PARIS, France — The 2024 Paris Olympics begin this week, and few states will have as large a presence in the French capital as Georgia.
We've logged 75 athletes who are either Georgia natives, adopted Georgians or otherwise have a tie of some kind to the Peach State. To keep track of them all, we're dividing them into four categories: swimming & diving, track & field, those competing in other individual sports and those competing in other team sports.
Below, find profiles and information about the swimming & diving athletes with Georgia ties who will be competing in Paris:
Olympic athletes with Georgia ties | Swimming & diving
Full list:
- Javier Acevedo, 100m backstroke for Canada (UGA alum)
- Brooks Curry, 4x200m freestyle relay for USA (from Dunwoody, GA)
- Ariana Dirkzwager, 200m freestyle for Laos (current Georgia Tech)
- Imane El Barodi, 100m breaststroke for Morocco (Georgia Tech alum)
- Nic Fink, 100m breaststroke for USA (degrees from UGA & Georgia Tech)
- Alex Grand'Pierre, 100m breaststroke for Haiti (from Atlanta, GA)
- Steven Insixiengmay, 100m breaststroke for Laos (current UGA)
- Chase Kalisz, 400m individual medley for USA (UGA alum)
- Ieva Maluka, 100m & 200m freestyle for Latvia (incoming UGA)
- Ela Naz Ozdemir, 4x200m freestyle relay for Turkey (incoming Georgia Tech)
- Giovana Reis, 4X100m freestyle relay for Brazil (incoming Georgia Tech)
- Berke Saka, 200m backstroke for Turkey (current Georgia Tech)
- Carson Tyler, 10m & 3m diving for USA (from Moultrie, GA)
- Luca Urlando, 200m butterfly for USA (current UGA)
Athletes and profiles
Javier Acevedo (100m backstroke) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: UGA alum; Country: Canada
More about this athlete: This won't be his first time on the Olympic stage. He participated in Rio 2016 Games individually, and at the Tokyo Olympics as part of relay teams, as well. According to his Team Canada bio, he was the youngest male member of Canada's swimming team in Rio.
After competing in those Olympics, he performed in several World Championships, winning several medals. He has also won medals at the Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games.
His Team Canada bio states he started swimming at the age of 7 and started competing seriously at age 12. Outside of swimming, he enjoys playing beach volleyball, hiking and more.
He graduated from UGA with a degree in psychology.
Brooks Curry (4x200m freestyle relay) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: From Dunwoody, Georgia; Country: USA
More about this athlete: The Olympic gold medalist is returning to the pool after his win with the relay team in the Tokyo Games.
His Team USA bio shows that he won multiple medals at the World Championships in 2022, as well.
Ariana Dirkzwager (200m freestyle) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: Current Georgia Tech athlete; Country: Laos
More about this athlete: This will be her first Olympics, which will be under the direction of current Georgia Tech head coach and two-time Olympic gold medalist Courtney Shealy Hart.
Dirkzwager is originally from Wichita, Kansas, and her mother is from Laos. 11Alive's Cheryl Preheim spoke with her before she qualified for the team sharing her excitement for the Games and what it means to represent Laos.
She currently has family there, and told 11Alive that since she has gotten older she is embracing her culture and heritage more. She said representing the country motivates her to be a role model for younger generations.
Watch her full interview here.
Imane El Barodi (100m breaststroke) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: Georgia Tech alum; Country: Morocco
More about this athlete: According to her Georgia Tech swim bio, she is originally from France, and also has a cousin who competes on the Moroccan national water polo team.
During her college career, she swam competitively, setting many personal bests, and she has set several national Moroccan swimming records both individually and as a member of relay teams. This will be the first time she competes in the Olympics.
Nic Fink (100m breaststroke) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: UGA and Georgia Tech grad; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Athens was where it started for Fink – competing at UGA. He became an Olympian by competing at his first Games in Tokyo, where he placed fifth in the 200m breaststroke.
After the Summer Games in Tokyo, Nic moved to Georgia Tech to study for a master's degree in computer and electrical engineering -- where he also kept training with the team there.
Two-time gold medalist and Georgia Tech swim head Coach Courtney Shealey Hart talked about her experience coaching Fink.
