OHIO — The Olympics are about to start and athletes from all over the world, including the Buckeye State, are going for gold.
Some of them are either from Ohio or went to a college in the state. The Tokyo Olympics will officially begin Friday, July 23 and end on Sunday, Aug. 8.
As Spectrum News continues to add to this list, meet the athletes with an Ohio background competing in this year's summer Olympics:
Hunter Armstrong
Armstrong, a junior at the Ohio State University, finished in second place with a personal best of 52.48 seconds in the 100m backstroke to qualify for the games. He's the first male Ohio State swimmer to make the Olympic team since 1965, according to the university. Armstrong will be representing the U.S.
“The United States has an amazing history of 1000-meter backstrokers and I want to be a part of that,” Armstrong told Spectrum News.
Ruby Remati
The incoming Ohio State student-athlete is heading to Tokyo to represent the U.S. in synchronized swimming.
Remati won the 2016 and 2017 U.S. National Championships and has placed competitions globally.
In the 2018 Japan Open, she placed 10th in Duet Tech and 11th in the Duet Free. In the 2018 China Open, she placed 3rd in the Duet Tech and Duet Free.
Emily Armstrong
The incoming Ohio State freshman will compete in synchronized swimming, representing Canada.
Armstrong helped win Team Ontario two team silvers at the U1 5Pan American Championships in 2011 and then won a solo gold.
She also competed for Canada at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, securing a spot for Canada in the Tokyo Olympics after helping to win a team gold.
Ruslan Gaziev
The Ohio State junior will be representing Canada in Tokyo this summer.
Gaziev will compete in the 4x100 relay after finishing second in both the semifinals and finals of the 100 freestyle.
Matthew Abeysinghe
The former Ohio State swimmer is about to compete in his second Olympic games.
He will be competing for Sri Lanka. He was the first Sri Lankan swimmer to qualify under an Olympic standard in 2016.
Abeysinghe was a seven-time relay All-American for Ohio State.
Zach Apple
The Butler County native will compete for Team USA in the 100-meter freestyle, the the 4x100 free relay and the 4x200-meter relay. He won in the 2017 World Championships.
Clayton Murphy
The 2016 bronze medalist once again punched his ticket to the Olympics, coming in first place in the 800-meter run.
With just seconds left of the run, Murphy was in fifth place, but sprinted the last 40 meters, finishing with a time of 1:43.17 — the fastest time recorded so far this year.
The Ohio Olympian will continue to be coached by Lee LaBadie from the University of Akron.
“I really am worried about myself and what I can do. As long as I’m in the best shape that I can be in, the healthiest I can be, and as mentally confident in myself as possible, I think the sky’s the limit," Murphy told Spectrum News.
Christina Clemons
The former track star for Ohio State held back tears of joy after making the U.S. Olympic team.
"I'm just so happy," she said in post-race interview.
Clemons, 31, finished third in the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.53 seconds.
During her time at Ohio State between 2008-12, she made multiple school records, including the 100-meter hurdles and the 4x100-meter relay. Clemons is also a 10-time Big Ten champion, a two-time national champion and an 11-time All American.
Reggie Jagers
The Solon native and Kent State graduate qualified for the U.S. team in the discus throw after getting a top distance of 62.61 meters.
Although this is Jagers' first time at an Olympic games, it's not his first competing on an international stage.
He earned a gold medal in the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taiwan in the discus throw. Then in 2018, he won that event at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In 2019, he won bronze at the Pan American Games in Peru.
Katie Nageotte
The Olmstead Falls native won first in the women's pole vault with a finish of 16 feet, 2 and 3/4 inches, which is a personal outdoor best.
According to the Olmstead Falls alumni association, Nageotte is the high school's first Olympian. She's also an alumni of Ashland University.
“When the dream, that turned into a goal, became a reality. We did it. OLYMPIAN," Nageotte posted on her Facebook.
Anavia Battle
The Ohio State standout sprinter finished third in the 200-meter finals with a time of 21.95 seconds, a personal best.
Battle also had a personal, season and school record time of 22.28 seconds this season, according to the university. She will be representing Team USA.
Adelaide Aquilla
Another Ohio State Buckeye is heading for Tokyo. Aquilla from Rocky River, Ohio, finished in third place for shot put with a throw of 62 feet and 2 1/4 inches.
