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The 2024 Olympic Games are well underway in France, and as expected the early returns have the United States ahead in overall medals with 20 total as of this writing, including three gold, eight silver, and nine bronze.
The Olympics give folks not only a chance to celebrate some of the most well-known athletes on the planet, like LeBron James, Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, and Coco Gauff, they also help expose people to lesser known athletes in specific sporting competitions who have a rare chance to shine on the world stage.
That has already come to fruition in Paris, with many American athletes becoming household names overnight thanks to viral performances and celebrations.
While not every Team USA athlete was a prominent college star, many did excel in their respective sport – or in the case of beach volleyball star Chase Budinger, a different sport altogether.
Below is a look at eight Team USA olympians making headlines in the early part of the games, and where they went to college:
Kevin Durant – Basketball
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Breanna Stewart – Basketball
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
College: UConn Huskies
Event: Women’s Basketball 5×5
Record: 1-0
Chase Budinger – Beach Volleyball
Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
College: Arizona Wildcats
Event: Men’s Beach Volleyball
Record: 2-0
Sara Hughes – Beach Volleyball
Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters via USA TODAY Sports
College: USC Trojans
Event: Women’s Beach Volleyball
Record: 2-0
Caeleb Dressel – Swimming
Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
College: Florida Gators
Event: Men’s Swimming (4x100m, 100m butterfly, 50m freestyle)
Record: Gold in 4x100M Relay
Katie Ledecky – Swimming
Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
College: Stanford Cardinal
Event: Women’s Swimming (400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle, 4x200m relay)
Record: Bronze in 400m Freestyle
Stephen Nedoroscik – Gymnastics
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Ilona Maher – Rugby
Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports
College: Quinnipiac Bobcats
Event: Women’s 7×7 Rugby
Record: Will compete for Bronze
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Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/2024-olympic-games-team-usa-kevin-durant-college-sports/