Here’s a look at the Las Vegas locals in the Tokyo Olympics
Bowe Becker 
Sport: Swimming
Country: United States
Local connection: Faith Lutheran High School, Sandpipers of Nevada
Background: He earned All-America honors at Minnesota in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, finishing second in the 100 free and fourth in the 50 free at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Becker competes for the Cali Condors club team, but wore the Sandpipers of Nevada cap at the Olympic Trials and is a product of that swim club. This is the Olympics debut for Becker, who will compete in the 400-meter relay. The U.S. won gold in this event in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
Day competing: Heats — July 25, 5:10 a.m. Final — July 25, 8:05 p.m.
Vuk Celic 
Sport: Swimming
Country: Serbia
Local connection: UNLV
Background: Celic is Serbia’s national champion in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle. He was UNLV’s only qualifier for this year’s NCAA Championships, finishing 20th in the 1,650 free and 29th in the 500 free. A two-time Western Athletic Conference champion, this is his first Olympics. Celik received an extra year of eligibility to return to UNLV next season. He will compete in the 800 free in Tokyo.
Days competing: Heats — July 27, 4:37 a.m. Final — July 28, 6:30 p.m.
Vashti Cunningham 
Sport: Track and field
Country: United States
Local connection: Bishop Gorman High School
Background: The daughter of former UNLV and NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, she is making her second Olympics appearance. In 2016 at Rio de Janeiro, Cunningham was the youngest American track athlete in the Olympics since 1980. Cunningham finished 13th that year in the high jump. Now she heads to Tokyo after qualifying first in the Olympic Trials with a leap of 6 feet, 5 inches.
Days competing: Qualifying — Aug. 4, 5:10 p.m. Final — Aug. 7, 3:35 a.m.
Connor Fields 
Sport: Cycling
Country: United States
Local connection: Green Valley High School, UNLV
Background: Fields will defend his gold medal in BMX he won in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. His Olympics debut came in 2012 in London, where Fields finished seventh. Fields is the country’s top-ranked rider. The 28-year-old has said this is probably his last Olympics.
Days competing: Quarterfinals — July 28, 6 p.m. Semifinals — July 29, 6 p.m. Final — July 29, 7:40 p.m.
Blake Gailen 
Sport: Baseball
Country: Israel
Local connection: UNLV
Background: The outfielder played for the Rebels in 2006 and 2007, batting .291 with 11 home runs, 71 runs and 57 RBIs over 100 games. Gailen then played professionally, twice advancing to Triple A as well as playing internationally. He played for Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and the 2019 European Baseball Championship.
Days competing: Opening round — July 28, 6 p.m. Semifinals — July 29, 6 p.m. Final — July 29, 7:40 p.m.
Chelsea Gray 
Sport: Basketball
Country: United States
Local connection: Aces
Background: Gray was the Aces’ top free-agent signing last offseason, giving them a three-time WNBA All-Star point guard. She was first-team all-league in 2019 and made the second team in 2017. Gray is averaging 11.5 points and 6.1 assists with the Aces. This is her first Olympics, and she joins a U.S. squad that has won six consecutive gold medals.
Days competing: Group play — July 29, 3 a.m., vs. South Korea; July 30, 3 a.m., vs. U.S. Medal round begins July 31.
Katie Grimes 
Sport: Swimming
Country: United States
Local connection: Sandpipers of Nevada
Background: She was the surprise at the Olympic Trials after finishing second in the 800-meter freestyle to star Katie Ledecky. That performance put the 15-year-old Grimes in her first Olympics. She is the youngest American swimmer in the Olympics since Amanda Beard made the 1996 team at 14. Ledecky called Grimes “the future” and “the now.”
Days competing: Heats — July 29, 3:02 a.m. Final — July 30, 6:46 p.m.
Danielle Kang 
Sport: Golf
Country: United States
Local connection: Las Vegas resident
Background: Kang showed early she could be a future force when she won U.S. Women’s Amateur titles in 2010 and 2011. She joined the LPGA Tour in 2012 and five years later claimed a major as her first victory when she took the Women’s PGA Championship. She has since won four more times and last year led the Tour with a 70.08 scoring average. Kang has represented the U.S. twice in the Solheim Cup (2017 and 2019).
