Athletes from all over the world will compete in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, from July 23 to Aug. 8.
As Olympic trials are completed, the Church News is looking for information about Latter-day Saint athletes. Please send information about 2021 Olympians, including name, country and event, to churchnews@deseretnews.com.
The event is technically the 2020 Olympics Games, originally scheduled for summer 2020 but delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The most recent Summer Games, in 2016, were in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Seventeen Latter-day Saint athletes — 10 women and seven men — from eight countries competed in 12 sports, earning five medals.
The 2016 medalists:
- American Sarah Robles won the bronze in women’s 75kg weightlifting.
- New Zealand’s Valerie Adams won the silver in women’s shot put.
- Former BYU Cougar Taylor Sander was part of the U.S. men’s volleyball team that won the bronze medal.
- Sami Hill and her teammates on the U.S. women’s water polo team won gold.
- Canada’s Ashley Steacy was a member of the women’s rugby team that won the bronze medal.
During the most recent Winter Olympics, in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, two Latter-day Saints competed. Additionally, Church members in Gangneung, South Korea, offered a place to warm up, recharge a cellphone or explore family history at the Helping Hands Center.
The Church News also will accept information about Latter-day Saints competing in the Paralympics, Aug. 24 to Sept. 5 in Tokyo. Please send name, country, event and other pertinent information to churchnews@deseretnews.com.