Ohio
Historic Olympic moments that were made in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The list of Olympic gold medalists with Ohio roots is long and dates to when Dayton’s Charles Daniels won his first of eight medals at the 1904 Games in St. Louis.
From Cincinnati’s own Gary Hall Jr. making a splash in the pool at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games to Cleveland’s Lee Kiefer taking gold in fencing’s individual foil event at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, there’s plenty of athletic success that traces back to the Buckeye State.
As the Paris 2024 Games approach, here’s a look back at five notable Olympians with ties to the state.
LeBron James
By now, the legend of LeBron James is well known in Ohio sports history. Even though the Akron native and 2003 first-overall draft pick is known for his accomplishments with the Cleveland Cavaliers (as well as the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers), the four-time NBA champion played a pivotal role in turning Team USA around after a disappointing bronze medal in Athens in 2004.
Helping the “Redeem Team” get back to the top of the podium four years later in Beijing, James reprised his key role in London to win gold in 2012. Now, after sitting out the Rio and Tokyo Games, James is back for his fourth and likely final Olympics, teaming up with fellow NBA stars including Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum, in a bid to capture Team USA’s fifth consecutive Olympic title. And fans of the Americans have reason to believe he can get it done. The United States is 36-0 when James is in uniform during international play.
Kyle Snyder
While the 28-year-old hails from Woodbine, Maryland, Kyle Snyder is a proud Buckeye after wrestling for Ohio State for four seasons, graduating in 2018 with three NCAA titles. He won gold in the 97-kilogram weight class in freestyle wrestling at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, becoming the only athlete to win an Olympic gold, a world title, and a NCAA wrestling championship in the same year.
Snyder, who was 20 at the time of the Rio Games, is also the youngest Olympic champion in U.S. wrestling history. He earned bronze five years later in Tokyo and looks to become only the fourth U.S. wrestler to win two gold medals when he competes this summer in Paris.
Katie Smith
A native of Logan, Ohio, Katie Smith was part of three Olympic gold medal-winning teams in women’s basketball, making the top of the podium at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. But before her Olympic success, Smith was a student-athlete at Ohio State, scoring 2,578 career points and helping the Buckeyes make two NCAA tournaments, including the 1993 national championship game.
Smith also found success in the WNBA, winning titles twice with the Detroit Shock. She is now an assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx.
Kayla Harrison
Born and raised in Middletown, Kayla Harrison became the first American judoka to win back-to-back Olympic judo gold medals, first striking gold at the London 2012 Games before repeating as Olympic champion in Rio four years later.
Since her Olympic triumphs, Harrison moved into mixed martial arts and now fights professionally in the women’s bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She also helped open a martial arts studio in her hometown in 2019.
Jesse Owens
Born in Oakville, Alabama, Jesse Owens moved to Cleveland at age 9. After finding success as a high school track athlete, which included three straight state championships, Owens started taking classes at Ohio State in the fall of 1933. Less than two years later, Owens set three world records and tied a fourth at the Big Ten championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan, earning the nickname “The Buckeye Bullet.” And it’s that performance that led to his most memorable success a year later at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Overcoming racial barriers and in the face of a rising Nazi regime in Germany, Owens became the first American track and field athlete to win four gold medals at a single Olympics. He shattered Hitler’s myth of Aryan superiority with victories in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, the broad jump and as a member of the 4×100-meter relay team.
While Owens died in 1980, his legacy lives on with his name featured on campus at the 10,000-seat Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, home of Ohio State track and field as well as the school’s soccer teams.
NBC4 Paris Olympics Previews
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Part of Glenwood Avenue is closed due to a water main break in Youngstown.
Saturday afternoon, water could be seen flowing down Glenwood Avenue near Ravenwood Avenue.
The road is closed between Ravenwood Avenue and Clearmount Drive while crews repair the break.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 was a monumental, year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Coming in the aftermath of the turbulent 1960s, the political disillusionment of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974, and the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Bicentennial served as a crucial moment of national healing.
The festivities culminated on the Fourth of July 1976, with spectacular events staged across the country. The most enduring legacy of the celebration in Columbus is Bicentennial Park, located in the Downtown riverfront area along the Scioto River.
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, this 4.7-acre green space was built to permanently commemorate the nation’s 200th birthday. The park’s initial centerpiece was a massive fountain system featuring four circular pools that could shoot water 60 feet into the air.
From May 22 to June 2, 1975, Columbus served as the 11th official stop for the American Freedom Train. This massive, steam-powered rolling museum carried more than 500 priceless historical artifacts – including copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – across all 48 contiguous states.
The train was displayed at the Defense Construction Supply Center [DCSC] in Whitehall and drew massive crowds of local families. Columbus held a special distinction during the tour: it was one of only three cities nationwide where the “Splendid Spirit” car was included with the train.
