The same earlier version listed Simone Manuel as competing in 100-meter freestyle swim events, but she did not qualify for them at the U.S. trials.
If Team USA named a captain for the Tokyo Olympics (July 23–August 8), it would surely be Texas native and defending all-around women’s gymnastics champion Simone Biles. The acrobatic marvel from Spring makes a fitting flag-bearer for a female-dominated Team Texas as well: 33 of the state’s 49 Olympic hopefuls this summer are women.
Hailing from Galveston and Dallas, Abilene and Flint, our athletes showcase the diversity and excellence that define our state. Watching them live—fourteen hours ahead of Central Time—won’t be easy, but here are eleven who’ll be worth the sleep deprivation. And don’t miss learning more about some of the athletes in our From Texas to Tokyo online video series. (Times are from NBC’s television schedule and are subject to change.)
Simone Biles
Hometown: Spring
Age: 24
Events: Team, floor exercise, balance beam, vault, all-around
When to Watch:
Qualifications: July 25, 1:10 a.m.
Team Final: July 27, 5:45 a.m.
Individual All-around Final: July 29, 5:50 a.m.
Vault Final: August 1, 3:55 a.m.
Floor Exercise Final: August 2, 4 a.m.
Balance Beam Final: August 3, 3:53 a.m.
Why Watch: The five-time 2016 Olympic medalist returns for what might be her final Olympics. She’s favored to win gold across the board and break the U.S. record for most career gold medals (eight) won by a woman in any sport.
Jordan Windle
College: University of Texas at Austin
Age: 22
Events: 3-meter and 10-meter dive
When to Watch:
3-meter Springboard Prelim: August 2, 1 a.m.
3-meter Springboard Semifinal: August 2, 8 p.m.
3-meter Springboard Final: August 3, 1 a.m.
10-meter Platform Prelim: August 6, 1 a.m.
10-meter Platform Semifinal: August 6, 8 p.m.
10-meter Platform Final: August 7, 1 a.m.
Why Watch: Born in Cambodia and orphaned as an infant, Windle was adopted by a Floridian and emerged a diving prodigy. The NCAA champion and nine-time All-American will return to UT-Austin this year and compete for a fifth season.
Tamyra Mensah-Stock
Hometown: Katy
Age: 28
Event: Freestyle wrestling
When to Watch:
Round of 16 and Quarterfinal: August 1, 9 p.m.
Semifinal: August 2, 4:15 a.m.
Medal Matches: August 3, 4:15 a.m.
Why Watch: Mensah-Stock didn’t start wrestling till she was a sophomore at Morton Ranch High School. She’s the current world champion for her 68-kilogram (150-pound) weight class and the gold medal favorite.
Lawson Craddock
Hometown: Houston
Age: 29
Event: Road cycling
When to Watch:
Road Race: July 23, 9 p.m.
Time Trial: July 28, 12 a.m.
Why Watch: An accident on the first day of the 2018 Tour de France left him with a fractured scapula and a deep gash above his left eye that required stitches. But he refused to quit, finishing the 2,082-mile race dead last while raising more than $200,000 for Houston’s Alkek Velodrome, which was damaged by Hurricane Harvey.
Simone Manuel
Hometown: Sugar Land
Age: 25
Event: 50-meter freestyle
When to Watch:
50-meter Freestyle Heat: July 30, 5:35 a.m.
50-meter Freestyle Semifinal: July 30, 9:32 p.m.
50-meter Freestyle Final: July 31, 8:37 p.m.
Why Watch: Manuel is the foremost athlete in women’s swimming. The fourteen-time NCAA champ won two silvers and two golds in 2016.
Virginia “Ginny” Fuchs
Hometown: Houston
Age: 33
Event: Boxing (flyweight)
When to Watch:
Round of 32: July 25, 3:30 a.m.
Round of 16: July 28, 9 p.m.; July 29, 3 a.m.
Quarterfinal: July 31, 9 p.m.; August 1, 3 a.m.
Semifinal: August 4, 12 a.m.
Final: August 7, 12:15 a.m.
Why Watch: The USA women’s boxing team captain and medal favorite is a mental health advocate. She is candid about her struggles with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she details in our From Texas to Tokyo series.
Connor Fields
Birthplace: Plano
Age: 28
Event: BMX racing
When to Watch:
Quarterfinal: July 28, 8 p.m.
Semifinal and Final: July 29, 8 p.m.
Why Watch: Fields is looking to win his second BMX gold medal, after becoming the first American ever to win one in 2016.
Courtney and Kelley Hurley
Hometown: San Antonio
Ages: 30 and 33, respectively
Event: Individual and team épée fencing
When to Watch:
Individual Prelim: Kelley: July 23, 8:25 p.m. Courtney: July 23, 8:55 p.m.
Individual Semifinal and Final: July 24, 4 a.m.
Team Prelim: July 26, 9:25 p.m.
Team Final: July 27, 4:30 a.m.
Why Watch: It’s all in the family for the 2012 bronze medalist Hurleys. Just ask their coach, and father, Bob Hurley.
Ryan Crouser
Alma Mater: UT-Austin
Age: 28
Event: Shot put
When to Watch:
Qualifying: August 3, 5:15 a.m.
Final: August 4, 9:05 p.m.
Why Watch: The four-time NCAA champ and 2016 gold medalist pulverized the 31-year-old world record by an incomprehensible ten inches at the U.S. trials. As for everyone else: have fun competing for silver, y’all!
Raevyn Rogers
Hometown: Houston
Age: 24
Event: 800-meter run
When to Watch:
Round 1: July 29, 7:55 p.m.
Semifinal: July 31, 6:50 a.m.
Final: August 3, 7:25 a.m.
Why Watch: Rogers may be a first-time Olympian, but she’s already a legend at the University of Oregon, where she won six NCAA titles.
Reporting by Vanessa Ague, Arman Badrei, and Rachel Calcott.
Photograph credits: Biles: Carmen Mandato/Getty; Windle: Dylan Buell/Getty; Mcpherson: Patrick Smith/Getty; Mensah-stock: Harry How/Getty; Craddock: Bryn Lennon/Getty; Manuel: Maddie Meyer/Getty; Fuchs: Chris Graythen/Getty; Fields: Phil Walter/Getty; Hurley sisters: Hannah Peters/Getty; Crouser: Patrick Smith/Getty; Rogers: Andy Lyons/Getty
Times are subject to change. Some events are dependent on athletes’ advancement. This article originally appeared in the August 2021 issue of Texas Monthly with the headline “Twelve Texans to Watch in Tokyo.” Subscribe today.
