BY DAN GLICKMAN
While often considered more of a source for winter athletes, the Rochester area has a long history of participation in the Summer Olympic Games, dating to when the Canandaigua-born William Lewis and Waterloo-born Harry Lee participated in track and field events in the 1900 Games in Paris. The area’s first gold medalists came in 1904, when Charles Jacobus– born in Seneca, Ontario County- came in first in the croquet-style sport of roque in the only year it was an Olympic sport, while Orleans County’s David Munson took home gold as part of a team four-mile event. In 1924, in Paris, runner Bill Cox became the first Monroe County native to win an Olympic medal, taking bronze in the 3,000-meter team race.
In the years since, others from the area have won Olympic glory. Ryan Lochte lived in the area until he was 12 before winning 11 medals in the pool, six of them gold. Pittsford native Abby Wambach won two golds in soccer, while Jenn Suhr earned a gold and a silver in pole vault. Several others have also won Olympic medals- including gold- while still more have had the honor of competing.
Now, the Olympics return to Paris, where Lewis and Lee made the region’s Olympic debut and Cox won Monroe County’s first medal. Five athletes with serious local ties will take part: here’s who they are, when they’ll compete, and how you can watch them.
Note: All times and dates are Eastern.
Meghan Musnicki (Rowing)
Musnicki is the most accomplished local athlete at the Paris Olympics, with two Olympic Golds in Women’s Eights rowing (2012, 2016) and another Olympic appearance in Tokyo. Originally from Naples, the Ithaca College graduate retired from eight-women rowing after Team USA’s fourth-place finish in Tokyo but decided to return for a fourth Olympics at 41- making her the oldest American rower at the games. Musnicki joins a boat that won silver at last year’s World Rowing Championships, and experts appear to think she and her fellow rowers have a great shot at medaling in Paris- Sports Illustrated projects them to take home silver.
Musnicki and her teammates start their quest for Olympic gold on Monday, July 29, with heats scheduled to begin at 6:00 A.M. online (with a valid TV subscription), on the streaming service Peacock and on the E! Network. The next round would depend on the team’s finish in the opening heats. If they fail to qualify for the final through heats, they’ll have to try and make it to the final round through the “repechage,” held on Thursday, August 1, at 4:10 A.M. online (with valid TV subscription) and on Peacock. Should Team USA make the final, the gold medal race is set for 4:50 A.M. online (with valid TV subscription), on Peacock, and on the USA Network. It will be re-shown later in the day on USA Network and NBC during blocks of programming starting at 12:30 and 3:45 P.M., respectively.
Magnus Sheffield (Cycling)
A professional road cyclist from Pittsford, the 22-year-old Sheffield is now based in Europe, where he races for the Ineos Grenadiers—a team that has produced eight Tour de France titles. As a teenager, he was a member of the Genesee Valley Cycling Club. Also an avid skier, he’s voiced interest in competing in Ski Mountaineering in the sport’s debut at the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to the Paris 2024 official website.
Sheffield qualified for both road cycling events in Paris: the Time Trial and the Road Race.
First will be the Time Trial, which is Sheffield’s specialty. The event starts at 10:32 A.M. on Saturday, July 27, with coverage online (with a valid TV subscription), on Peacock, and on the USA Network. NBC re-airs the event later in the day during the programming block at 5:00 P.M.
A week later (Saturday, August 8), Sheffield will go in the Road Race. Set for a 5:00 A.M. start, the race airs online (with valid TV subscription), Peacock, CNBC, and will also be featured during NBC’s early morning coverage.
Kevin Penev (Gymnastics)
Only some local athletes will be representing Team USA. Penfield native Kevin Penev will represent Bulgaria, his parents’ homeland. A 24-year-old who grew up training at the Rochester Gymnastic Academy (which his parents own and operate), Penev earned a spot in the Olympics by finishing eighth in vault at the World Championships in 2023.
