TOKYO, Japan — Athletes with ties to Georgia are leaving a mark in Tokyo. The Olympic Games are underway and athletes from across the world are competing for gold in different sports.
Here's a look at some of the track and field stars competing who were born and raised in Georgia or have another connection to the state.
NBC is the home of all things Olympics. Follow updates on the events on NBCOlympics.com.
Morgann Leleux
The 28-year-old from New Iberia, Louisiana, placed second in the U.S. trials for pole vault with a clearance of 15 feet and 5 inches. Five years ago, the three-time SEC champion missed out on her 2016 Rio Olympics chance. Leleux is part of the Georgia Lady Bulldogs and spends much of her time off coaching gymnastics back in Louisiana. Before making pole vault her focus, she had been a very accomplished gymnast.
RESULTS:
- Women's pole vault | Aug. 2 | Leleux qualified and will compete in the finals on Aug. 5.
- Women's pole vault finals | Aug. 5 | Leleux didn't receive any marks in the final.
Katie Nageotte
The first-time Olympian from Cleveland, Ohio, trains at the Atlanta Track Club and specializes in the pole vault. During the Olympic trials, she set an Olympic trial record with a personal best of 16 feet and 2.75 inches. Nageotte is a two-time indoor vault champion. When she’s not practicing, she enjoys snowboarding and golfing.
RESULTS:
- Women's pole vault | Aug. 2 | Nageotte qualified and will compete in the finals on Aug. 5.
- Women's pole vault finals | Aug. 5 | Nageotte won the gold medal with a result of 4.90. She is the Olympic gold champion.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo
Short-distance runner and Rio Olympics gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo is a University of Georgia graduate. Representing the Bahamas, Miller-Uibo is competing in the women's 200-meter and 400-meter events at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
In 2016, the sprinter diving across the finish line in the 400m event was a dramatic and memorable moment for many track and field enthusiasts who watched her capture that gold medal.
Now in Tokyo, Miller-Uibo is not only looking to defend her 400m crown, but also trying to perform her best in the 200m event. This means four races within two days.
RESULTS:
- Women's 200m qualifier | Aug. 1 | Miller-Uibo qualified and will race in the semifinals.
- Women's 200m Semifinals | Aug. 2 | Miller-Uibo qualified and will race in the finals.
- Women's 200m Finals | Aug. 3 | Miller-Uibo finished last with a time of 24.00.
- Women's 400m semifinals | Aug. 4| Miller-Uibo won first place in her race with a time of 49.60. She placed 4th overall and moved on to the finals.
- Women's 4x400m Relay (Round 1) | Aug. 5 | Miller-Uibo and the rest of the Bahamian relay team did not finish the race.
- Women's 400m final | Aug. 6 | Miller-Uibo won gold for a second time in the women's 400m. She became Olympic champion with a personal best time of 48.36 seconds.
Gabby Thomas
While Gabrielle Thomas calls Northampton, Mass. her hometown, she was born in Atlanta, according to Team USA's website.
Tokyo 2020 is her first Olympic experience. She will compete in the 100-meter, the 4x100 meter relay, and the 200-meter.
NBC writes, "Thomas could rewrite the record books in Tokyo. At the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in June, Thomas won the 200m with a personal-best time of 21.61 seconds—the third-fastest 200m time ever, behind only Florence Griffith-Joyner's times at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
24-year-old Thomas’ ambitions extend off of the track. She studied neurobiology and health policy at Harvard University and is now pursuing a Master’s program in epidemiology at the University of Texas. The former NCAA champion had a health scare shortly before the start of the Trials. Upon getting a hamstring injury checked out, the doctors discovered what turned out to be a benign tumor in her liver. 'I remember telling God, ‘If I am healthy, I am going to go out and win Trials,’' Thomas said after her 200m finals race. 'If this is not cancer, I will make this team. And that’s exactly what I did. I’m really grateful.'"
RESULTS:
- Women's 200m qualifier | Aug. 1 | Thomas qualified and will race in the semifinals.
- Women's 200m Semifinals | Aug. 2 | Thomas qualified in third and will race in the finals.
- Women's 200m Finals | Aug. 3 | Thomas won the bronze medal after placing third.
- Women's 4x100m relay finals | Aug. 6 | Thomas and the rest of Team USA won silver in the relay race.
Elija Godwin
Godwin's story is one of survival. During a track practice in 2019, he fell onto a javelin. The spear pierced through his body, through his ribcage, through his lung -- just inches away from his heart.
