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 team sport athletes with Georgia ties who will be competing in Paris:
Olympic athletes with Georgia ties | Team sports
Full list:
- Jose Alvarado, basketball for Puerto Rico (Georgia Tech alum)
- Laeticia Amihere, basketball for Canada (plays for Atlanta Dream)
- Csenge Bácskay, gymnastics for Hungary (incoming UGA)
- Júlia Bergmann, volleyball for Brazil (Georgia Tech alum)
- Croix Bethune, soccer (alternate) for USA (from Alpharetta, Alpharetta HS and UGA alum)
- Orrin Bizer, rugby for USA (Life University alum)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, basketball for Serbia (plays for Atlanta Hawks)
- Jane Campbell, soccer (alternate) for USA (from Kennesaw, Darlington School alum)
- Anthony Edwards, basketball for USA (from Atlanta, went to Therrell HS and Holy Spirit Prep and UGA)
- Dearica Hamby, basketball for USA (from Marietta, Norcross High alum)
- Rhyne Howard, basketball for USA (plays for Atlanta Dream)
- Brody Malone, gymnastics for USA (from Rockmart, Georgia, Trion High alum)
- Alexandria "Spiff" Sedrick, rugby for USA (Life University alum)
- Emily Sonnett, soccer for USA (from Marietta, Fellowship Christian School alum)
- Caleb Wiley, soccer for USA (from Atlanta, played for Atlanta United)
- Walker Zimmerman, soccer for USA (from Lawrenceville, Brookwood High alum)
Athletes and profiles
Jose Alvarado (basketball) - Online bio
Georgia connection: Georgia Tech alum; Country: Puerto Rico
More about this athlete: Alvarado, 26, is a three-year NBA veteran with the New Orleans Pelicans who helped lead Puerto Rico out of a six-team qualifying stage to get into the Olympics over countries like Lithuania, Italy and Mexico. After averaging 16 points per game in that tournament, he was named its MVP.
The point guard played four years at Georgia Tech, twice making an All-ACC team and helping lead the Yellow Jackets to their first ACC title in almost three decades when they won the conference tournament in 2021.
Laeticia Amihere (basketball) - Online bio
Georgia connection: Plays for Atlanta Dream; Country: Canada
More about this athlete: Amihere was selected with the eight pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Dream, and the Ontario native has been part of the Canadian national team mix for several years.
Competing in Paris will make her a two-time Olympian.
“I’m excited to go into my second Olympics with more experience under my belt,” Amihere said in a press release issued by the Dream after she was announced to the Canadian team. “It will be the first opportunity to play in front of family for Team Canada. I'm proud to be able to represent my country, my family and show all the hard work I've been putting in."
Csenge Bácskay (gymnastics) - Online bio
Georgia connection: Incoming UGA transfer; Country: Hungary
More about this athlete: Bácskay, 21, is transferring to UGA for the fall after spending the last two years at Nebraska.
The Hungarian is a vault specialist with nine Gymnastics World Cup series medals on her record, and she's finished fifth (2021) and eighth (2023) on vault at two of the last three World Championships. She was also a bronze medalist with the Hungarian team at the 2020 European Championships.
Júlia Bergmann (volleyball) - Online bio
Georgia connection: Georgia Tech alum; Country: Brazil
More about this athlete: Bergmann, who played from 2019-22 at Tech, is an outside hitter for Brazil who has been part of the Brazilian national team for several years.
She won a gold medal with Brazil at last year's South American Championship, and she has twice won a silver medal in the annual the FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League tournament.
At Tech, Bergmann was an All-ACC first teamer all four of her years, and twice she was selected as an AVCA All-American. She helped Tech reach the Elite Eight in the 2021 NCAA Tournament her senior season.
Croix Bethune (soccer) - Online bio
Georgia connection: From Alpharetta, Alpharetta HS and UGA alum; Country: Brazil
More about this athlete: Bethune, 23, has made two prior United States Women's National Team senior appearances and will be an alternate at the Olympic tournament.
She played her college career at the University of Southern California before spending a grad student season at UGA. She was named a second team United Soccer Coaches All-American as the Dawgs made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
She is now in her first season in the National Women's Soccer League with the Washington Spirit.
Orrin Bizer (rugby) - Online bio
Georgia connection: Life University alum; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Bizer is a Texas native who has won two USA Rugby 7s college championships (2022 and 2023) and was the 2023 Prusmack Award winner, which is intended to be a "Hiesman-like trophy" awarded to the best collegiate sevens rugby players.
Sevens is a shorter-format version of rugby (and the only form played at the Olympics) with fewer players and less time in the match.
In addition to his success as a sevens player, earning him a trip to the Olympics, Bizer also plays "full" rugby with the Houston SaberCats, a Major League Rugby team.
