City Of Las Vegas: Las Vegas Olympians

Press release from the City of Las Vegas:

Jul 06, 2021

Meet some of the Las Vegans headed to the Olympics this summer in Tokyo. 

Team USA

Katie Grimes

Women’s swimming

At only 15 years old, Katie is the youngest swimmer on the women’s swim team. She swims with the Sandpipers club team, which utilizes city of Las Vegas pools. She will compete in the 800 freestyle. Read more about her here: and here.

Erica Sullivan

Women’s swimming

She will be in the 1500-meter-freestyle. She finished 12th in the 800-meter freestyle in the 2016 Olympic Trials at age 16. Sadly, her father passed in 2017 right before she made the national team You can learn more about her here.

Bella Sims

Women’s swimming

At 16 years old, Bella is the second youngest swimmer on the women’s Olympic swim team. She swims with the Sandpipers club team, which utilizes city of Las Vegas pools. She will be in the 4X200-meter relay. Learn more about her here: 

Bowe Becker

Men’s swimming.

He attended college and swam at the University of Minnesota and is a graduate of Faith Lutheran High School here in Las Vegas. He joins Team USA as a member of the 4X100-meter freestyle relay. This will be his first Olympics.

Vashti Cunningham

Photo credit: Jeff Cohen Photo

Women's track and field  

Vashti is a high jumper and daughter of Philadelphia Eagles and UNLV star quarterback Randall Cunningham. Her father, Randall, serves as her coach and was with her at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon where she qualified for the Olympic team on June 20. The 23-year-old will be going to her second Olympics, and jumped a personal best of 6 feet, 7 ½ inches earlier this year. She placed 13th in the 2016 Olympics. Her jump of 6 feet, 7 ½ inches in May is the #1 mark in the world this year and she is a contender for a medal in Tokyo.

Connor Fields

Photo credit: Getty Images

BMX

A now three-time Olympian in BMX, Connor will defend the gold medal he won in Brazil in 2016. Connor began competing in BMX at age 7 in Las Vegas. His parents drove him to practice at a local BMX track five nights a week. 

A’ja Wilson

Women's basketball 

A 6-4 forward, A’ja Wilson was drafted by the Aces with the #1 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 WNBA Draft. She was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year, and was the league MVP in 2020. She played in college at South Carolina, where she was named National Player of the Year in her senior season. Thus far in 2021 she is averaging 18.5 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. She will play on Team USA’s women’s basketball team.

Chelsea Gray

Women's basketball 

Chelsea is a 5’ 11” guard who signed with the Las Vegas Aces on Feb. 2, 2021.She was drafted by the Connecticut Sun in 2014 after playing her college ball at Duke. She won a WNBA championship in 2016 as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks. A WNBA All-Star in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and was named to the All-WNBA First Team in 2019. Entering the 2021 season, Gray ranks 15th in WNBA history in career assists. She is averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 assists per game this season. She will play on Team USA’s women’s basketball team.

Kelsey Plum

Women's 3-on-3 basketball 

Kelsey is a 5'8 guard who helped the US Women's team win the gold medal at the 2018 FIBA World Cup. She played her college ball at Washington University, and was a member of the WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2017. She is averaging 12.9 points and 3.1 assists per game this season. 

Rahim Gonzalez

Boxing

Rahim is a light heavyweight boxer who moved to Las Vegas from California to train with his father beginning in 2013. After failing to make the 2016 team he will go for the gold in Tokyo.

Australian Team

Liz Cambage

Liz is a 6’ 8” center who was traded to the Aces from Tulsa in May 2019. She is a three time WNBA All-Star (2011, 2018 & 2019) and holds the WNBA single game scoring record with 53 points against New York. She is currently averaging 15 points and 7.7 rebounds a game for the Aces. She will play on Team Australia’s women’s basketball team.

South Korea Team

Ji-Su Park (South Korea)

A 6’ 5” center, the Aces traded for her in April 2018 after she was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx. She played professionally in South Korea for the KB Stars, and is among the youngest players in the league at age 20. Averaging 2.1 point and 1.8 rebounds per game. She will play on Team South Korea’s women’s basketball team.

This press release was produced by the City of Las Vegas. The views expressed here are the author’s own.