Olympic Athletes Look Forward To Families Being Back In Stands

SALT LAKE CITY –  Rarely is a genuinely successful person able to power through the ups and downs of the daily grind without a strong support system behind them. A trusted circle of friends and family that can encourage, challenge, or lift them when adversity strikes.

For 500 U.S. Olympians of varying ages, family ranges from parents, siblings, and spouses to children for others.

“I remember crossing the line in Tokyo,” two-time gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone said of her experience in Tokyo. “It hitting me that I had just won and realizing that my family wasn’t there.”

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Olympic enthusiasts gathered to watch the Tokyo opening ceremony near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Friday. Trocadero square has been turned into a “fan zone” for people to watch the games since spectators couldn’t travel to Tokyo because of COVID-19 restrictions pic.twitter.com/gEjGcDveoc

— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) July 24, 2021

The difference for returning Olympians in 2024 is simple: family and friends can attend, unlike the Tokyo Games, whose attendance was limited because of COVID-19 restrictions.

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2024 U.S. Olympic Qualifying Team Trials

Olympic qualifying continues into July as the U.S. Olympic team prepares for the 2024 Paris Games later that month. International competition results & rankings, along with discretionary selections, will determine some of the remaining competitors. Team trials in mid-to-late June decide the others.

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• Swimming Trials – June 15-23 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Diving Trials – June 16-23 in Knoxville, Tennessee
• Track & Field Trials – June 21-30 in Eugene, Oregon
• Gymnastics Trials – June 27-30 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Follow The 2024 Summer Olympics With KSL Sports

The 2024 Paris Olympics are scheduled to open on Friday, July 29, with closing ceremonies on Sunday, August 11.

Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies, Locals in MLB, and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees, Beehive baseball, and Aggie athletics coverage here.

Find KSL Sports coverage of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics here.

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