He never used his injury as an excuse but instead as motivation. Two years after the incident that almost ended his Olympic ambitions and his life, he makes his Olympic debut.
Godwin, was born in Covington, Georgia and attended Newton High School. The Georgia Bulldog will compete for the Mixed-gender 4x400-meter relay.
RESULTS:
- 4X400m mixed-gender relay qualifier | July 30 | After disqualification, the team was reinstated and will run at the final on Saturday, July 31.
- 4X400M mixed-gender final | July 31 | Team USA won bronze and while Godwin didn't run in the final, he gets a medal for competing in the qualifying round.
Daniel Haugh
Born and raised in Marietta, the Kennesaw State University 2019 graduate is truly Georgia-grown. He attended St. Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta.
This year's international games will make his first Olympic experience. Haugh competed in the hammer throw in track and field.
RESULT:
- Men's Hammer Throw | Aug. 1 | Haugh qualified for the finals on Wednesday.
- Men's Hammer Final | Aug. 4 | Haugh placed 11th overall with a distance of 76.22.
Lynna Irby
While Irby is an Indiana native, she attended college at the University of Georgia, Team USA's website shows.
Irby, whose first Olympic experience is Tokyo 2020, will compete in the 4x400-mixed meter relay.
RESULTS:
- 4X400m mixed-gender relay qualifier | July 30 | After disqualification, the team was reinstated and will run at the final on Saturday, July 31.
- 4X400M mixed-gender final | July 31 | Team USA won bronze and while Irby didn't run in the final, he gets a medal for competing in the qualifying round.
- Women's 4x400m relay (Round 1) | Aug. 5 | Irby and the rest of the relay team placed first with a time of 3:20.86. They will race on Saturday for the finals.
Jasmine Moore
The 20-year-old is the youngest on Team USA's track and field team.
Like many other 20-year-olds, Moore started college amid a global pandemic. But unlike many, by the end of her sophomore year, she earned a spot on the Olympic team.
Moore said she was excited she could represent Team USA, and making it to the finals would be the icing on top of her Olympic debut.
The Georgia Bulldog will compete in the triple jump.
RESULTS:
- Women's triple jump qualifying | July 30 | Jumped 13.76 and did not qualify for the finals.
Javianne Oliver
Oliver's hometown is Monroe, Georgia. According to Team USA's website, she graduated from Monroe Area High School before attending the University of Kentucky.
She will compete in the 100-meter and the 4x100 meter relay.
RESULTS:
- Women's 100m qualifier | July 29 | Finished second in her heat with a time of 0:11.15; Heads to semifinal next on Saturday, July 31
- Women's 100m semifinal | July 31 | Finished fifth in her semifinal race with a time of 11.08s, which was not enough to advance to the final.
- Women's 4x100m relay race (Round 1) | Aug. 4 | Oliver and her team finished second with time of 41.90. They advanced to the final race taking place on Friday at 9:30 a.m.
- Women's 4x100m relay race finals | Aug. 6 | Oliver and the rest of Team USA won silver in the race.
Keturah Orji
Orji is a two-time Olympian who grew up in New Jersey, but is a Georgia Bulldog.
She's set records twice, won championships, and broke barriers as the first American woman to win an Olympic triple jump medal.
Her first Olympic experience was in 2016 in Rio. The 25-year-old said having that experience at such a young age prepared her as she often competed with women she admired. Doing well against them and seeing them helped Orji realize she was worthy of being at the Olympics.
She competed in the triple jump in Tokyo.
RESULTS:
- Women's triple jump qualifying | July 30 | Registered one of the 12 best jumps of qualifying heats at 14.26m to advance to the final in the women's triple jump on Sunday, August 1 at 7:15 a.m.
- Women's triple jump final | Aug 1 | She finished 7th in the competition with an overall score of 14.59. Yulimar Rojas broke the world record and placed first with a final score of 15.67. Orji's attempts scored the following: Attempt 114.59 Attempt 214.10 Attempt 313.82 Attempt 414.12 Attempt 514.43 Attempt 6x
Photos | Keturah Orji competes in women's triple jump at Tokyo Olympics 2020
Daniel Roberts
Roberts was born and raised in the metro Atlanta area, according to Team USA;s website. He graduated in 2016 from Hampton High in Hampton, Georgia, which is in Henry County. Roberts attended college at the University of Kentucky.
This is his first time in the Olympics and will be competing in the 110-meter hurdles.
