The 2024 Olympic Games are well underway in France, and as expected the early returns have the United States ahead in overall medals with 20 total as of this writing, including three gold, eight silver, and nine bronze.
The Olympics give folks not only a chance to celebrate some of the most well-known athletes on the planet, like LeBron James, Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, and Coco Gauff, they also help expose people to lesser known athletes in specific sporting competitions who have a rare chance to shine on the world stage.
That has already come to fruition in Paris, with many American athletes becoming household names overnight thanks to viral performances and celebrations.
While not every Team USA athlete was a prominent college star, many did excel in their respective sport – or in the case of beach volleyball star Chase Budinger, a different sport altogether.
Below is a look at eight Team USA olympians making headlines in the early part of the games, and where they went to college: