Should the already-delayed Tokyo summer Olympics and Paralympics have been further delayed, or canceled all together? Um, probably. With cases of the coronavirus Delta variant spreading in Tokyo, Japan has, as a precaution, banned spectators as it declared a state of emergency. So this will be an event, but a strange one.  

Still, over 15,000 athletes, both Olympians and Paralympians, are set to compete in Tokyo, and among them are many from or affiliated with Washington state. So if you want your national pride with a side of regionalism, here’s a list of locals in the games. We’ll update it with accolades as they come in.  

Olympians from Washington State 

Artistic Gymnastics 

Jordan Chiles  

Hometown: Vancouver | Age: 20 | Olympic appearance: First | 2021 medal: Silver in artistic team all-around final

She nearly quit gymnastics in 2017—a sport she’s competed in since age six. Then she learned to have fun with it. 

 

Basketball 

Breanna Stewart

Hometown: North Syracuse, New York | Age: 26 | Olympic appearance: Second, with one gold medal | 2021 medal: Gold in basketball 

The Seattle Storm player has been a USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year three times. 

Jewell Loyd

Hometown: Lincolnwood, Illinois | Age: 27 | Olympic appearance: First | 2021 medal: Gold in basketball

She was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2015, and has since won two WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm.

Sue Bird

Hometown: Syosset, New York | Age: 40 | Olympic appearance: Fifth, with four gold medals | 2021 medal: Gold in basketball

Come on. You know who this is.

Zach LaVine

Hometown: Renton | Age: 26 | Olympic appearance: First | 2021 medal: Gold in basketball

The Chicago Bulls guard-forward became the fourth player to ever win consecutive NBA Slam Dunk Contests in 2015 and 2016. 

Canoe/Kayak 

Nevin Harrison  

Hometown: Seattle | Age: 19 | Olympic appearance: First | 2021 medal: Gold in the 200 meter canoe sprint

The canoe sprint racer intended to start college this year, but since the games were postponed, she headed to Georgia to train.  

Cycling 

Adrian Hegyvary  

Hometown: Seattle | Age: 37 | Olympic appearance: First

The track cyclist started racing seriously while getting a BA in Comparative History of Ideas at the University of Washington.  

Diving 

Katrina Young  

Hometown: Seattle | Age: 29 | Olympic appearance: Second 

The 10-meter diver just snagged a spot at the games in an impressive diving upset.  

Soccer  

Megan Rapinoe  

Hometown: Redding, California | Age: 36 | Olympic appearance: Third, with one gold medal | 2021 medal: Bronze in women's soccer

Again, you know who this is.  

Rose Lavelle  

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio | Age: 26 | Olympic appearance: First | 2021 medal: Bronze in women's soccer

She just joined the OL Reign this May, with the team’s CEO saying she “has the ability to be the best player in the world.”    

Track and Field 

Jacob Riley  

Hometown: Bellingham |Age: 32 | Olympic appearance: First

The marathon runner nabbed his place in the games in the last 10 meters of a race. 

Kara Winger 

Hometown: Vancouver | Age: 34 | Olympic appearance: Fourth

Each time the javelin thrower has made it to the Olympics, in 2008, 2012, and 2016, she’s leapt up the rankings, finishing 41st, then 31st, then 13th. Bodes well for her return. 

Weightlifting 

Harrison Maurus 

Hometown: Auburn | Age: 21 | Olympic appearance: First

At age 17, this 81-kilogram weight-class lifter broke the youth world record in the clean and jerk. 

Paralympians from Washington State 

Para-cycling 

Aaron Keith  

Hometown: Woodinville | Age: 50 | Paralympic appearance: First  

This is the para-cyclist’s first time competing for the U.S. in the Paralympics, but he has two World Championship gold medals to his name, most recently in 2019.  

Rifle Shooting 

McKenna Geer  

Hometown: Arlington | Age: 25 | Paralympic appearance: Second, with one bronze medal.

In 2016, Geer was the first American woman to medal in shooting at the Paralympics.   

Sitting Volleyball 

Katie Holloway  

Hometown: Lake Stevens | Age: 35 | Paralympic appearance: Fourth, with one gold medal and two silver.

Since taking gold at the 2016 Paralympics, the athlete has also co-hosted the podcast Inside ParaSport.   

Track and Field 

Chelsea McClammer 

Hometown: Benton City | Age: 27 | Paralympic appearance: Third, with two silvers and a bronze.  

Yes, she took the silver, not the gold in a 400-meter final in 2016. But her surge at the end was the most thrilling bit of the race. 

Hannah Dederick  

Hometown: Liberty Lake | Age: 18 | Paralympic appearance: First

This might be her first Olympics, but Dederick comes to it with a slew of gold medals (eight) from junior world championships, earned in races ranging from 100 meter to 5,000 meter. 

Isaiah Rigo 

Hometown: Cheney | Age: 22 | Paralympics appearance: First

Rigo is another young wheelchair sprinter to watch: He took gold in the T52 400-meter final at the 2019 Parapan American Games.  

Jaleen Roberts 

Hometown: Kent | Age: 22 | Paralympic appearance: First  

The track athlete, born with cerebral palsy, competes in swift events: 100- and 200-meter runs and the long jump. 

Susannah Scaroni  

Hometown: Tekoa | Age: 30 | Paralympic appearance: Third  

While many of her fellow track athletes excel at shorter races, Scaroni’s experience is in the wheelchair marathon. In 2016 she came within two seconds of the podium. 

Yen Hoang  

Hometown: Vancouver | Age: 24 | Paralympic appearance: First

In addition to racing track, Hoang has played junior national level wheelchair basketball.