TULSA, Okla. — The Olympics begin on Friday, July 23 on 2 News.
Many Oklahomans traveled the world to compete with some of the best athletes over the years, including this year's Summer Games.
Some of the Olympians competing this year are:
Patrick Callan
Patrick Callan is going for gold this summer after he secured his spot on the Team USA roster to compete in swimming. He will compete in the 4x200m freestyle relay event. Callan is from Owasso and attended Bishop Kelley High School.
READ MORE: Patrick Callan secures spot on Team USA
Micha Hancock
Micha Hancock is also going for gold this summer after securing her spot on the Team USA roster in volleyball. She will compete as a setter on the volleyball team. Hancock is from Edmond, Okla., and attended Edmond Memorial High School.
Plenty of Olympians also competed in the past and brought medals back to the Sooner State.
Some former Oklahomans who have competed are:
Braden Looper
Braden Looper was born in Weatherford, Okla., and later attended high school in Mangum, Okla.
He later became a professional MLB player and played for various teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. He competed at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta on the men's baseball team.
Shannon Miller
Shannon Miller was born in Rolla, Mo., but moved to Edmond at six months old. She later attended and graduated from Edmond North High School.
Miller competed as a gymnast. She won 2 gold medals at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, 2 silver medals and 3 bronze medals at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain. Before this year's Summer Games begin, Miller is considered to be the most decorated U.S. female gymnast in Olympics history with a total of seven medals.
Kenny Monday
Kenny Monday was born and raised in Tulsa, Okla. He attended Booker T. Washington High School where he competed in wrestling.
Monday later took his talents to Oklahoma State University and became a three-time All-American wrestler during his time there. He later competed as a freestyle wrestler for Team USA in the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea, and the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain.
John Smith
John Smith was born and raised in Del City, Okla.
He later attended Oklahoma State University and competed as a wrestler. Smith was an NCAA Division I national runner-up, and a two-time national champion during his time there. He competed as a freestyle wrestler for Team USA in the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea, and the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain.
Smith later came back to coach wrestling at his alma mater. He is considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe was born in what is now known as Prague, Okla. He was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics.
He is considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports. Before and after his times as an Olympian, Thorpe also played college and professional American football, professional baseball, and basketball. Thorpe won 2 gold medals in the 1912 Games in Stockholm, Sweden, in the classic pentathlon and decathlon.
Wayman Tisdale
Wayman Tisdale was born in Forth Worth, Texas, but called Tulsa, Okla., home after he grew up there. He attended Booker T. Washington High School.
Tisdale later went to the University of Oklahoma to play basketball. He still holds the record at OU for the most points scored by any player through his freshman and sophomore seasons. Tisdale's jersey was retired by OU in 1997. He competed on the men's basketball for Team USA in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, Cali., and won a gold medal. Tisdale was later drafted by the Indiana Pacers.
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