Cover photo credit – Bo Zhang on Unsplash
This summer, sports fans around the world are being treated to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. The games officially began on July 26 and will come to an end on August 11.
Three Long Island athletes have been given the prestigious opportunity to take part in the 2024 Olympics. This includes Crystal Dunn of the USA women’s national soccer team, Andrew Capobianco, a Team USA springboard diver, and Syla Swords of the Canadian women’s basketball team.
Crystal Dunn
Dunn has been a valued member of Team USA for a while now as this is her third Olympic appearance at just thirty-two years old. She’s from Rockville Center and currently plays for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Team USA wouldn’t be where it is without Dunn leading the way. She has taken the mantle of other former superstars like Alex Morgan as the face of the USA women’s national soccer team.
Dunn can play as a forward, midfielder, or defender, making her impact felt all over the field. She has had an incredible career and is nowhere near stopping. So far, in the Paris Olympic games, Dunn has played incredible defense and even scored her first Olympic goal, giving Team USA a chance at the gold medal.
The three-time Olympian also had a beautiful assist against Japan in extra time to lead to a Trinity Rodman goal and send the USA to the semi-finals. Team USA handled business against Germany and will now face Brazil in the finals.
“She’s always been an idol to me growing up,” said Ava Muffoletto, a collegiate soccer player from Kings Park who has played for a former coach of Dunn. “Seeing someone from Long Island making it to the biggest stage in soccer, and being the best at it, is inspirational.”
Dunn will look to lead the USA women’s national soccer team back to glory, earning her first-ever gold medal and the country’s fifth in history.
Andrew Capobianco
Andrew Capobianco has a different story for Team USA. He is a twenty-four-year-old diver from Wantagh, making his second appearance in the Olympics.
In his last appearance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 he won a silver medal in the three-meter synchronized diving competition. This year he is competing in the three-meter springboard event.
He scored a point total of 382.05 in the preliminary round earning him a spot in the semi-finals. Capobianco then finished 15 in the semis with a score of 407.65.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to qualify for the finals, but it was still a successful Olympic appearance for the diver. Keep an eye out for Capobianco in future Olympic Games, as he still has a long career ahead of him.
Syla Swords
Syla Swords competed as the youngest player ever on the Canadian’s women basketball team at just eighteen years old. The first-time Olympian played high school basketball at Long Island Lutheran in Brookville before moving to Sudbury, Ontario.
Canada women’s basketball finished last in Group B with a 0-3 record, meaning their time in Paris has come to an end. Swords recorded 3.3 points in just 15 minutes per game in the three losses, showing great potential for the future of Canadian women’s basketball.