The Olympics haven’t officially announced the exact schedule for individual competitors in gymnastics, but the qualifying round of the men’s competition starts at 5 A.M. on Saturday, July 27 online (with valid TV subscription), on Peacock, and on E! Network and NBC. Coverage will continue throughout the morning and appear on NBC’s prime time coverage. Future appearances by Penev would depend on what apparatuses, if anything, he qualifies for.
Brynn King (Track and Field)
Originally from Texas, King came to Roberts Wesleyan University to train on pole vault with Jenn Suhr and her husband (and former coach) Rick in hopes of replicating the two-time medalist’s success. At the Olympic Trials in June, she registered a career-best mark of 4.73 meters (15 feet, 6 ¼ inches), good for third in the competition and punching her ticket to Paris.
The qualifying round for pole vault is Monday, August 5, at 4:40 A.M. Coverage is online (with valid TV subscription), on Peacock, and USA Network. If Brynn reaches the finals, it’ll be at 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday, August 7.
Lanae-Tava Thomas (Track and Field)
Another Rochester athlete representing another nation, Jamaica’s Lanae-Tava Thomas, was born near the capital city of Kingston but moved to the United States when she was 11, where she ran for Rush-Henrietta. She broke or tied five sectional records during her Section V career and won 24 state titles. After running collegiately at USC and the University of Texas (winning two NCAA titles), Thomas joined the Jamaican national team.
Thomas specializes in the 200 meters but may also participate in the 4×400 relay. The 200 meters is scheduled for Sunday, August 4, at 4:55 A.M. with coverage online (with a valid TV subscription), on Peacock, and on USA Network. Depending on her finishes, she could compete next in either repechages on Monday, August 5 at 6:50 A.M. online (with valid TV subscription), on Peacock, and USA Network. If she advances to the semifinals, her race would start 2:45 P.M. online, on Peacock, and on NBC.
Should Thomas reach the finals, the gold medal race will be at 3:40 P.M. on Tuesday, August 6, online (with a valid TV subscription), on Peacock, and on NBC. NBC will re-air it that night during its prime time coverage.
If Thomas takes part in the 4×400 relay, that event’s heats start on Friday, August 9, at 4:40 A.M. online (with valid TV subscription), on Peacock, and on USA Network. They’ll be shown again during the daytime NBC coverage. The finals are on Saturday, August 10, at 3:22 P.M. online, on Peacock, and on NBC. NBC will also re-air the finals during its prime time coverage.
More Area Connections
Rochester’s influence won’t just be felt from athletes: two graduates of St. John Fisher will take part- one as a referee, another as a broadcaster.
The referee is Kathryn Nesbitt. A Rochester native and 2010 graduate of St. John Fisher, she’ll be a referee for soccer competitions at the games. Nesbitt previously made headlines when she became one of the first female officials to work games at the men’s FIFA World Cup, and she has also worked at the women’s World Cup and in the MLS.
In the booth is Sloane Martin. Originally from California, the 2011 Fisher graduate is now the lead play-by-play broadcaster for women’s basketball on the Big Ten Network, and also serves as sideline reporter for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. Martin will do play-by-play for multiple sports remotely from NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Connecticut.
Other Western New Yorkers
While not from the Rochester area, there are several other competitors from Rochester’s neighbors who may be of interest:
- Jessica Pegula, the daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula, is the world’s sixth-ranked women’s tennis player. In addition to singles play, she and Coco Gauff are considered the top doubles team for the USA and a significant medal threat. Pegula’s mother, Kim, was raised in Fairport.
- Other Buffalo Olympians include synchronized swimmer Anita Alvarez and men’s volleyball player Matt Anderson.
- The Southern Tier also sends a few athletes. The Watkins Glen-born Olivia Coffey will compete in two rowing events (including as a teammate of Mushnicki in Eights), while Endicott’s Emily Mackay runs in the 1500 meter.
- To our east, Syracuse sends WNBA All-Star Breanna Stewart to the women’s basketball team, while MLS player Miles Robinson- who played two years for Syracuse University- is on the men’s soccer team.
The 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremonies will be broadcast on NBC at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, July 27, and will re-air during prime time.
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