“He was a very good person to lead by example in his training. And really was specific with his training and loved training and shared that with our group which was awesome," Hart said.
Watch Coach Hart's full comments on Fink's time at Georgia Tech below.
Fink has gained a name for himself before the Olympics with his decorated World Championship experience. He holds at least 20 World Championship medals, including 13 gold medals.
He and his wife, Melanie -- another Olympian from UGA -- will soon welcome their first child.
Alex Grand'Pierre (100m breaststroke) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: Atlanta native and Walker School grad; Country: Haiti
More about this athlete: Grand'Pierre will be competing in his Olympic debut in Paris.
Grand'Pierre currently attends Bowdoin College with his brother, Raphael. They are both on the swim team.
According to his Bowdoin College bio, he was a NCAA nationals qualifier and a New England Small College Athletic Conference champion and rookie of the year between 2021 and 2022.
Steven Insixiengmay (100m breaststroke) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: Current UGA athlete ; Country: Laos
More about this athlete: According to his UGA swim bio, he is originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is currently majoring in business at UGA.
He held the North Carolina state record in the 100m breaststroke. During his college career, he competed in several events in the UGA Fall Invitational, setting several personal bests. He also holds multiple national Laotian swimming records.
This will be his first time competing in the Olympic Games.
Chase Kalisz (400m individual medley) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: UGA grad; Country: USA
More about this athlete: The two-time Olympian is getting back in the water after winning gold and silver in the 2020 and 2016 Games. He's also won at least six World Championships medals throughout the years.
Kalisz previously spoke with 11Alive, and he shared his journey to swimming. He said he got into swimming as therapy after having an illness at a young age.
According to his Team USA bio, he enjoys sleeping and going to college football games as hobbies.
Ieva Maluka (100m & 200m freestyle) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: Incoming UGA transfer; Country: Latvia
More about this athlete: She is not new to the Olympic stage, as she competed in Tokyo.
Her roughly translated Team Latvia bio stated that she likes to swim to clear her mind and to immerse herself in the sport. She's competed previously at the World Championships for Latvia and competed at Arizona State.
Her mom was a silver medalist track athlete at the 2004 Olympics, as well.
Ela Naz Ozdemir (4X200m freestyle relay) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: Georgia Tech incoming freshman; Country: Turkey
More about this athlete: Ozdemir will also be competing for Turkey in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay for her first Olymipcs.
Giovana Reis (4X400m freestyle relay) - Online listing
Georgia Connection: Georgia Tech incoming freshman; Country: Brazil
More about this athlete: Reis will be competing for Brazil in the 4x400m freestyle relay, according to a statement from Georgia Tech. This will be their Olympic debut.
Berke Saka (200m backstroke) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: Georgia Tech junior; Country: Turkey
More about this athlete: Saka, originally from Istanbul, will compete for Turkey in the 200-meter backstroke.
According to his Georgia Tech bio, he will be returning to the Olympics after competing in the same event in Tokyo three summers ago. He also participated in the NCAA championships and the World Championships in 2023, and this year won a bronze medal at the European Championships in the 200m medley.
Carson Tyler (10m platform and 3m springboard) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: From Moultrie, Georgia, went to Colquitt County High; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Tyler is a two-time GHSA Station Champion and diving state record holder. This is his first time qualifying for the Olympics, winning the 10m USA Trials event.
He also qualified for the 3m springboard as well, making him as the first American man to qualify for both events since Mark Ruiz in 2000.
He is a back-to-back (2023-24) national NCAA champion for Indiana University in the 10m platform event, as well as the 2024 national champion in the 3m springboard.
Luca Urlando (200m butterfly) - Online bio
Georgia Connection: Current UGA athlete; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Urlando holds the American, NCAA, U.S. Open, and SEC records in the 100m backstroke
He also holds SEC record in 800 freestyle relay, school records in 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 IM, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay.
Plus, he's No. 2 in the 200-medley relay and 400-medley relay. and No. 6 in the 200 freestyle.
Orlando is a 3-time silver medalist at the NCAA Division 1 Championships for the Bulldogs, and he won five golds at the 2019 World Junior Championships -- this will be his first Olympics.
