Meet the DC-area athletes who’ve qualified for the Paris Olympics

Aaron Brooks — Wrestling

Aaron Brooks is a 23-year-old rising wrestling star from Hagerstown, Maryland, who made a statement this spring when he took down the reigning Olympic gold medalist to qualify for his first Summer Games.

A four-time collegiate national champion at Penn State, Brooks defeated 2020 Tokyo gold medalist David Taylor not once, but twice in the U.S. Olympics Trials 190 lb. category to secure his spot on the Paris roster.

Brooks did his high school wrestling at North Hagerstown High School, winning four national titles, four Maryland state titles and compiling a 163-2 record over four years.

Brooks looks to continue his dominance during his debut at the Olympics in Paris.

Claire Collins — Rowing

Claire Collins is a 27-year-old rower from McLean, Virginia. She attended Washington Episcopal School in Bethesda, Maryland, before moving to the Deerfield, Massachusetts, area and attending Deerfield High School. Taking her rowing talents to Princeton University, Collins became a decorated collegiate athlete. In 2019, her senior year, she was a First Team All-American, First-Team All-Ivy League and received the C. Otto von Kienbusch Award, which is awarded annually to a Princeton senior woman, “of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportswoman.”

On the international stage, Collins finished fourth in the four (a boat with four athletes each rowing with one oar) at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and won gold in the four at the 2023 World Rowing Cup II.

She’s also no stranger to the Olympics. Collins competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games, coming in seventh in the four. This summer, she’ll compete in the women’s four or eight.

Kevin Durant — Basketball

For D.C.-area sports fans, Kevin Durant needs no introduction.

The 35-year-old basketball superstar played high school ball at National Christian Academy, Oak Hill Academy and Montrose Christian School. Durant is a two-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and has racked up a lengthy list of accolades throughout his collegiate and NBA career.

Durant has also enjoyed tremendous success at the international level as the highest-scoring player in men’s Olympic basketball history.

In Paris, Durant will be looking to become the only men’s basketball player with four gold medals.

Jahmal Harvey — Boxing

Jahmal Harvey is a 21-year-old boxer from Oxon Hill, Maryland. Harvey grew up playing football and was introduced to boxing by his youth football coach, who also coached boxing. At the age of just 18, Harvey became the first American man to win an elite world title since 2007, according to USA Boxing. Harvey has also racked up multiple gold medals at USA Boxing National Championships at the junior, youth and elite levels.

Harvey qualified for the 2024 Games by winning gold at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023. This summer, he will represent his country and Prince George’s County in the Olympics for the first time.

Kat Holmes — Fencing

Kat Holmes is a 30-year-old fencer from D.C. and a graduate of, you guessed it, Princeton University.

Holmes graduated from National Cathedral School in D.C. and is considered the veteran of the D.C.-area’s trio of Olympic fencers, as this summer will mark her third Olympic Games.

At Princeton, Holmes was a four-time All-American and finished second at the NCAA Championships her senior year in épée fencing. In 2018, Holmes was part of the history-making U.S. women’s épée team that won both the Senior World Championship and Senior World Cup gold medal.

Holmes will serve as a reserve on this summer’s women’s épée team.

Hadley Husisian — Fencing

Hadley Husisian is a fencer from Oakton, Virginia, and attends Princeton University.

Husisian was inspired to start fencing by the Nickelodeon show iCarly and eventually began training at the Elite Fencing Academy in Springfield.

An épée fencer, Husisian obtained the world No. 1 ranking as a junior women’s fencer in 2022 and won the Junior Women’s Épée World Championship that year.

During her first year at Princeton, Husisian earned All-American recognition, winning a 2023 NCAA Regional Champion and placing third at the NCAA Championships.

Husisian will make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games.

Torri Huske — Swimming

Torri Huske is a 21-year-old swimmer from Arlington, Virginia, who punched her ticket to Paris during swimming trials in the women’s 100 butterfly, an event in which she’s the former American record holder.

Huske began swimming around age 5 and swam for the Arlington Aquatic Club and Yorktown High School.

Even though she’s just 21, Huske will be competing in her second Olympics this summer, having taken home a silver medal during the Tokyo Games in the women’s 4×100 medley relay.

