UCLA in Paris: Meet the Bruins’ Olympians headed to the 2024 Summer Games
UCLA athletics will be well represented with 49 Bruins headed to Paris for the 2024 Olympics Games.
Those Bruins feature 40 athletes, seven coaches and two staff members across 18 countries. The United States will have 24 of those athletes from UCLA. Canada (3), Australia (3), Phillippines (2) and Germany (2) will each have multiple Bruins.
UCLA women’s water polo will see its strongest representation with three of five Bruins playing for Team USA, with Adam Krikorian looking to bring home his fourth gold medal as the U.S.’s coach.
USA Women’s volleyball coach Karch Kiraly will participate in his seventh Olympic Games, the most of any Bruin.
The university’s total has increased to 436 current or former students to have made a combined 661 Olympic teams since 1928 (not including coaches, staff or alternates).
There will also be five alumni on the NBC’s broadcast team this year: Tim Daggett and Samantha Peszek (gymnastics), Kevin Wong (beach volleyball), and Ato Boldon and Dawn Harper Nelson (track & field).
ARTISTIC SWIMMING
Daniella Ramirez, USA: The 22-year-old from Miami is a third-generation synchronized swimmer who has competed at some of the highest levels of the sport.
BASKETBALL, MEN’S
Jrue Holiday, USA, guard: The 34-year-old from Campbell Hall High returns to the Olympics for the second time after winning gold with Team USA in 2021. Holiday played at UCLA from 2008-09 before starting his NBA season and winning his second NBA title earlier this year with the Boston Celtics.
BASKETBALL, WOMEN’S
Nirra Fields, Canada, guard
Noelle Quinn, Canada, assistant coach
Emily Bessoir, Germany, forward
Lina Sontag, Germany, forward
Angela Dugalić, Serbia, forward
BEACH VOLLEYBALL, MEN’S
Miles Partain, USA: The 22-year-old from Pacific Palisades left the UCLA men’s volleyball team after the 10th match of the 2023 season to earn a spot on the U.S. beach volleyball team. He earned 2022 MPSF Player of the Year and a first-team NVA/AVCA All-America selection honors as a Bruin.
GOLF, WOMEN’S
Lilia Vu, USA: The 26-year-old from Fountain Valley was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2016 and finished her college career on UCLA’s all-time victory list with eight individual titles. She was also the 2018 Pac-12 Golfer of the Year before turning pro in 2019.
Emma Spitz, Austria
Mariajo Uribe, Colombia
Patty Tavatanakit, Thailand
GYMNASTICS, WOMEN’S
Jordan Chiles, USA: The 23-year-old returns for her second Olympics as a member of Team USA. She won a silver medal at the team event during the 2020 Tokyo Games. In 2022, she won gold as a member of Team USA at the 2022 World Championships and won two individual silver medals (vault and floor). During her UCLA career, she won Pac-12 and NCAA gold medals for the uneven bars and floor event in 2023.
Emma Malabuyo, Philippines
Janelle McDonald, Philippines, coach
RUGBY SEVENS, MEN’S
Lucas Lacamp, USA, center: The 23-year-old from Hong Kong will represent the U.S. at the upcoming Olympics. Lacamp was a finalist for the Rudy Scholz Award in 2022, which goes to the best men’s collegiate rugby player.
SOCCER, WOMEN’S
Mallory Swanson, USA, forward: The 20-year-old from Littleton, Colorado, had a short stint at UCLA, playing in the 2017 spring season before deciding to forgo college to turn pro. It will be her second Olympic Games, after competing for the U.S. in 2016.
Jessie Fleming, Canada, Midfielder
Tegan Micah, Australia, Goalkeeper
SWIMMING, WOMEN’S
Emma Harvey, Bermuda
Gizem Guvenc, Turkey
TABLE TENNIS, WOMEN’S
Rachel Sung, USA: The 20-year-old from San Jose competes for the UCLA club team on campus. She’s competed in the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships (2021, 2023), World Junior Championships (2021) and Pan American Games (2023).
Amy Wang, USA: The 21-year-old made her national team debut for the U.S. at the age of 12. She’s competed in the 2024 World Cup, the 2023 Pan American Games and the 2021 World Junior Championships.
TENNIS, MEN’S
Marcos Giron, USA: The 30-year-old from Thousand Oaks returns for his second Olympics. He reached the second round of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, following a victory against Norbert Gombos, but lost to Kei Nishikori in three sets. Giron won an NCAA DI singles title at UCLA in 2014.
