Las Vegas athletes make impact at Tokyo Olympics

The Tokyo Olympics were delayed a year, but for many with Las Vegas ties, the timing was just right.

They made a major impact in the Games, from the Sandpipers of Nevada winning three swimming medals to four Aces players bringing home gold in two events.

The Sandpipers lived up to the pre-Olympics hype, with Bowe Becker claiming a gold medal and Erica Sullivan and Bella Sims each taking silver. Then there was 15-year-old Katie Grimes coming close with a fourth-place finish.

Sullivan heads to Texas, and Becker was an All-American at Minnesota. Sims, 16, and Grimes return to the Sandpipers with the 2024 Games in Paris in their sights.

“We had known they had a chance to make the (Olympic) team, but even better, they made the best of it,” Sandpipers coach Ron Aitken said in a text message. “The future is bright for both of them, and I look forward to carving out a plan for them over the next 3 years.

“2024 is only three years away, and there is a lot of momentum in the program and can’t want to see who will be next!”

Here is a look at the most notable performances:

Gold medal winners

Bowe Becker

Sport: Swimming

Country: United States

Local connection: Faith Lutheran High School, Sandpipers of Nevada

Performance: He swam the third leg of the 4x100-meter relay, extending the U.S. lead and helping the Americans repeat the gold won five years earlier in Rio de Janeiro. The time of 3 minutes, 8.97 seconds was the third fastest in history.

Chelsea Gray

Sport: Basketball

Country: United States

Local connection: Aces

Performance: She was the backup point guard to Sue Bird, averaging 7.3 points and 3.2 assists in six games. As she does with the Aces, Gray masterfully and efficiently ran the U.S. offense.

Kelsey Plum

Sport: 3-on-3 basketball

Country: United States

Local connection: Aces

Performance: Plum led the U.S. team with 55 points in nine games in an event making its Olympic debut. She scored five points in the gold medal game, an 18-15 victory over the Russian Olympic Committee.

Xander Schauffele

Sport: Golf

Country: United States

Local connection: Las Vegas resident

Performance: Two key putts helped Schauffele walk away with the gold. He shot 4-under 67 in the final round to finish at 18 under, edging Slovakia’s Rory Sabbatini — who closed with a 61 — by one shot.

A’ja Wilson

Sport: Basketball

Country: United States

Local connection: Aces

Performance: Wilson asserted herself as the leader of the undefeated team, averaging 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots in six games. She led the U.S. in scoring.

Jackie Young

Sport: 3-on-3 basketball

Country: United States

Local connection: Aces

Performance: Young was a late addition and made the most of her opportunity, playing outstanding defense during the Americans’ run. She scored 18 points in nine games.

Silver medal winners

Bella Sims

Sport: Swimming

Country: United States

Local connection: Sandpipers of Nevada

Performance: She was part of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay team that qualified for the final. Katie Ledecky replaced Sims in the final and helped set an American record with a time of 7 minutes, 40.73 seconds, earning Sims the silver.

Erica Sullivan

Sport: Swimming

Country: United States

Local connection: Palo Verde High School, Sandpipers of Nevada

Performance: She rallied from fifth to finish second in the 1,500-meter freestyle in 15 minutes, 41.41 seconds, behind Katie Ledecky’s 15:37.34.

Notable performances

Vashti Cunningham

Sport: Track and field

Country: United States

Local connection: Bishop Gorman High School

Performance: Cunningham tied for sixth in the high jump, clearing a height of 1.96 meters (6 feet, 4.3 inches).

Katie Grimes

Sport: Swimming

Country: United States

Local connection: Sandpipers of Nevada

Performance: The 15-year-old, the surprise of the U.S. Olympic Trials, just missed out on a medal with a fourth-place finish in the 800-meter freestyle at 8 minutes, 19.38 seconds.

Collin Morikawa

Sport: Golf

Country: United States

Local connection: Las Vegas resident

Performance: He closed strong with an 8-under 63 to get into a seven-way playoff for bronze. Morikawa became one of the last two standing, but lost to Chinese Taipei’s CT Pan.

Kasia Wasick