Warren Motts, the founding director of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, traveled with the train for its entire 25,000-mile journey, capturing the official photos that documented this historic event.
Beyond these massive metropolitan events, the true spirit of the Bicentennial thrived at the grassroots level. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) encouraged local communities to form their own committees, leading to thousands of unique municipal projects.
Towns across the nation hosted local parades, commissioned historical murals, dedicated new parks, and sealed time capsules intended for the tricentennial in 2076.
It also triggered a resurgence of interest in local history and genealogy, as everyday citizens sought to trace their own roots back to the nation’s founding eras.
The civic energy and patriotism generated by the 1976 celebrations also helped pave the way for other major local traditions. Just a few years later, in 1981, Columbus launched its annual Red, White & Boom! celebration, which grew into the largest Independence Day fireworks display in the Midwest—a tradition deeply rooted in the community pride revived during the Bicentennial era.
Get involved in America 250 at your library this year! Visit columbulibrary.org for a full list of America 250 events.
Angela O’Neal is Local History & Genealogy Manager with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
NORTHEAST OHIO (WOIO) – Thousands are without power Friday after severe weather sweeps across Northeast Ohio counties, creating weather-related damage.
FirstEnergy reports more than 71,000 in Northeast Ohio are without power Friday night.
More than 22,000 are without power in Cuyahoga County.
The utility company reports that more than 700 are without power in Erie County.
Lake County reports over 1,000 outages, and Portage has over 4,000 outages.
Trumbull County is experiencing over 1,000, and Ashtabula reports over 3,000.
Lorain County is experiencing more than 3,000 reported outages, and Geauga County has more than 7,000.
Medina County reported more than 1,000.
Chardon fire crews field wave of storm calls
The Chardon Fire Department shared the calls it responded to concerning storm damage Friday evening.
Fire crews said they responded to a tree in a house at 127 Burlington Oval.
The department said a tree fell on a gas line, causing a gas leak at 408 Charleston Avenue.
Wires were reported down on South Claridon Road, closing State Route 44 near South Street.
Wires were reported down on a house near Irma and South Hambden.
Fire crews said a tree was reported down on a home at 306 North Hambden.
The department also said alarms went off at UH Geauga Hospital.
Downed wires also closed Auburn and Twing roads.
The department said power was out on the south side of Chardon City.
Another tree was reported to have fallen into a house at 109 Burlington Oval, but no injuries were reported.
Fire crews said an incident involving a tree in a house and electric lines was reported at 11396 Aquilla Road, but no injuries were reported.
Fallen tree takes out power line in Independence
The city of Independence said a downed tree took out a live power line on lower Stone Road.
The city asked the public to avoid the area because of the danger posed by live wires.
The city said FirstEnergy had been notified and both police and firefighters were on scene.
Downed wires prompt closures across Hambden
The Hambden Fire Department said Friday night it was dealing with multiple storm-related incidents.
Crews said Claridon Troy Road was closed between Route 608 and Chardon Windsor Road because of downed poles and wires.
Kenny Drive was closed south of Leaders Mobile Home Park because of downed wires across the road, according to fire crews.
Multiple wires were reported down on Route 6 near Cutts and Grant Street along the north side of the road.
The department said the public should use caution in areas with downed wires and poles and should not attempt to move any of the wires.
Anyone with an electrical emergency or who encounters downed wires is asked to call 9-1-1.
Hambden Fire said people should not call 9-1-1 to report an outage.
The department said FirstEnergy is aware of these issues and is working to fix them.
Check FirstEnergy’s, AEP’s, and Cleveland Public Power’s websites for the latest outage numbers.
These outages come after severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for multiple Northeast Ohio counties this evening and were extended until 10:45 p.m.
SEND PHOTOS & VIDEO: Share your content with 19 News, and you may see it on TV or online.
Check back with the 19 News First Alert Weather team for the latest weather forecast.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
-
Minnesota43 seconds agoTeenager in critical condition after water rescue at Minnehaha Falls
-
Mississippi6 minutes agoMississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for July 4, 2026
-
Missouri13 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for July 4, 2026
-
Montana16 minutes ago
Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for July 4, 2026
-
Nebraska21 minutes agoThis Day in History – July 4: Nebraska Governor designates Seward ‘Nebraska’s Official 4th of July City’
-
Nevada28 minutes ago11 Nevada Towns With A Slower Pace Of Life
-
New Hampshire31 minutes ago
NH Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Day winning numbers for July 4, 2026
-
New Jersey36 minutes ago
NJ Lottery Pick-3, Pick-4, Cash 5, Pick 6 Lotto winning numbers for Saturday, July 4