Jean-Julien Rojer, Netherlands
TENNIS, WOMEN’S
Ena Shibahara, Japan
TRACK & FIELD, MEN’S
Sondre Guttormsen, Norway, pole vault
Antonie Nortje, South Africa, 4x400m
TRACK & FIELD, WOMEN’S
Stamatia Scarvelis, Greece, hammer throw
VOLLEYBALL, MEN’S
Micah Ma’a, USA, setter: The 27-year-old from Kaneohe, Hawaii, will represent Team USA at the Olympics for the first time. Ma’a reached the NCAA title game with the Bruins in 2018 and was named to the All-Tournament team. He also won the FIVB World Cup with Team USA, winning gold in 2023 and bronze in 2019.
Garrett Muagututia, USA, outside hitter: The 36-year-old from Oceanside played at UCLA from 2006-2010 before playing for several international teams. He’s played for Team USA since 2011 and most recently won gold at the FIVB World Cup and the NORCECA Championship.
John Speraw, USA, coach: The 52-year-old from Arcadia High played and currently serves as coach at UCLA (since 2012). He won five NCAA championships and the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in 2016. Team USA will look to rebound after finishing 10th at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Erik Sullivan, USA, Team Manager: The 51-year-old from Encinitas helped win two national championships while at UCLA and played for the national team at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.
VOLLEYBALL, WOMEN’S
Sue Enquist, USA, Consultant: Enquist ties to the Bruins come from her time as a player (1975-78) and coach (1980-2006) for the softball program but she will head to Paris as the USA Women’s Volleyball Culture Consultant.
Karch Kiraly, USA, Head Coach: The 63-year-old from Jackson, Mississippi, played at UCLA from 1979-82 before playing a key role in the U.S. Men’s Volleyball team winning gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. Three years ago, he guided the USA to its first Olympic gold after finishing as runner-up three times.
Alfee Reft, USA, assistant coach: The 41-year-old from Oxnard will work on Kiraly’s staff in Paris. Reft has served as the UCLA women’s volleyball coach since 2023. He played for the U.S. men’s national team for the 2014 FIVB World Championship in Poland.
Iman Ndiaye, France, Outside Hitter
WATER POLO, MEN’S
Chase Dodd, USA, Attacker: The Long Beach native played for the Bruins in 2021 and 2022 before taking the 2023 season off to train for his first Olympics. He was named as an ACWPC All-American honorable mention and All-MPSF second-team selection in 2022. While representing the USA, he was named MVP of the FINA Intercontinental Cup gold medal match in 2022.
Ryder Dodd, USA, Attacker: The JSerra High alum quickly made his way through the USA Olympic development program and will make his Olympics debut this year as the youngest member on the team at 18 years old.
Max Irving, USA, Attacker: The 29-year-old from Long Beach will play in his second Olympics. He was a three-time All-American at UCLA and helped lead the Bruins to a NCAA Championship in 2017.
WATER POLO, WOMEN’S
Rachel Fattal, USA, Attacker: The 30-year-old from Los Alamitos will make her third Olympic appearance. Fattal won gold with Team USA in 2016 and 2020. She joined the Senior National Team after earning MVP honors at the 2013 FINA Junior World Championship. While at UCLA, she was a four-time first-team All-American.
Maddie Musselman, USA, Attacker: The Corona del Mar High alum returns for her third Olympic Games. She is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist (2016, 2020) and was named the MVP at the 2020 Summer Games. While at UCLA, she was named an All-American four times.
Tara Prentice, USA, Utility: The Murrieta Valley High alum played just one season at UCLA before transferring to UC Irvine. While in high school, she helped lead her team to a Division 2 CIF Championship. She will make her Olympic debut with Team USA this year.
Adam Krikorian, USA, Head Coach: The 50-year-old coach from Santa Clara returns as one of the more successful Olympic Bruins. Krikorian has led the team to three gold medals (2012, 2016, 2020). He’s also had a successful career with UCLA, having a combined 15 NCAA titles as a player and coach.
Molly Cahill, USA, Assistant Coach: Cahill competed in the pool for the Bruins from 2004-07 and spent time as an assistant coach in Westwood from 2008-17. She will serve as an assistant under Krikorian.
Sienna Green, Australia, Utility
Bronte Halligan, Australia, Attacker