As Paris Games Approach, A Look Back At Local Olympians

Matt Centrowitz wore his Olympic gold medal to the Orioles game on August 29 and received an ovation from the crowd at Camden Yards. In Rio on August 20, Centrowitz became the first American to win gold in the 1,500-meter run since 1908.

Photo courtesy of Jillian Grap

Abel Kipsang, of Kenya, led Matthew Centrowitz, of United States, and Azeddine Habz, of France, to win a men's 1,500-meter heat at the 2020 Summer Olympics on August 3 in Tokyo, Japan.

Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Farrah Hall concluded her Tokyo Olympics event with a 16, 16, 16 in the 27-board Women’s RS:X fleet, ending the regatta in 15th overall.

Photo courtesy of Sailing Energy/World Sailing

Joe Morris and Thomas Barrows qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 2016 after outperforming their competitors at races in Clearwater, Florida and Miami.

Photo courtesy of Will Ricketson/US Sailing Team Sperry

Joe Morris and Thomas Barrows qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 2016 after outperforming their competitors at races in Clearwater, Florida and Miami.

Photo courtesy of Will Ricketson/US Sailing Team Sperry

Posted Wednesday, July 24, 2024 10:19 am

In two days, spectators around the world will tune in for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Over the years, several hometown athletes have proudly represented our community and country on a global stage.

Matthew Centrowitz

Broadneck High School’s Matthew Centrowitz brought home the gold from Rio de Janiero, Brazil, in the men’s 1,500-meter run at the 2016 Olympic Games. He was the first American to win gold in that event in more than a century, finishing with a time of 3:50.

Prior to Rio, Centrowitz placed fourth in the same event in the 2012 London Games, and he also competed in Tokyo in 2021. He had set out to end his career with a four-peat in Paris this year, but illness followed by a strained hamstring sidelined him from the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, and prompted his retirement from the sport.

Centrowitz and his wife are expecting their first child this fall.

Farrah Hall

Windsurfer Farrah Hall, a 1999 Broadneck High School alum, sailed in the 2012 London Games and in Tokyo in 2021. Hall placed 15th in Tokyo, with a 16, 16, 16 in the 27-board Women’s RS:X fleet.

“It was an incredible reward to finish the last RS:X event in a state of happiness and flow, and it’s an experience I will remember for all my life,” Hall shared in a statement following the Tokyo Games.

While still competing some, Hall is currently paying it forward in her sport, working as an Olympic windsurfing coach and studying sail making and design.

Joe Morris

A 2016 Olympic sailor, Joe Morris was introduced to his sport as a child on the Severn River. A three-time sailing captain at Severn School, Morris continued to compete for Yale, where he and teammate Thomas Barrows joined forces and set their sights on the global stage.

The two would go on to qualify for Team USA’s 49er class, and a ticket to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.