Days competing: Round 1 — Aug. 3, 3:30 p.m. Round 2 — Aug. 4, 3:30 p.m. Round 3 — Aug. 5, 3:30 p.m. Final round — Aug. 6, 3:30 p.m.
Alexis Lagan 
Sport: Pistol shooting
Country: United States
Local connection: Boulder City High School
Background: Lagan not only makes her Olympics debut, but she is the first Olympian from Boulder City and the first shooter from the University of Utah to qualify for the Games. She nearly made the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and earned a spot as an alternate. Lagan is competing in the 10-meter air pistol and 25-meter sport pistol events.
Days competing: 10-meter air pistol final — July 24, 7:15 p.m. 25-meter sport pistol final — July 29, 10 p.m.
Collin Morikawa 
Sport: Golf
Country: United States
Local connection: Las Vegas resident
Background: He had a breakout victory by winning the 2020 PGA Championship. He has four victories in his three seasons on the PGA Tour. Through 18 events this year, Morikawa finished in the top 10 seven times, including tying for fourth at the U.S. Open. He was 10th in the FedEx Cup standings in mid-July.
Days competing: Round 1 — July 28, 3:30 p.m. Round 2 — July 29, 3:30 p.m. Round 3 — July 30, 3:30 p.m. Final round — July 31, 3:30 p.m.
Ike Nwamu 
Sport: Basketball
Country: Nigeria
Local connection: UNLV
Background: Nwamu played his senior season at UNLV after two years at Mercer. He averaged 11.4 points in the 2015-16 season and made 34.6 percent of his 3-pointers. Since leaving UNLV, Nwamu has played in the G League and Europe.
Days competing: Group play — July 25, 1:20 a.m., vs. Australia; July 27, 6 p.m., vs. Germany; July 30, 9:40 p.m., vs. Italy. Tournament stage begins Aug. 2.
Inbee Park 
Sport: Golf
Country: South Korea
Local connection: Bishop Gorman High School
Background: She put on a dominant performance in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, winning by five shots to capture the gold medal. Park, the 2013 LPGA player of the year, called it the top moment of her Hall of Fame-worthy career. She had six top-10 finishes in seven tournaments this year to put herself in position to qualify for the Olympics. This is expected to be her last appearance in the Games.
Days competing: Round 1 — Aug. 3, 3:30 p.m. Round 2 — Aug. 4, 3:30 p.m. Round 3 — Aug. 5, 3:30 p.m. Final round — Aug. 6, 3:30 p.m.
JiSu Park 
Sport: Basketball
Country: South Korea
Local connection: Aces
Background: The Aces traded for Park in 2018 as part of a draft-day deal with the Minnesota Lynx. She played on South Korea’s under-17 team at 13, and at 16 became the youngest to make her country’s national squad. Park was rookie of the year in 2017 of South Korea’s professional league, WKBL, and its MVP and finals MVP in 2019.
Days competing: Group play — July 25, 6 p.m., vs. Spain; July 28, 6 p.m., vs. Canada; Aug. 1, 5 a.m., vs. Serbia. Tournament stage begins Aug. 3.
Kelsey Plum 
Sport: 3X3 basketball
Country: United States
Local connection: Aces
Background: She qualified for her first Olympics, but Plum has international experience. In 2018, she was on the U.S. women’s basketball team that won gold at the FIBA World Cup. Plum was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2017 by San Antonio, which moved to Las Vegas a year later. She is averaging a career-high 13.5 points and is shooting 36.5 percent from the 3-point arc.
Days competing: Pool play — July 24, 1:55 a.m., vs. France; July 24, 5 a.m. vs. Mongolia; July 25, 1:30 a.m., vs. Romania; July 25, 5:25 a.m., vs. Russia Olympic Committee; July 26, 1:55 a.m., vs. Italy; July 26, 5 a.m., vs. China; July 26, 9:30 p.m., vs. Japan. Tournament stage begins July 27.
Bella Sims 
Sport: Swimming
Country: United States
Local connection: Sandpipers of Nevada
Background: The 16-year-old is making her Olympics debut and will compete in the 800-meter freestyle relay. She earned a spot on the team after finishing fifth in the Olympic Trials in the 200 free. Sims did not begin swimming until six years ago when she took lessons.
