Next stop Paris: US Olympic team on its way to Summer Games

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Two names with markedly different but identical goals characterize the composition of the U.S. Olympic team that will compete at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France, beginning July 26. Frederick Richard Jr. of Stoughton, Mass., is the first black man to captain the U.S. men’s gymnastics team. Richard, who was the subject of a feature article in the Banner last year, rose to the lofty position of “America’s Best All-Around Gymnast” after a stellar season at the University of Michigan that earned him his first NCAA Division I national championship.

Looking back on my interview with Richard, who was just 19 and had just won a bronze medal at the World Championship Games in Belgium, I remember being impressed by his composure, his character and his determination to accomplish his mission: to win a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. He made it clear to me that his goal was to have a gold medal around his neck as he stood on the top step of the Olympic podium.

“As much as I want to win gold for myself, it’s even more important to do it for my family who have supported me throughout my quest,” Richard said. That quest began with loving parents Carl and Ann-Marie Richard, who tried to control the ball of energy inside 10-year-old Fred.

I couldn’t help but feel joy for the Richard family, pictured during the national broadcast of the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials. There were tears of joy and jubilation for the entire Richard family as young Frederick was officially named the U.S. Men’s Team Champion. It has been a journey that has seen the Richard family travel thousands of miles to different parts of the world to support their gifted son, finally arriving at their final destination. The final destination – a gold medal at the end of his remarkable journey – is now in sight for Fred Richard Jr.

At the other end of the Olympic spectrum is Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast and one of, if not the, best American athletes of her generation. Biles openly admits that these Olympics are “definitely our redemption tour,” immediately after earning her third trip to the Olympics by dominating the U.S. trials.

Biles, who at 27 is the oldest American woman to compete on an Olympic gymnastics team since the 1950s, appeared to be on top of her game again – posting a two-day total score of 117.225 to win the women’s all-around title by nearly six points over Sunisa Lee. Lee shot to international fame by winning gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games, after Biles withdrew from the competition due to a medical issue known as “the Twisties.” You might have thought that Simone Biles would have been granted some grace after her courageous stand, but that was not the case. She was vilified as a “coward” in some circles. Biles has moved on from those harrowing two weeks in Japan three years ago, when she prioritized her mental health and safety over glory, a decision that inspired some and angered others. One anecdote here is that Suni Lee is out to prove that her 2020 gold medal (in Biles’ absence) was no fluke, while other members of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team will be vying for their own moments of glory.

But it’s Simone Biles, who has been a global sensation since her emergence in 2013, who will lead the oldest U.S. women’s team at the Olympics. Between her performances at the Olympics and world championships, she has won 19 medals, making her the most decorated American gymnast of all time. But for some specific segments of the American public, she has yet to prove her worth. It’s a sad but realistic thought.

Gymnastics, track and field and basketball are the main events that attract the most interest among blacks.

The sport of wrestling will also garner some interest with three black athletes competing: Aaron Brooks, 23, a four-time consecutive NCAA champion who beat reigning world and Olympic champion Dave Taylor to earn a spot on his first Olympic team (men’s freestyle 86kg); Kennedy Blades, 20 (women’s freestyle 76kg); and Kamal Bey, 26, a late addition to the Olympic roster, earning his spot in late June after several quota spots were reallocated by United World Wrestling (Greco-Roman 77kg).

Noah Lyles, Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone, Sha’Carri Richardson, Masai Russell, Grant Holloway and Gabby Thomas headline the track competition.

Lyles will be looking for gold in the 100 and 200 meters, which would give him the title of “fastest man alive.” We haven’t heard of this race or given it much thought since Jamaica’s Usain Bolt dominated the 2008 Olympics in 2016.

Sidney Mcglaughlin-Levrone will defend her Olympic title after setting a new record in her favourite event, the 400 metres hurdles. She stormed away and broke her world record with a time of 50.65 seconds, becoming the only woman in history to run the 400 metres hurdles in under 51 seconds. It was the second time she had achieved this feat in her illustrious career.

The big comeback goes to heptathlete Anna Hall. After breaking her foot in a hurdle race in 2021 and undergoing knee surgery this year, she won the Olympic heptathlete trials and is also heading to Paris.

The United States men’s basketball team features multiple gold medalists, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, and single gold medalists, Anthony Davis, Jason Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo and Devin Booker. They join newcomers Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards. Steve Kerr, Mark Few and Tyronn Lue will coach the team.

Sporting reputations are won and lost on the international stage of the Olympic Games. In the case of Simone Biles, there is hope that she can regain the spotlight she so richly deserves. Her next stop is Paris, France, for thethe 2024 Olympic Games.