot put at 73-7 1/4 (22.43m) during the US Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris begin July 24, but a few weeks out from the opening ceremony, most of the athletes have been selected. After scoring six medals and four gold in Tokyo in 2021, 22 former Penn State athletes will be heading to Paris and looking to bring home more hardware. 

Unsurprisingly, Cael Sanderson’s dynastic wrestling program will be well represented at the Olympics with three former wrestlers competing and four of those for Team USA. Penn State will have additional representation with two Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members competing at the games. Kyle Drake was a four-time national champion at Cornell and Kyle Snyder won three national titles at Ohio State before joining the State College-based club.

On the track, recently crowned 200-meter NCAA Champion Cheickna Traore will compete for the Ivory Coast. Team USA shotputter Joe Kovacs, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, has made his third Olympic team. 

In women's volleyball, Haleigh Washington is back on Team USA, looking to defend its Tokyo gold medal that she earned with fellow former Nittany Lion Micha Hancock.

Here are all of the former Penn State athletes who will be competing in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

Wrestling

  • Aaron Brooks
  • Zain Retherford
  • Roman Bravo-Young (Mexico)

Track and Field

  • Joe Kovacs
  • Cheickna Traore (Ivory Coast)

Women’s Volleyball

  • Haleigh Washington

Men’s Volleyball

  • Matt Anderson
  • Max Holt
  • Aaron Russell

Women’s Soccer

  • Alyssa Naeher
  • Sam Coffey

Swimming

  • Gabe Castano-Garcia (Mexico)
  • Emma Harvey (Bermuda)
  • Jack Harvey (Bermuda)

Gymnastics

  • Stephen Nedoroscik
  • Sam Zakutney (Canada)

Field Hockey

  • Sophia Gladieux
  • Jenny Rizzo

Fencing

  • Miles Chamley-Watson
  • Margherita Guzzi Vincenti
  • Samantha Catantan (Phillipines)

Rugby

  • Kayla Canett

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