(TOKYO) The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics kicked off Tuesday, with the United States facing off against Italy in softball.
Every four years, athletes from across the world represent their home country and pit themselves against competitors from other countries in the Summer Olympic Games. Although COVID-19 caused a delay last year, the Olympics are back in action this summer.
Arizona boasts a total of 18 athletes competing across 11 sports and events. The Grand Canyon State will be represented by athletes competing in the following events:
- Soccer
- Archery
- Gymnastics
- Track and Field
- Baseball
- Tennis
- Skateboarding
- Rugby
- Diving
- Cycling
Here's who will be representing Arizona and the United States, as well as when they'll be competing in their respective sports and events.
Soccer
Julie Ertz: Headlining the Olympics for Arizona is Ertz, a midfielder for the United States Women's National Team, arguably one of the most accomplished teams in U.S. team sports history.
Ertz has two FIFA Women's World Cup wins under her belt, and will look to grab her first Olympic gold medal as well the United States' fifth for women's soccer. The USWNT fell to Sweden in the quarter-finals of the knockout rounds at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, earning a fifth-place finish.
Ertz was born in Mesa and graduated from Dobson High School in 2010. She is married to Zach Ertz, tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles and Super Bowl champion.
The USWNT played its first match Wednesday in Tokyo vs Sweden and lost 3-0. Ertz's next match will take place at 4:30 a.m. MST against New Zealand on Saturday.
Baseball
Jamie Westbrook: Westbrook's Arizona roots grow deep, as he was born in Gilbert, went to high school at Basha, and then was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013.
The 26-year-old lives in Chandler and plays outfield in the Diamondbacks' minor league system. The United States baseball team plays their first game Friday against Israel at 4 a.m. MST. Their second game is Saturday at 4 a.m. MST.
Tennis
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: Although she was born in Rochester, Minnesota, Mattek-Sands currently lives in Phoenix. She'll be representing the United States in women's doubles for tennis.
Mattek-Sands won the gold medal in 2016 for mixed doubles with Jack Sock, defeating fellow Americans Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram.
The first round for women's doubles tennis starts Friday at 7 p.m. MST.
Archery
Brady Ellison: Ellison qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games when he won the 2019 World Archery Championship in the Netherlands. He'll be competing in both the men's individual and men's team archery competitions.
Ellison was born in Glendale and currently lives in Globe, about an hour east of Phoenix. According to Bovada sportsbook, he currently has the best odds to win the men's individual event for archery at +275.
He has two silver medals as part of the men's team competition at the 2016 and 2012 Olympics and earned a bronze in the men's individual competition at the 2016 Olympics.
Ellison is scheduled to compete Thursday at 9 p.m. MST in the men's individual ranking round.
Gymnastics
Jade Carey: Born in Phoenix, Carey attended Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale. The 21-year-old will be competing in the women's all-around, vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
MyKayla Skinner: An alternate for the women's gymnastics team in the 2016 Summer Olympics, Skinner now gets a chance to compete. The 2020 games will be her first time competing for a medal.
The 24-year-old from Gilbert went to Higley High School and the University of Utah. She's a two-time NCAA champion with one win for the floor exercise in 2017 and a win on the vault in 2018.
Skinner will be competing in the all-around, vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
Gymnastics will take place from Day 1 of the Olympics on Saturday until Day 6 on Thursday, July 29. They'll resume on Sunday, Aug. 1 until Aug. 3.
Track and Field
Devon Allen: Born in Phoenix, Allen had a standout high school career at Brophy Prep. He ran track and played football for the University of Oregon. Allen is set to run the 110-meter hurdles. He finished fifth in the same event in the 2015 Summer Olympics.
Will Claye: A three-time Olympic medalist from Tucson, Claye won his first two at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he earned the bronze medal for the long jump and the silver medal for the triple jump. Claye won his second silver medal in the triple jump at the 2016 Olympics. He's set to compete in the triple jump in Tokyo.
Abdi Abdirahman: At 44 years old, Abdirahman is the oldest American runner to ever make the Olympic team. He was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, but is a longtime Arizona resident, as he graduated from Tucson High School in 1995, and went to Pima Community College and the University of Arizona.
Abdirahman also represented America in the 2000 Olympics, where he finished 10th in the marathon.
Aliphine Tuliamuk: Although she was born in Kenya, Tuliamuk is a Flagstaff resident. An All-American at Wichita State University, this will be her first Olympic games.
Tuliamuk will be representing the United States in the women's marathon on Friday, Aug. 6. The race starts at 3 p.m. MST.
Skateboarding
Alana Smith: An Arizona native from Mesa, Smith became the youngest medalist in X Games history when she won the silver medal in the women's park contest at 12 years old in 2013. The 20-year-old will be competing in the women's street competition at 4:30 p.m. MST on Sunday.
Jagger Eaton: Born in Mesa, Eaton grew up in a family of skateboarders, as his brothers Jett and Koston and his father Geoff all skated. He will be competing in the men's street competition, which starts Satuday at 4:30 p.m. MST.
Rugby Sevens
Maceo Brown: A graduate of Corona del Sol High School, Brown played football and basketball before shifting to rugby. He went on to play for Grand Canyon University's rugby team, and currently plays center for the U.S. squad.
Brett Thompson: A native of Tempe, Thompson graduated from Marcos de Niza High School before going to college at the University of Arizona. Thompson plays forward for the U.S. squad.
Both Thompson and Brown will play their first match against Kenya on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. MST.
Diving
Delaney Schnell: A current diver for the University of Arizona, Schnell is set to represent the United States in the women's 10-meter platform dive and women's synchronized 10-meter platform dive.
Schnell was born in Iron Mountain, Michigan, but currently lives in Tucson.
The women's synchronized 10-meter platform dive starts Monday at 11 p.m. MST. The women's 10-meter platform preliminaries start Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 11 p.m. MST.
Cycling
Brandon McNulty: Born and raised in Phoenix, McNulty is a 23-year-old professional cyclist for UAE Team Emirates. He'll be competing in the men's road race on Friday at 7 p.m. MST and the men's individual time trial on Tuesday at 10 p.m.
Corben Sharrah: A BMX rider from Tucson, Sharrah will be representing the United States in the BMX race on Wednesday at 6 p.m. MST.
Beach Volleyball
Sarah Sponcil: Born and raised Phoenix, Sponcil graduated from Veritas Preparatory Academy in 2014. She went on to play collegiately for UCLA, and graduated in 2019. The 2020 Olympics will be her first Olympic Games.
Sponcil is paired with Kelly Claes, and the pair is ranked No. 6 in the world at the sport, despite being the youngest beach volleyball team in U.S. Olympic history. They are one of four teams representing the United States for beach volleyball, and are set to face off against the Latvian women's team on Sunday at 5 p.m. MST.