Day competing: Heats — July 28, 4:34 a.m. Final — July 28, 8:31 p.m.
Ben Stevenson 
Sport: Water polo
Country: United States
Local connection: Coronado High School
Background: Stevenson joined the United States Water Polo Olympic Development Program as a freshman at Reno High School and practiced with a club team in Sacramento, California. He moved to Southern Nevada to compete for the Team Vegas club team. Stevenson later became a three-time All-American at Pacific. He began practicing with the national team in 2014 and made his debut at the 2018 FINA World Cup in Berlin.
Days competing: Preliminary — July 24, 10 p.m., vs. Japan; July 26, 6 p.m., vs. South Africa; July 28, 10 p.m., vs. Italy; July 30, 10 p.m., vs. Hungary; Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m., vs. Greece. Tournament stage begins Aug. 3.
Erica Sullivan 
Sport: Swimming
Country: United States
Local connection: Palo Verde High School, Sandpipers of Nevada
Background: She finished second to Katie Ledecky in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the Olympic Trials to earn a spot in that event. Sullivan made the transition from open water, where she was a two-time national champion. She originally committed to Southern California, but instead will attend Texas in the fall. The trip to Japan is familiar for Sullivan, who speaks fluent Japanese and has traveled there to visit family members.
Days competing: Heats — July 26, 4:32 a.m. Final — July 27, 7:54 p.m.
Kasia Wasick 
Sport: Swimming
Country: Poland
Local connection: UNLV volunteer assistant coach
Background: Wasick is appearing in her fourth Olympics, and she will compete in the 50-meter freestyle. She set the Polish record in the 50 at this year’s European Championships, and her mark of 24.17 seconds was the world’s fifth-fastest time. Wasick swam collegiately at Southern California, earning 12 All-America honors.
Days competing: Heats — July 30, 3:24 a.m. Semifinals — July 30, 7:32 p.m. Final — July 31, 6:37 p.m.
A’ja Wilson 
Sport: Basketball
Country: United States
Local connection: Aces
Background: The reigning WNBA MVP makes her Olympics debut for the U.S. team, which heads to Tokyo seeking its seventh consecutive gold medal. She has international experience, having played on the gold medal team in the 2018 World Cup. Wilson was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 WNBA draft, and she was named rookie of the year that season. This season, Wilson averages 19.4 points and 9.0 rebounds.
Days competing: Group play — July 26, 9:40 p.m., vs. Nigeria; July 29, 9:40 p.m., vs. Japan; Aug. 1, 9:40 p.m., vs. France. Tournament stage begins Aug. 3.
Jackie Young 
Sport: 3X3 basketball
Country: United States
Local connection: Aces
Background: Young was added later after Katie Lou Samuelson was placed in COVID-19 protocols. Including teammate Kelsey Plum, the Aces make up half the squad. Young also played on the U.S. 3X3 basketball team that appeared in the 2019 World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar, losing in the quarterfinals to Brazil. The Aces drafted Young No. 1 overall in 2019, and she made the WNBA’s all-rookie team. This season, she averages 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Days competing: Pool play — July 24, 1:55 a.m., vs. France; July 24, 5 a.m. vs. Mongolia; July 25, 1:30 a.m., vs. Romania; July 25, 5:25 a.m., vs. Russia Olympic Committee; July 26, 1:55 a.m., vs. Italy; July 26, 5 a.m., vs. China; July 26, 9:30 p.m., vs. Japan. Tournament stage begins July 27.
Beiwen Zhang 
Sport: Badminton
Country: United States
Local connection: Las Vegas resident
Background: The 31-year-old has 300 career victories and is ranked 14 on the Badminton World Federation tour. Zhang was born in China has competed for her native country and Singapore. She began competing for the U.S. in 2013. Zhang won three Grand Prix titles in 2014 — U.S. Open, Brazil Open and Dutch Open.
Days competing: Group play — July 25, 2 a.m., vs. Maria Ulitina (Ukraine); July 27, 6:20 p.m. vs. Fabiana Silva (Brazil). Tournament stage begins July 28.