RESULTS:
- Men's 110m hurdles qualifying | Aug. 3 | He placed second in his heat with a time of 13.41. Roberts advanced to the semifinals in men's 110m hurdles on Tuesday at 10 p.m.
- Men's 110m hurdles Semifinals 1 | Aug. 3 | He finished fifth with a time of 0.13.33. He did not qualify for the finals.
Garrett Scantling
After learning the Olympic Games would be postponed, Scantling said his immediate reaction was disappointment. He was all set to make a comeback after a 3-year hiatus from decathlon training, but he had to wait another year for the Olympics because of the pandemic.
Now, the time has finally come for Tokyo 2020.
Scantling, a Jacksonville, Florida native, attended the University of Georgia. The former Bulldog will compete in decathlon.
RESULTS:
Scantling won 4th place with a score of 8611. He was 38 points shy of the bronze medal.
- Men's 100m | Aug. 3 | Scantling competed in the first event of the decathlon on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 8 p.m. for the 100m race. Scantling placed sixth in his heat at a time of 10.67.
- Men's Long Jump | Aug. 3 | Scantling came in seventh place in his group at a distance of 7.30.
- Men's shot put | Aug. 3 | Scantling finished second in his group with the 15.19 result at 836 points.
- Men's high jump | Aug. 4 | The UGA athlete finished 15th overall with a 1.99 distance. He added 794 points to his overall score.
- Men's 400m race | Aug. 4 | Scantling finished 9th overall with a time of 48.25.
- Men's decathlon 110m hurdles | Aug 4 | Scantling finished second in his heat with 971points.
- Men's decathlon discus throw | Aug. 4 | Scantling finished ninth in his group with 776 points.
- Men's decathlon pole vault | Aug. 4 | Scantling finished in 5th place with a score of 5.10. He added 941 points to his score.
- Men's decathlon javelin throw | Aug. 5 | Scantling finished 4th overall in the javelin throw with a score of 69.10. He sits in 4th place overall in the decathlon.
- Men's decathlon 1500m race | Aug. 5 | Scantling culminated his final event in 8th place with a time of 4:35.54.
Kenny Selmon
Selmon grew up in Mableton, Georgia, and found track and field to be a big part of his life in high school.
The 24-year-old UNC-Chapel Hill graduate said his whole life revolved around his Olympic dreams as he always did better in track. He will finally make that Olympic debut in Tokyo.
Like every other Olympian, Selmon yearned for the gold medal and hoped to make it to the finals. However, he did not advance to the finals. His fellow teammate, Rai Benjamin, finished third with a time of 47.37. Team USA's Dave Kendiera also didn't advance to the finals.
RESULTS:
- Men's 400m hurdles Round 1 | July 29 | Finished second in his heat with the time of 0:48.61; heads to semifinals next
- Men's 400m hurdles semifinals | Aug. 1 | He finished 10th in the race with a time of 48.58.
Levern Spencer
Spencer is no stranger to the Olympic Games. She competed in Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016. Born in Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, she will compete in the Tokyo Olympics on their team in the women's high jump.
Spencer is a former University of Georgia athlete.
RESULTS:
- Women's high jump qualifications | Aug. 4 | Spencer finished in 22nd place with a score of 1.86. She did not qualify for finals.
Kendell Williams
Williams, born in Arlington, Virginia, calls Kennesaw, Georgia her hometown, according to the Team USA's website. She graduated from Kell High School in Marietta and went to the University of Georgia.
She's a two-time Olympian who will compete in the heptathlon.
RESULTS:
She placed 5th in the heptathlon with a score of 6508.
- Women's heptathlon: 100m hurdles | Aug. 3 | In the first event of the heptathlon, Williams came in first in her heat at a time of 12.97.
- Women's heptathlon: High Jump | Aug. 3 | Williams came in at a distance of 1.71 in the high jump.
- Women's heptathlon: Shot put | Aug. 4 | Williams finished with a result of 12.41, adding 688 to her overall score.
- Women's heptathlon 200m race | Aug. 4| Williams finished in 5th place with a time of 24.00.
- Women's heptathlon long jump | Aug. 4 | Williams finished 2nd in her group with 1030 points. (She is now 5th overall.)
- Women's heptathlon javelin throw | Aug. 4 | Williams finished in 7th place with a score of 48.78, adding 836 points to her score. She is third overall in the heptathlon with a score of 5642
- Women's heptathlon 800m race | Aug 5 | Williams placed 8th in her heat with a time of 2:16.91.