Bogdan Bogdanovic - Online bio
Georgia connection: Plays for Atlanta Hawks; Country: Serbia
More about this athlete: Bogdanovic, 31, is a 10-year NBA veteran and also represents the Serbian national team.
He was first introduced in Rio in 2016, where he earned a silver medal for the team. This year, he will serve as the team's captain.
In the NBA, Bogdanovic was first drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2014 and then traded to the Sacramento Kings two years later. He currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks.
So far this season, he has scored 16.9 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
Jane Campbell (soccer) - Online bio
Georgia connection: From Kennesaw, Darlington School alum; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Campbell, 29, is an alternate for the USWNT in Paris as a goalkeeper. She has made eight national team appearances before and is a longtime stalwart in net for the National Women's Soccer League's Houston Dash, for whom she has made 141 league appearances since 2017.
At the Darlington School in Rome, Campbell was an NSCAA All-American in 2011.
Anthony Edwards (basketball) - Online bio
Georgia connection: From Atlanta, went to Therrell HS and Holy Spirit Prep and UGA; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Edwards, at 22, is considered one of the brightest young talents in the NBA.
The Atlanta native was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft and made the USA Basketball team for Paris after his best season yet as a pro -- scoring nearly 26 points per game for Minnesota, making his second All-Star team and leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals.
With Team USA, he was part of the squad that finished fourth at least year's FIBA World Cup.
Dearica Hamby (basketball, 3x3) - Online bio
Georgia connection: From Marietta, Norcross High alum; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Hamby, 30, is a WNBA veteran with nearly 10 seasons in the league.
She began playing 3-on-3 basketball, which was first introduced as an Olympic sport in Tokyo, just last year, and she was part of a gold medal winning team at the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup tournament -- winning tournament MVP.
In the WNBA, Hamby is a three-time All-Star, two-time Sixth Player of the Year Award winner and she won a WNBA Championship in 2022 with the Las Vegas Aces. She currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks.
Rhyne Howard (basketball, 3x3) - Online bio
Georgia connection: Plays for Atlanta Dream; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Howard is a rising star for Atlanta, the 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year and a two-time WNBA All-Star.
She is competing in the 3-on-3 tournament for Team USA in Paris.
So far this season for the Dream, the 24-year-old is scoring 15.4 points per game with 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Brody Malone (gymnastics) - Online bio
Georgia connection: From Rockmart, Georgia, Trion High alum; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Malone is headed to the Olympics for a second time, after he finished fourth in the horizontal bar and the U.S. men finished fifth as a team in Tokyo. He was also 10th all around in Tokyo.
The 24-year-old won gold in the horizontal bar at the 2022 World Championships, but missed the prestigious annual event last year with an injury. He has since come back this year and won the all-around title at the U.S. National Championships, his third national all-around title.
Alex Sedrick (rugby) - Online bio
Georgia connection: From Rockmart, Georgia, Trion High alum; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Sedrick has been playing with the USA 7s program since 2021, after she was an MA Sorensen Award winner (given annually to the nation's top rugby player) in college with Life University in Marietta.
These will be her first Olympics with the USA 7s team, who have medal ambitions in Paris as they are currently fourth in the Sevens World Series standings.
Emily Sonnett (soccer) - Online bio
Georgia connection: From Marietta, Fellowship Christian School alum; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Sonnett, a defender, is a longtime staple of the U.S. Women's National Team, having made 93 senior appearances for the USWNT across much of the last decade and being a part of the 2019 World Cup winning squad.
The 30-year-old is headed to her second Olympics -- she won a bronze medal with the U.S. team in Tokyo. She appeared in two matches in those Olympics.
Sonnett has a long club career spanning the U.S. and Europe, as well.
Caleb Wiley (soccer) - Online bio
Georgia connection: From Atlanta, played for Atlanta United; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Wiley debuted with Atlanta United's senior team in 2022 and quickly established himself as a regular -- appearing in 77 MLS regular season matches for the club across the last three years.
He has two previous USMNT senior team appearances, and the left-back will soon head to Europe as part of a transfer deal with Chelsea FC that will see him play for Strasbourg in France.
Walker Zimmerman (soccer) - Online bio
Georgia connection: From Lawrenceville, Brookwood High alum; Country: USA
More about this athlete: Zimmerman, 31, is one of the three over-23 players selected for the men's Olympic tournament, which is otherwise contested by national under-23 teams.
He is a veteran member of the USMNT, having made 42 appearances for the senior team since 2017, including during World Cup qualifying campaigns and a 2021 Gold Cup victory.
The Lawrenceville native has played 12 MLS seasons with FC Dallas, Los Angeles FC and Nashville SC.