Aquilla was recently named the Ohio State female athlete of the year. She's also the NCAA Champion for the event this year in early June. She was the first Ohio State woman to win an individual national championship in the outdoor NCAAs, according to the university.
Eric Harrison Jr.
The senior Ohio State student earned All-American honors as part of the NCAA runner-up 4×100 outdoor relay team. The sprinter will be representing Trinidad and Tobago.
Maggie Barrie
Barrie, who will be representing Sierra Leone, currently resides in Columbus, Ohio and attended Xavier University in Cincinnati. Her parents are from Sierra Leone, and she grew up in the U.S.
She began focusing on the 400-meter race in 2017, the same year she competed in the world championships in London. She will be competing in the women's 100-meter race.
Jenna Fesemyer
The Ravenna native will be representing Team USA in this year's Paralympic Games. Fesemyer will compete in the 1500-meter race and the 5000 meters along with the marathon distance on the road. She nearly qualified for the Rio 2016 Paralympic games.
Misha Koudinov
The former Ohio State gymnast will be representing New Zealand this summer in his second Olympic games appearance.
Koudinov, who is from Auckland, New Zealand, specializes in uneven bars. In Rio in 2016, his highest finish was 16th place in vault.
He was the 2012 All-American for the Buckeyes and a 2013 team captain, according to the university.
Alex Yoder
The 2019 Ohio State graduate secured a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
Yoder was an an eight-time All-American for the Buckeyes between 2016 and 2019, and this is his first time at the Olympics.
Simone Biles
That's right — the G.O.A.T has Ohio ties. The Columbus native has qualified for her second Olympic games.
Biles is the undefeated all-around competition, a five-time Olympic medalist and she has 25 world medals. She came out strong in the first day of the trials, heading to the top of the leaderboard with a floor performance that included two moves named after her.
The second day had been a little rough for the athlete, but Biles said in a post-trials interview that she is relieved to have it behind her and has her eyes set on Tokyo.
Diego Cervantes
The Ohio State junior will be representing Mexico at the games in the individual men's foil. He's been a member of the Mexican National Team since 2015, according to Ohio State.
He finished first at the 2021 Pan American Zonal Olympic Qualifier in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Marc-Antoine Blais Belanger
The Ohio State alumni will be representing Canada in Tokyo this summer.
He places second in the NCAA championships in 2016, finished 24th overall for Team Canada at the 2017 Pan American Fencing Championships and is the 2018 Men's Epee National Champion.
Alanna Goldie
Goldie is another Ohio State alumna that will be representing Canada this year.
Her achievements go all the way back to 2010 when she won national titles in the Cadet, Junior and Senior divisions all in the same year.
Goldie won individual Pan Am bronze in 2012, 2013 and 2016. In 2015 at the Toronto Pan Am Games, she won individual bronze in foil and helped Canada win gold.
She is also a two-time bronze medalist at the NCAA Fencing Championships.
Eleanor Harvey
This Ohio State alumna will also be representing Canada this summer.
In her Olympic debut in Rio in 2016, she made history for her country. She achieved Canada’s best-ever Olympic result in an individual fencing event, after coming in seventh place.
She advanced to the quarterfinals that year after defeating the world’s No. 1 ranked fencer.
While with the Buckeyes, she won the NCAA Championships as a junior in 2016 and tied for third in 2017.
Lee Kiefer
The Cleveland-born athlete is a three-time Olympic champion. Kiefer holds one gold, one silver and two bronzes. Most recently, she competed in world championships in 2019 where she won bronze in the team event and placed 5th individually. She now resides in Kentucky.
Jack Leverette III and Henry Leverette
The two brothers who are rising sophomores at Ohio State will represent Team USA in the shooting competition. They will compete in the men's 25-meter rapid fire pistol event alongside each other.
Jack will be an alternate for suspended Olympic pistol shooter, Keith Sanderson. Sanderson has been suspended for three months for sexual misconduct and sexual harassment, according to Olympic officials.
Kyle Snyder
Snyder, a former Ohio State athlete, made history at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. He was the youngest to ever win a gold medal in wrestling.
During his time at Ohio State, he was a three-time national champion.
Nichelle Prince
Prince, a former Ohio State Buckeye, will be representing Team Canada this summer. She had her Olympic debut in 2016, helping her team get the bronze. The next year, she helped Canada place second in the Algarve Cup and got bronze in the same event in 2019.
She was named to the All-Big 10 Second Team and All-Freshman Team in 2013.
Vanessa Gilles
Gilles is one of the most decorated athletes to come out of the University of Cincinnati. Representing Team Canada, she started every game for the Bearcats during her collegiate career.
She was named to the AAC All-Rookie her freshman year, named the AAC tournament Most Outstanding Defensive Player her sophomore year, was the AAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Conference selection her senior year in 2017.
Rose Lavelle
The Cincinnati native will make her Olympic debut in Tokyo. She has a long list of achievements, including being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NSWL Draft by the Washington Spirit, being a four-time First Team All-Big Team selection (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and being rewarded the FIFA Women’s World Cup Bronze Ball award.
Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino
The former Ohio State athlete made her Olympic debut in 2016 in the double sculls event, placing 5th with her team. During her time at OSU, she helped the university win an NCAA title.
Rowing is in her family's blood — her father, Stephane Ravera, also represented the country for rowing and became a European champion.
Anneta Kyridou
A newcomer to Ohio State's rowing team, Kyridou will be representing Team Greece in the women's single sculls event. She won bronze in the event at the 2020 European Championships in Poland.
Maria Kyridou
Anneta and Maria are sisters, both representing the same team. Maria is also a newcomer to OSU's rowing team, and helped Greece win bronze in the women's pair at the European Championships.
Alessandra Montesano
The junior Ohio State Buckeye will be competing for Team Italy in the women's quadruple sculls event.
IIse Paulis
The former Ohio State athlete will be competing in the lightweight women's double sculls event, the same event she won a gold in at the 2016 Olympics.
Aina Cid Centelles
The three-time OSU Scholar Athlete will be representing Team Spain. She was a second team All-Big Ten selection in 2015 and 2017.
Blake Haxton
The Ohio State alumnus and Paralympic athlete will be competing for Team USA in the Men’s Arms and Shoulders Single Sculls. He placed 5th in the Rio 2016 Paralympic games.
Nick Bruce
The Youngstown, Ohio native will compete in one of the newer events at the Olympics, the BMX Freestyle. He is best known for landing the first flair tailwhip to tailwhip back and for landing the first 360 double tailwhip to downside tailwhip, according to USA Cycling.
Tom Davis
Davis, born in Montpelier, Ohio, is a Paralympian who competed in the 2016 Paralympics. He will compete in the road race, the same event he did in 2016. In the last Paralympics, he placed 4th in the road race and 6th in the road race trial.
Mindy Cook
The Celina High School graduate will compete for Team USA in the Paralympics. According to Team USA's website, she attended her first goalball match in Michigan in 2017, and fell in love with the sport.
Megan Courtney
Courtney, of Dayton, Ohio, will compete for Team USA as an alternate.
She placed 5th in the 2018 FIVB World Championship, was named Best Libero of FIVB Volleyball Nations League in 2019 and helped Penn State win an NCAA title in 2014.
Max Holt
The Cincinnati native is a two-time Olympian, and will once again represent Team USA.
He won bronze in 2016, and won another bronze int he 2018 world championship.
Jordan Thompson
One of the greatest volleyball players from the University of Cincinnati will be representing Team USA. Thompson is a three-time AAC Player of the Year and will be one of the youngest members on the team.
"It’s just such an honor and to be able to represent Cincinnati as well I think is huge,” Thompson told Spectrum News. "It’s really special to be at this point in my career so early. And I think it’s very surprising for me, but I’m just enjoying every second of it."
Todd Frazier
The former Cincinnati Reds player will likely have the last year of his 11-year career at the Olympics. He is one of 14 players with MLB experience on Team USA’s roster.
Anthony Gose
Gose is currently in Cleveland's AAA-Columbus. The 30 year old will pitch for the team. He played three seasons with the Detroit Tigers, was traded to the Blue Jays, spent time in the Texas Rangers' system and then was traded to Cleveland.
Carlin Isles
The well-rounded athlete is an alumnus of Jackson High School and Ashland University, according to USA Rugby. Isles held records at Jackson for track and field, including the long jump, 100-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter events.
At Ashland University, he was an All-American for the 60-meter dash and was an All-GLIAC selection on school's football team. Isles was also on the 2016 Rio roster.