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.
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When’s Ohio’s 2026 primary election? Date, candidates, changes to know
See which candidates are conditionally qualified for Ohio’s 2026 primary ballot and key election deadlines.
Ohio’s primary election season has begun – Election Day is May 5. Ohio’s candidates are vying for spots on the ballot for the November midterm elections.
That’s nothing new, but Ohio made significant changes to mail-in voting that voters need to know about.
What has changed with Ohio’s mail-in ballots?
Voting through a mail-in ballot? There are some changes voters should know.
Signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine in December 2025, Senate Bill 293 requires absentee ballots to arrive by the close of polls to be counted, with an exception for military and overseas voters.
Any mail-in or absentee ballots must now be received before or on Election Day by 7:30 p.m. in order to be counted. There is no longer a 4-day grace period after Election Day.
The primary election is May 5, and the general election is Nov. 3, 2026.
So, when should you send your mail-in ballot in Ohio? The sooner the better. The U.S. Postal Service does not necessarily postmark your mail the day it is received unless you specifically request it. So, you ballot may not make it to a postal processing center until the day after you drop it in a mailbox.
When does Ohio early voting start? Key dates for early, absentee, mail-in votes
The primary election will be held May 5, 2026, according to this year’s voting schedule.
Early in‑person voting began on April 7, including the Saturday and Sunday before Election Day. Absentee voting by mail also began on April 7.
On Election Day, May 5, polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by your local board of elections by 7:30 p.m., per the voting schedule.
Ohio voter registration deadlines for 2026 elections
Ohioans must register or update their voter registration no later than 30 days before an election. The registration deadline for the May 5 primary was April 6, 2026.
Here are the upcoming voter registration deadlines in 2026:
- April 6, 2026, for the May 5, 2026, primary and special election
- October 5, 2026, for the November 3, 2026, general election
If you register or update your information after the deadline, the changes will apply for the next election.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Mrs. Mary Lucille Young, 74, of Youngstown, departed this life on Friday, April 10, 2026 at her residence where God welcomed her home.
Mary, affectionately known as “Mary Lou” and “Tang”, was born March 8, 1952 in Youngstown, a daughter of Lawrence and Ada Mae Alexander Hamilton Young.
She was a proud 1971 graduate of South High School.
Mary was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church.
She attended Louis Weinberger Hill Beauty School, and was accepted as a model with Barbizon Modeling Agency.
Mary worked and retired from Youngstown Sheet and Tube.
She enjoyed looking her best, dancing, shopping, casinos and decorating her home. Mary was strong, bold and took no mess. She was loved by many people.
She leaves to cherish her memories, her pride and joy, two daughters, Adalatesha Bright and Richlynn Bright; two sons, Ja-Juan Young and Dr. Ty-Juan Bright all of Youngstown; five grandchildren; two sisters, Cynthia (Floyd) Davis, Janet (Steve) Gardner both of Youngstown; and a host of family and friends.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Michael Lamar Young; three brothers, Isaiah, Edward, Lorenzo Young.
Private services were held at the L.E. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lucille Young, please visit our floral store.
The NWSL is once again expanding, this time the league is heading to Ohio where Columbus NWSL 2028 will take the field. Of course, Columbus NWSL 2028 is a placeholder for now and the the new team will unveil its name, crest, and uniform to build an identity around as it approaches its first season.
News of the club was announced yesterday, though this has been in the works for some time, in a press conference. Team owners, the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, spoke about what they hope the club will bring to Columbus and women’s soccer more broadly.
“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” said Haslam Sports Group Managing Partner Whitney Haslam Johnson. “We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world.”
Nationwide insurance has been a corporate partner in both NWSL and MLS for years and now joins an ownership group deepening those ties. “Today’s announcement is about inspiring young athletes across Central Ohio, elevating women’s professional sports and reminding the world that Columbus is a first-class sports city,” said Kirt Walker, Nationwide Chief Executive Officer. “As Nationwide marks 100 years, this is a powerful way to celebrate our milestone with the community that has been our home from the very beginning.”
The Edwards family has deep roots in the Columbus soccer scene with Dr. Pete Edwards serving as team doctor for the Crew in 1996 and the family joining the team’s ownership in 2019 during the Save The Crew effort. “Columbus is very important to our family. For over 30 years, we’ve supported the Columbus Crew and MLS. We’ve seen how a men’s professional soccer team has brought people together and created a positive impact in our community. It’s truly special to now welcome an NWSL club and the incredible women athletes who will also uplift our city on and off the pitch,” said Dr. Christine Edwards. “We’re very excited to partner with Haslam Sports Group and Nationwide for NWSL Columbus 2028, and we can’t wait to share even more memorable moments with fans, especially during the Club’s first game at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.”
The NWSL has continued its expansion with the announcement and the team will join Atlanta in its inaugural season in two years.
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