After being delayed a year and despite some lingering COVID-related issues, the Olympics are set to begin this week in Tokyo, Japan, with softball starting Tuesday and women’s soccer starting Wednesday ahead of Friday morning’s opening ceremony.
There will be plenty of athletes with New England ties to keep an eye on, so here’s an introduction to help you keep track.
Jayson Tatum will be the most recognizable name for Boston sports fans, with the Celtics star set for a big role on a U.S. men’s basketball team that remains heavily favored to win gold despite struggling in recent exhibition games. Evan Fournier, one of his Celtics teammates this past season and a soon-to-be free agent, will be playing for France.
The U.S. women’s basketball team also enter as heavy favorites, and as you might expect, the always-dominant UConn Huskies are well represented with alums Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier on the team. Fellow UConn alum Stefanie Dolson is on the U.S. 3-on-3 team, as 3-on-3 basketball makes its Olympic debut.
In women’s soccer, sisters Samantha and Kristie Mewis of Hanson, Mass., make their Olympic debuts and look to help lead the U.S. to gold after a disappointing quarterfinal exit in Rio in 2016. Sam is one of the best midfielders in the world and will play a critical role, as she did on the 2019 World Cup-winning team. Older sister Kristie, also a midfielder, has battled her way back onto the national team after six years of not being in the picture and is expected to come off the bench. Alyssa Naeher, the team’s starting goalkeeper, is also a New England native, as she grew up in Stratford, Conn.
In baseball, the Red Sox will be sending six minor-leaguers to Tokyo as the sport returns to the Olympics for the first time since 2008. First baseman and top prospect Triston Casas (Double-A Portland) and infielder Jack Lopez (Triple-A Worcester) will be playing for Team USA, while pitcher Denyi Reyes (Portland), catcher Roldani Baldwin (Portland) and outfielder Johan Mieses (Worcester) are on the Dominican Republic team. Rounding out the Red Sox contingent is infielder/outfielder Joey Meneses (Portland) with Mexico. Meanwhile, David Robertson, who lives in Barrington, R.I. and is currently a free agent, will be pitching for Team USA.
On the track, Florence, Mass. native and Harvard grad Gabby Thomas has a shot at gold in the 200m after finishing first in the U.S. Olympic Trials with the fastest time for an American since Florence Griffith Joyner in 1988. She could also race in the 4x100 relay. Worcester’s Wadeline Jonathas, who ran at UMass Boston before transferring to South Carolina, will be running in the 400m after finishing third at the Olympic Trials, just .01 seconds behind five-time Olympian Allyson Felix. She could also be in the 4x400 relay.
New England will be well represented in the women’s 1,500m with Elle Purrier St. Pierre and Heather MacLean. Purrier St. Pierre, who grew up on a dairy farm in Montgomery, Vt. and went to the University of New Hampshire, finished first at the Olympic Trials. MacLean, who grew up in Peabody and went to UMass, finished third. Both currently run for New Balance Boston.
Sanford, Maine native Rachel Schneider will be running in the 5,000m after finishing third in the event at Olympic Trials. Emily Sisson, who went to Providence College and trained there before heading to Tokyo, earned a spot in the 10,000m field after setting an Olympic Trials record in the event last month. Molly Seidel, who lives in Boston and is currently a volunteer assistant at Boston University, will be running in the marathon.
Lynn’s Rashida Ellis has a chance to add to Massachusetts’ boxing legacy, as she’ll be competing for a medal in the lightweight division after finishing third in the 2019 World Championships and first in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials.
In fencing, Sherborn, Mass. native and Harvard grad Eli Dershwitz is back for his second Olympics, while Westwood, Mass. native Andrew Mackiewicz joins him on the men’s sabre team in his Olympic debut.
In the pool, Andover native Lindi Schroeder qualified for the synchronized swimming duet event with teammate Anita Alvarez. Amherst native Mike Hixon is competing in the men’s synchronized springboard dive with teammate Andrew Capobianco, while Dover, N.H. native Jessica Parratto is in the women’s synchronized platform dive with teammate Delaney Schnell.
Ridgefield, Conn. native Kieran Smith is a medal contender in both the 200m and 400m freestyle events after winning both at the Olympic Trials. He should also be on the 4x200 freestyle relay team. In a really cool story, Seekonk’s Troy and Jayla Pina will be competing as members of the first-ever Cape Verde Olympic swimming team (their mother is from the African island country) in the 50m freestyle and 100m breaststroke, respectively.
Stu McNay, who grew up in Brookline, went to Yale and now lives in Providence, is heading to his fourth Olympics as a member of the U.S. men’s sailing team. Anna Weis, a Florida native who graduated from Boston University this spring, is heading to her first with the women’s sailing team.
Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez, who was born in Boston and grew up in Mexico City before returning to the U.S. to train, is a member of the U.S. women’s archery team. Old Saybrook, Conn. native Alexis Sablone is a member of the first-ever Olympic skateboarding team as the sport makes its Olympics debut.
The U.S. women’s rugby team features three players with New England ties in Franklin, Mass. native Kristi Kirshe, Harvard alum Cheta Emba and Burlington, Vt. native Ilona Maher. Madison Hughes, who grew up in England but went to Dartmouth College and now lives in Lancaster, Mass., is on the U.S. men’s rugby team.
Last but certainly not least is the sport that will feature the most New England representation: Rowing. The women’s eight team, which is looking for a fourth straight Olympic gold, features Methuen native Regina Salmons; Rochester, Mass. native Gia Doonan; and Harvard alum Olivia Coffey.
The men’s eight team includes Watertown native and Harvard grad Alexander Richards; Weston native and Harvard grad Conor Harrity; Old Lyme, Conn. native and Harvard grad Liam Corrigan; and fellow Old Lyme, Conn. native Austin Hack. Three-quarters of the men’s four team also has New England ties with Wayland native and Harvard grad Andrew Reed; Harvard grad Clark Dean; and Barrington, R.I. native and Brown grad Anders Weiss.
The women’s double sculls team is all local with Newton’s Gevvie Stone and Weston’s Kristi Wagner, while the women’s quadruple sculls team includes Weston native and Brown grad Cicely Madden.