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Local Athletes Representing in the Rio Games

Written By: Susan Krupa 20 Orange County Olympians

With the Olympics around the corner, the athletes are getting ready to head to Brazil. Many are taking last minute trips around the US to meet fans (in fact they were in Los Angeles July 23rd-24th) while others are just, well, dancing with excitement (click here, because you know you’re curious). The qualifying process isn’t even all the way over, some athletes for the paralympics have yet to qualify for their spot on Team USA. But, as always, Orange County represents with these 20 athletes from the OC headed to Rio this summer.

Who to Watch From Orange County:

Maggie Hogan, Canoe Kayak- Huntington Beach

Winner of the first medal in 20 years by a US athlete at the 2015 World Championships, Maggie has a serious opportunity to medal at the Olympics.

April Ross, Volleyball – Costa Mesa

A photo posted by April Ross (@aprilrossbeach) on Jul 25, 2016 at 6:47pm PDT

With a long list of accolades, we can expect to see awesome court play from her these games. She was a silver medalist in 2012, but will she rise to gold in Rio?

Rachel Fattal, Water Polo – Seal Beach

A photo posted by rachfattal (@rachfattal) on Aug 1, 2016 at 12:12pm PDT

A former volleyball player turned water polo player, she helped her team earn gold at the 2015 World Championships and was the MVP with 18 goals. She’s sure to bring some action to the water.

David Higgins, Shooting – San Clemente

A photo posted by David Higgins (@doctorhiggins) on Jul 29, 2016 at 1:28pm PDT

A surfer and a shooter, David attends the Air Force Academy. This will be his first Olympics.

McQuin Baron, Water Polo – Tustin

A photo posted by McQuin Baron (@mcquinbaron) on Jul 7, 2016 at 5:45pm PDT

If he had any superpower, McQuin would choose the ability to transport himself anywhere. Hopefully he will find and use this power to transport his team to the medal stand in Rio.

Aria & Makenzie Fischer, Water Polo – Laguna Beach

A photo posted by Makenzie Fischer (@makenziefishy) on Jul 30, 2016 at 11:32am PDT

Double trouble with these sisters in the water. And with a father who was an Olympian in water polo in 1992, the Olympics clearly run in this family’s blood.

Josh Samuels, Water Polo – Villa Park

A photo posted by Josh Samuels (@joshua_samuels) on Apr 27, 2016 at 9:33pm PDT

A UCLA graduate in political science, look for Joshua to navigate the tumultuous waters of the pool to be a key scorer for Team USA. During his time at UCLA, he scored over 100 goals, so he can definitely bring it.

Phillip Chew, Badminton – Orange

A photo posted by Phillip Chew (@ipichew) on Jun 15, 2016 at 5:29pm PDT

With a very, very long list of medals, Phillip has a great opportunity to find himself with another in 2016.

Sam Mikulak, Gymnastics – Newport Beach

A photo posted by Sam Mikulak (@mikulakians) on Mar 15, 2013 at 11:25am PDT

In addition to being a gymnast, Sam is an entrepreneur. Along with some of his gymnastics buddies, he founded a company called Maté Bros. With maté leaves in the tea coming from South America, that’s a guarantee for good energy for when he heads down south for the games later this summer.

Other OC Athletes to Look for in Rio:

Sattawat Pongnairat, Badminton – Orange
Howard Shu, Badminton – Anaheim
Jamie Subandhi, Badminton – Westminster
Logan Dooley, Gymnastics – Lake Forest
Charlie Buckingham, Sailing – Newport Beach
Bret Bonanni, Water Polo – Huntington Beach
Kaleigh Gilchrist, Water Polo – Newport Beach
John Mann, Water Polo – Newport Beach
Courtney Mathewson, Water Polo – Anaheim
Maddie Musselman, Water Polo – Newport Beach

Check Out 20 SoCal Natives Representing at Rio 2016