Everything You Need to Know About African Americans in the Olympics, Then and Now

With plenty of star power on the Team USA roster, Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas will be tasked with two things coming off the bench – being a physical presence on both sides of the ball and giving 100% on every possession like she does every game. Nicknamed “The Engine,” Thomas is one of the main reasons the Connecticut Sun has been a successful franchise over the last half decade. — George Hamilton III

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In a long list of accolades, Sophia Smith is now tasked with a new goal – playing the striker position to help the U.S. Women’s National Team recapture Olympic gold. As the Portland Thorns No. 1 draft pick draft, Smith took the league by storm in 2020, winning MVP in her third season along with other awards. — George Hamilton III

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Alyssa Thomas, forward for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, will rep Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Check out five facts about Thomas and her standout basketball career: — Alyse Martin

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Athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris don’t know if they’ll wind up on the medal podium this summer. But the volunteers presenting the coveted awards do know that their beats will be on point – thanks to Rihanna. — Angela Johnson

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The excitement is brewing for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Athletes from all over the world will descend on the host city to go for gold in sports like track and field, basketball, and, for the first time – breakdancing. But you can’t go to Paris, a city known for fashion, without looking your best, which is why some of the competing nations called on the hottest designers to help dress their teams. — Angela Johnson

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Simone Manuel — also known as “Swimone” — has carved an unforgettable mark in the world of swimming since her breakthrough at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Securing gold in the 100-meter freestyle etched her name in history as the first Black woman to claim an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming. — Alyse Martin

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Quincy Wilson, in, in many ways, just like other 16-year-olds. He is still getting straight As and doesn’t exactly know when he’ll get his driver’s license though it’s on his list of things to do. Unlike his peers, however, Wilson is out here crushing records on his way to becoming an Olympian. — Candace McDuffie

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While Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles gets ready for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, her husband, Jonathan Owens, is preparing for a big move of his own. After one season as a defensive back with the Green Bay Packers, the 28-year-old safety just signed a two-year contract to play with one of their biggest NFL rivals, the Chicago Bears. — Angela Johnson

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When you’re one of the greatest U.S. Olympic athletes of all-time, the honors are endless. When you’re Allyson Felix, you accept these honors with a class and grace that few elite level athletes possess. The seven-time Olympic gold medalist’s latest award comes from her alma mater, the University of Southern California. Per ESPN, she will have the field at the institution’s track stadium named after her. Later this spring, the Katherine B. Loker Track Stadium will become Allyson Felix Field. — Stephanie Holland

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After the initial rejection of a swimmer’s cap made specifically for natural Black and textured hair, Soul Cap has finally received approval. Last year, FINA, the world governing body for aquatic sports banned the use of the caps at the Olympics stating that athletes competing at this level “never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration,” according to The Associated Press. — Alexandra Jane

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Embattled track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson is on the road to a comeback, and the first step is getting a big win to remind everyone how good she is. — Stephanie Holland

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A man identified as Semoen Tesfamariam was charged on Tuesday with assaulting former Olympic volleyball player Kim Glass, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. — Noah A. McGee

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Mo Farah is a British long-distance runner who is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the most celebrated and beloved athletes in Great Britain. But, throughout his time in the public spotlight, there’s two things he hasn’t made known to the public, until now. — Noah A. McGee

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Olympian volleyball player and model Kim Glass has shared disturbing injuries that she suffered at the hands of a homeless man who threw a metal pipe at her in Los Angeles on Saturday. — Noah A. McGee

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Six Haitian men scheduled to compete in Orlando’s Special Olympic USA Games are missing, according to CBS News. Law enforcement is searching for them and put out a notice alerting the public of where they were last seen. — Kalyn Womack

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Three-time Olympian Deon Lendore, who represented Trinidad & Tobago and began his track and field career while attending Texas A&M, has died. He was 29. — Jay Connor

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While the rest of us spent our Sunday devouring lemon pepper chicken wings and wishing we could run a marathon, 28-year-old Peres Jepchirchir was preoccupied with actually winning the New York City Marathon, per CNN. — Jay Connor

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As detractors continue to come for U.S. gymnastics legend Simone Biles and her participation—or lack thereof—in the Tokyo Olympics, the 24-year-old is making it abundantly clear that she has no desire whatsoever to entertain their bullshit. — Jay Connor

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Sha’Carri Richardson finished in ninth place in the 100-meter race for the 2021 Prefontaine Classic on Saturday. Richardson, the sixth-fastest woman in track and field history, was competing against six of the Tokyo Olympic finalists including the three Jamaican women responsible for this year’s podium sweep: Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. — Rachel Pilgrim

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Many of us were very disappointed to see Sha’Carri Richardson robbed of her opportunity to compete for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics this summer over some damn weed. She was seen as a favorite to medal for the U.S. and is still seen as a rising star in the 100 meter event. — Terrell Jermaine Starr

