Proving their Mettle
Though COVID-19 canceled or forced the rescheduling of major sports events throughout 2020, it also allowed athletes preparing for Tokyo 2020 an extra summer to prepare for the games, including Cincinnati natives Zach Apple, Rose Lavelle, and Duke Ragan.
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Cincinnati Athletes
Over the years, Cincinnati has been home to many Olympians, and that continues this year. Enjoy a brief history of athletes born and raised in the region, including who look forward to during the XXII Olympiad in Tokyo.
Jenny Kemp (1972 gold medal): Born and raised in Cincinnati, Jenny Kemp was a gold medal winner at the age of 17. At the Munich Olympics, Kemp helped lead the Americans to an incredible victory over Eastern Germany by four-tenths of a second in the 4x100 m Freestyle. She would later graduate from the University of Cincinnati and swim for the Cincinnati Marlins swim club, where she set a world record.
Amanda Borden (1996 gold): Magnificent! Borden graduated from Finneytown High School and went on to be the captain of the “Magnificent Seven” that won Team USA’s gold, the first Olympic medal in US Women’s Gymnastics history. She began her training at the Cincinnati Gymnastics Center in Fairfield .
Gary Hall Jr. (1996 silver and gold medals, 2000 gold medals, 2004 gold medal): Born in Cincinnati, Gary Hall Jr. is the son of Gary Hall Sr., a three-time Olympic medalist and world-record holder. Hall Jr. won 10 Olympic medals between the Atlanta, Sydney and Athens Olympics. He defended his 50 m Freestyle title as the oldest American swimmer since 1924 and is a member of the Team USA Hall of Fame.
Bryan Volpenhein (2000 and 2004 gold medals, 2008 bronze medal): A graduate of Kings High School, Bryan Volpenhein is a three-time medalist, taking Team USA to gold in the 2000 and 2004 Men’s Eight and bronze in 2008. Volpenhein also served as the national team head coach from 2013-2018 and coached the 2016 Olympics. He now serves as the University of Pennsylvania men’s heavyweight rowing head coach.
Heather Mitts (2004, 2008, 2012 gold medals): Mitts was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team and graduated from Mount Notre Dame. While at MND, Mitts high school career record was 70-5-10 and she led the soccer program to a 1993 State Championship, as well as consecutive years of national rankings in the Top 12. The right back also won all-state honors her junior and senior years. She also led the University of Florida Gators to its first Women’s National Soccer Championship in 1998. She has two international goals in her career, both were game-winners. The U.S. defeated these teams for gold: Brazil, 2-1 in 2004; Brazil, 1-0 in 2008; Japan, 2-1 in 2012.
Mary Wineberg (2008 gold medal): Hailing from Walnut Hills High School, Mary Wineberg helped the 4x400 m Relay outrun Russia to win gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The gold medalist graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2002 and became the first African American female from UC to win gold in the Olympics.
David Payne (2008 silver medal): Payne graduated from Wyoming High School and was a teammate of Wineberg while at UC competing on the men’s track and field team. He prevailed to win a silver medal in the 110 m Hurdles finishing with a time of 13.17 seconds––only losing to the Cuban former world-record holder, Dayron Robles. Robles’ record was beaten in September 2012 with a time of 12.80 seconds.
Nick Thoman (2012 silver and gold): Thoman captured a silver medal in the 100 m Backstroke. The Mariemont High School alum (’04) swam for Cincinnati Aquatics Club before attending the University of Arizona. The backstroke specialist also helped qualify Team USA in the 4x100 m Medley Relay, in which the team eventually went to win gold in.
Kayla Harrison (2012 gold medal and 2016 gold medal): A Middletown native, Harrison was the first and only American woman or man to win a gold medal in the history of judo at the 2012 Olympics in London. The Middletown High School alumna (’08) defended her gold in 2016 at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. She now fights in the Professional Fighting League (PFL) and currently has a 10-0 record.
Rachael Adams (2016 bronze medal): Adams graduated from Mount Notre Dame High School in 2008 and went on to play at the University of Texas. While at MND, she won State Championships for volleyball and basketball. Adams won a bronze medal for volleyball at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. As a middle blocker, she helped Team USA defeat the Netherlands 3-1. She also was named USA Volleyball Most Improved Player on the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2016.
Max Holt (2016 bronze medal): Max Holt joined Rachael Adams in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics as a middle blocker for the men’s sand volleyball. The 2005 Purcell Marian grad was named an alternate to the 2012 Olympic Games before helping lead Team USA to a bronze medal in 2016 over Russia. Additionally, Holt collected the second most blocks among blockers in the Olympics.
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Cincinnati Athletes
Zach Apple (Men’s Swimming) – Edgewood High School alum Zach Apple is a former state and national champion. He went on to Auburn University before transferring to Indiana University his senior year. He is competing in three events in Tokyo: 4x100 m Freestyle, July 25, 8-10 p.m. ET; 4x200 m Freestyle, July 27, 8-10 p.m. ET; 100 m Freestyle, July 27, 8-10 p.m. ET.
Rose Lavelle (Women’s Soccer) – Lavelle, who graduated as a Mount Notre Dame four-year varsity letter soccer player, was named Cincinnati Player of the Year by the Enquirer. The midfielder has appeared in 56 games for the USWNT, scored 14 goals and assisted on nine more goals. The USWNT is competing in Group G and will play at these times: July 21, 4:30 a.m. ET vs Sweden; July 24, 7:30 a.m. ET vs New Zealand; July 27, 4 a.m. vs Australia.
Duke Ragan (Boxing) – The Western Hills High School alum is competing in the featherweight class this summer. The 23-year-old is a professional boxer who has compiled a 4-0 record since going pro last summer. His father, Derek Ragan has been his trainer for years. His journey for gold in the featherweight class begins July 25 from 10 p.m.–July 26, 2:45 a.m. ET.
(All athletes on this list were born and raised in Greater Cincinnati or graduated from a high school in the area.)
–Jacob Mantle