She’s also a six-time World Junior Championships medalist and swims for Stanford University.

Having qualified second in the final of women’s 100 fly trials, Huske will be a favorite to take home her first Olympic gold.

Taylor Knibb — Triathlon, Road Cycling

Qualifying in the triathlon for the 2024 Olympics apparently wasn’t enough for 26-year-old Taylor Knibb.

The D.C. native pulled off a stunning result on May 15 at the USA Cycling Pro Road Championships, winning the women’s time trial and securing a spot in a second sport in the Paris Olympics.

According to Team USA, Knibb was inspired to become a triathlete as a child after she watched her mom, Leslie Knibb, compete in an IRONMAN race. Taylor Knibb attended Sidwell Friends School in D.C., where she competed on the cross-country team. She also swam for Nation’s Capital Swim Club, while continuing to compete in triathlons. Knibb was named D.C. Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year and the D.C. State Athletic Association Runner of the Year in both 2014 and 2015.

At 23, Knibb was the youngest woman ever to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team, according to Team USA. During the 2020 Olympics, she placed 16th overall in the individual event and earned the silver medal at the debut Mixed Relay event.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Katie Ledecky — Swimming

Katie Ledecky, is a 27-year-old swimmer from Bethesda, Maryland. Already one of the greatest swimmers ever, Ledecky is heading to her fourth Olympics where she’s looking to add to her six individual gold medals.

Ledecky, who cruised to victory in the 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. swimming trials on June 15, is off to Paris where the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle swimming events are considered her best shots at victory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Helen Maroulis — Wrestling

Helen Maroulis is a 32-year-old wrestler from Rockville, Maryland, who will be competing in her third consecutive Olympics this summer.

Maroulis started wrestling at age 7 and went on to compete for Magruder High School in Derwood, finishing with a record of 99-26, often wrestling against boys.

During her first Olympics in 2016, Maroulis made history, becoming the first U.S. woman to win gold in wrestling. She followed that up with a bronze medal in the 2020 games.

Maroulis is also a three-time Senior World Championships gold medalist.

On top of her competitive schedule, Maroulis, who still lives in Rockville, works to train the next generation of young wrestlers by holding clinics for all ages.

Tatiana Nazlymov — Fencing

Tatiana Nazlymov is from Bethesda, Maryland, where her father and grandfather (also fencers) got her involved in the sport at a young age.

Nazlymov attended Georgetown Day School in D.C. and held the No. 11 world junior ranking before going to Princeton, where she just completed her freshman year.

This summer will be Nazlymov’s first Olympic Games, but she’s already had success on the international level. She won gold at the 2023 Pan-American Senior Championships, and racked up silver medals at the 2023 World University Games and the Plovdiv Junior Women’s Saber World Cup.

Aaron Russell — Volleyball

Aaron Russell is a 30-year-old, 6’9″ volleyball player from Ellicott City, Maryland, who plays outside hitter for Team USA.

Russell attended Centennial High School in Ellicott City, where he trained with the girls volleyball team, since they didn’t have a boys team. He also played for the Maryland Volleyball Program in Rockville and was a member of the 2010 and 2011 Youth National Team.

Russell’s talents extend beyond the court, having been a two-year team captain in soccer at Centennial. Russell followed his older brother to Penn State to play collegiate volleyball, and was a two-time All American and one of two team captains his senior year.

In Paris, Russell will be looking to pick up more Olympic hardware. He was a part of USA’s bronze-medal winning team at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and was named to the Olympic Dream Team.

Kyle Snyder — Wrestling

Kyle Snyder is a 28-year-old wrestler from Woodbine, Maryland, who looks to add to his vast collection of hardware during the 2024 Summer Games.

Snyder took home the freestyle wrestling gold medal at 97 kg in 2016 and came away with silver in the 2020 games. He also won the world championship in 2015, 2017 and 2022.

Those who watched Snyder wrestle in high school for Our Lady of Good Counsel won’t be surprised by his success. During his three years there, Snyder amassed a perfect, 179-0 record on his way to three prep national titles while only giving up a single takedown in his entire high school career.

His dominance continued at the collegiate level wrestling for Ohio State, where he won three consecutive national titles.

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