Which 2024 Olympians were born in Idaho? This map shows where they were born, medals won

The Summer Olympics kicked off this past weekend as more than 10,000 athletes from across the world compete for gold, including nearly 600 on the U.S. Olympic team.

The games officially started on Friday in Paris and will go on until Sunday, Aug. 11. This will be the third time the French capital has hosted the Summer Games.

Historically, the United States has performed best in track and field, swimming, and shooting, with more gold medals in these categories than any other. The following graph shows the top 15 sports for the U.S. at the Summer Olympics since the first modern Olympic games in 1896.

Olympians come from almost every state in the U.S. this year. However, Colorado, Vermont, and Hawaii have the most Olympians per capita.

See where Olympians are from in your state. Click on a dot to see which Olympian is from your area.

Who are Idaho’s native-born Olympians?

The Gem State has three Olympians having the distinction of calling Idaho their birthplace. The number of Olympians goes even higher when you include athletes not born in the state but now live or train here.

So, who are these Olympians, and what sports can we expect to see them in?

Emily Sams: Boise - Soccer

Sams was a late inclusion to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Olympic team as an alternate after an injury to Catarina Macario resulted in a roster reshuffle. Being an alternative means Sams isn’t technically considered an alternate, but a further injury could open the door for her to join the 18-player Olympic roster.

Sams was born and raised in the Treasure Valley before moving to Navarre, Florida, in 2014. She played college soccer with Florida State and was selected third overall by the Orlando Pride in the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League Draft.

Alyssa Mendoza: Caldwell - Boxing

Mendoza is the first Olympic boxer from Idaho and, at 20 years old, the youngest member of Team USA’s eight-person boxing team. The Middleton High graduate competed in the 2023 Pan America Games in Santiago, Chile, and qualified for the Olympics after winning four straight bouts in May’s last-chance qualifying.

Chari Hawkins: Rexburg - Track & Field

Paris will mark Hawkins’ first Olympic Games at the age of 33 but has only burst on the national scene in recent years. She came close to qualifying for the 2016 and 2021 Olympics in the heptathlon but just missed out, before recording three personal bests to finish 2nd in June’s U.S. Trials.

In the years leading up to Hawkins’ 2024 Olympic inclusion, she became the national heptathlon champion at the 2022 U.S. Track & Field Indoor Championships.

This story was originally published July 31, 2024 at 4:00 AM.