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After a hard-fought Summer Games in which U.S. wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock won her first Olympic gold medal, being the best at what you do in the entire world provides the perfect opportunity to treat yourself to something nice. But instead of splurging on a new car or an exotic getaway with her $37,500 in prize money—which will be tax-free courtesy of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee since her gross income is under $1 million—​​the bubbly 28-year-old will pour her winnings into making her mother’s dreams come true. — Jay Connor

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In May, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open over her refusal to subject herself to press conferences after her matches. Citing her need to protect her mental health, the four-time Grand Slam champ admitted that media interviews are often harmful and exacerbate her crippling social anxiety. — Jay Connor

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Prior to competing in her final Olympics this summer in Tokyo, Allyson Felix spoke to The Root about the challenges she faced while training throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. — Jay Connor

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On the same day we learned that both Simone Biles and U.S. shot-putter Raven Saunders suffered personal tragedies during the Tokyo Olympics—Biles’ aunt died just two days prior to her competing in the balance beam event; Saunders lost her mother shortly after she won the silver medal in the shot put—came the news that Black excellence remained on display during the 2020 Summer Games. — Jay Connor

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U.S. middle-distance runner Athing Mu will be the first to admit that while competing in her Olympic debut, a gold medal wasn’t always on her mind. But after becoming the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the women’s 800 meters since Madeline Manning accomplished the same feat in 1968, it’s likely the Trenton, N.J., native will never question her capabilities again. — Jay Connor

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Raven Saunders’ journey to the 2020 Summer Olympics was anything but easy. — Jay Connor

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We have a new Olympic record holder in the women’s 100 meters: Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah broke Florence Griffith Joyner’s 33-year-old record in Tokyo on Saturday, successfully defending her title in the event. — J.L. Cook

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When you’re the greatest athlete your sport has ever seen, and you possess the mutant ability to casually defy the laws of physics, it’s easy to assume that success comes easy. But as Simone Biles and the rest of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team proved during Sunday’s preliminary round of the Tokyo Olympics, even the best of us are entirely capable of sometimes falling short. — Jay Connor

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When last we left France, they were best known for collecting reparations from Haiti that they don’t deserve and poisoning tourists with their eclectic offerings of snails with mayonnaise. But as of July 25, their Wikipedia page will require an additional update after their men’s basketball team put Team USA in a German suplex during their Olympic opener. — Jay Connor

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A 17-year-old girl is making history by becoming the first Black swimmer to represent Zimbabwe in the Olympics. If you’re amazed that it took until 2021 for that to happen, trust me, you’re not alone. — Joe Jurado

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With the Tokyo Olympics set to begin on July 23, nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis might not be running circles around his competition anymore in the 100-meter dash, but he’ll still be very much involved in the festivities. Aside from coaching the next generation of superstar talent, he’s partnered with Silk (of dairy-​substitute fame, not the R&B group, y’all) to bless five HBCU track and field programs throughout the country with $10,000 donations to offset the costs of uniforms, equipment, and transportation. And in an interview with The Root, the track and field legend discussed his decision to address the funding discrepancies that so many HBCU athletic programs face, his excitement for the Summer Olympics, and how the sport has evolved since his heyday. — Jay Connor

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UK-based swimwear brand Soul Cap was created to solve a problem—and help end the stigma that Black people don’t swim. But Black athletes competing in water sports at this summer’s Olympics won’t be able to wear a swim cap designer to accommodate the voluminous textures often inherent in Black hair. — Maiysha Kai

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It looks like Girls Trip and Like a Boss star Tiffany Haddish will be going from “she ready” to “she runnin’” soon, thanks to a new project from game1. — Shanelle Genai

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Lee Evans, who wore a black beret and lifted his fist in protest at the podium during the 1968 Olympics, has died at a hospital in Nigeria. He was 74. — Jay Connor

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Serena Williams is easily one of the greatest athletes of all time, and in serving double duty as one of the most decorated Olympians ever—her four medals (all gold) are eclipsed by only her sister Venus and Kathleen McKane Godfree, who each have five—it was a foregone conclusion that despite being 39 years old, she would extend her reign by competing in the upcoming Summer Olympics. — Jay Connor

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Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is speaking out about her return to the mat for the 2021 Games. — Shanelle Genai

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When you control the narrative, you create the rules. And when it comes to Olympic sprinter Wyomia Tyus, it should come as no surprise that history has tried its best to cast yet another Black woman aside. — Jay Connor

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This year, people from all walks of life used their voices to protest against the injustice they saw around the world. Among those participating in protests in 2020 were athletes in the NBA, WNBA, U.S. women’s soccer, NFL, and other fields, who received comparatively less outrage than professional players have in the past (see: Colin Kaepernick), but historically, the Olympics has been a space where athletes who protest issues of racial justice are swiftly punished. — Ishena Robinson

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Y’all. Listen. The 2024 Summer Olympics are about to be the greatest sporting event in history by virtue of the fact that breaking—competitive breakdancing—is officially an olympic sport. — Joe Jurado

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Real recognizes real, and greatness knows who it holds company with. It’s no surprise, then, that champion gymnast Simone Biles was among those offering full-throated support to South African track star Caster Semenya, who lost an appeal last week to be able to compete as she was born. — Anne Branigin

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