Mariel Zagunis
Sport: Fencing
Yet another American woman who is competing in her fifth Olympics this year is Oregon’s Mariel Zagunis. She made history in 2004, at the age of 19, when she became the first American to win a gold medal in fencing in 100 years. Now 36, Zagunis is the most decorated Olympic fencer in American history and will try to add to her tally of four medals. Like fellow five-timer Allyson Felix, the Tokyo Games will also represent Zagunis’ first time competing at the event since giving birth in 2017.
AP Photo/Felipe Dana
Maggie Steffens
Sport: Water Polo
Under the leadership of Maggie Steffens, Team USA has won two straight gold medals in women’s water polo and is looking for a third in Tokyo. NBC has called Steffens the “unquestioned” greatest American player in the history of the sport and she needs just 10 more goals to set the all-time record at the Olympics. In addition to being a brilliant player in the pool, “Captain America,” as the Associated Press has called her, is known as a great leader and teammate to her fellow Team USA players.
AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
The Korda Sisters
Sports: Golf
Siblings competing together at the Olympics is hardly a new phenomenon, but the odds against it happening are so high that it’s still an amazing feat. Jessica Korda, 28, and Nelly Korda, 22, both play on the LPGA Tour and are playing well enough in 2021 to have landed two of the four slots that Team USA was allowed to fill for the women’s golf tournament. The sisters are having a dominant season, having combined to win four of the 15 LPGA Tour events that have been held so far this year. Heading into the Olympics, Nelly Korda will will be a favorite for the gold medal as the world’s No. 1-ranked player.
AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying
Ryan Crouser
Sport: Track and Field
Returning to defend his 2016 gold medal in the shot put, Oregon native Ryan Crouser is still regarded as the best in his sport. The 6-foot-7-inch powerhouse proved his prowess during the recent U.S. Olympic Team Trials by crushing a world record throw that had been on the books since 1990. Crouser is viewed as the clear favorite for gold in Tokyo, but his fellow Team USA competitor, Joe Kovacs, is no slouch and could be the one to dethrone him.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel