Olympics: North Houston Area Athletes Prepare to Rep the Red, White, and Blue on the World’s Stage

PARIS, FRANCE -- Athletes from the North Houston/Woodlands area enter the arena for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics where they will compete at the highest level in representation of the United States.

Simone Biles

Biles needs little introduction given her accomplishments in the recent Olympic Games. Since her emergence on the wider stage in 2013, the Spring product has blazed a trail of nearly unmatched gymnastics pedigree.

Her first Olympic Games were in 2016 during Rio where she secured four golds and a bronze medal. The dominant performance left no doubt that Biles’ abilities as a top-level gymnast were above the rest, but a tumultuous 2020 games left some questions unanswered.

Mental health issues and mental blocks ahead of critical events lent an air of doubt that Biles would be able to recapture her momentum on the Olympic stage.

But with a greater eye given to the mental struggles of professional athletes and her positive momentum rebuilt, Biles looks to reassert herself as the top name in the gymnastics game in the surely exciting 2024 Paris Olympics.

Orrin Bizer

A Woodlands native through and through, Bizer began his path to the World’s stage by joining The Woodlands Youth Rugby program in 2017.

His continued devotion to the growing U.S. rugby community has led to opportunities outside The Woodlands, as he attended Life University on the way to claiming back-to-back national titles in Rugby 7s.

Bizer will make his Olympic debut ahead of the official opening ceremony on the 24th with U.S.A. Rugby’s match against the host nation France is set to start at 9:30 AM.

Kassidy Cook

Another Woodlands native and former Lady Highlander, Kassidy Cook brings previous Olympic experience to the board with her diving slate set to enter the deep end with the rest of Team U.S.A.

The 3-meter Synchro and similar springboard events have been Cook’s wheelhouse since her start in diving at the age of three. The young star has blossomed into a 12-time national champion in various diving events through her time spent at Stanford University and with Team U.S.A. diving. Cooks also touts prior Olympic experience, having competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she participated in the 3-meter springboard.

Prior experience and championship experience will need to come to the forefront if Cook hopes to take home a medal in the stacked diving competitions.

Jonathan Healy

Mastery of martial arts has landed Spring’s Jonathan Healy a spot on Team U.S.A.’s taekwondo squad for Paris 2024.

Since 2012, Healy has fought through tough competitions to make a name for himself in the global taekwondo space. Double-digit gold medals in regional, national, and international competitions have given Healy a well-earned air of respect, but his championship prestige will be put to the test in his first Olympic games.

Asher Hong

The young talent and recent Tomball product, Asher Hong takes years of competing experience and a fresh mindset into the Paris games, where he hopes to etch his name into U.S. gymnastics history as a medalist.

Junior competitions and national championships before his 12th birthday shaped Hong into an incredibly gifted and talented young athlete coming up through the U.S. gymnastics circuit. An upbringing that provided ample opportunity for the future Olympian has shaped Hong into a decade-spanning career professional athlete.

Hong will look to climb the mountaintop and bring home his first Summer Olympic medal in the upcoming Paris Games.

Alaysha Johnson

College Champion Alaysha Johnson hopes to increase her status by taking home an Olympic medal in her first appearance on the World stage.

The former Texas Gatorade Track & Field Girls Athlete of the Year from Spring, Johnson’s tear through the collegiate ranks began in Eugene Oregon where she ran with the University of Oregon Women’s Track Team. Success at Oregon and eventually Texas Tech pushed Johnson to pursue opportunities with Team U.S.A., where she earned a spot by posting a personal best of 12.31 in the 100m hurdles to get qualification for the 2024 Games.

Johnson looks to make her mark on the Paris Games, and a wave of positive momentum, including a personal best is a sure-fire sign of good things to come.

Brynn King

Woodlands’ Brynn King aims to make a name for herself by riding strong momentum into the 2024 Games.

In the deceptively complex sport of pole vault, King has soared onto Team U.S.A. by clearing a career-best 15 feet, 6 ¼ inches at the Olympic Trials. The height was strong enough to secure third place in the trials and earned King a spot on the U.S. Track & Field squad.

A first-time competitor, King will set her sights high in the intricate pole vault event in Paris.

Jacob Wooten

The second of two pole vaulters from the Woodlands area, Jacob Wooten also makes his Olympic debut sporting a celebrated career path.

Following his acceptance into Texas A&M, Wooten earned four All-American Honors with the Aggies on his path to an eventual Team U.S.A. spot. A 19-foot vault in the Olympic trials landed Wooten a spot on the flight to Paris for 2024, where a medal is the goal for the first-time Olympian.

Best of luck to the athletes of Team U.S.A. in their upcoming events, and a sincere congratulations to the Woodlands Area athletes on their accomplishments and entry onto the Global Stage.