Olympics

Algonquin resident and Huntley High grad Owen Cravens just missed medaling at the Paris Paralympics.

Dana Rettke, a 2017 Riverside-Brookfield graduate and five-time All-American at the University of Wisconsin, is making her debut on the international stage this week as a member of the U.S. women's volleyball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

St. Francis alum Kelsey Robinson-Cook, in her third Olympics, is embracing her role with a ‘gritty’ U.S. women's volleyball team. The 32-year-old Bartlett native won gold just three years ago in Tokyo, and bronze at Rio 2016.

After a season fraught with complications, Luke Winder, a former IHSA state pole vaulting champion and owner of Rise Pole Vault in Joliet, placed sixth at his first Olympic trials in Oregon June 23.

Former IHSA state pole vaulting champion from Plainfield, Luke Winder, will have a chance to compete on team USA in pole vaulting when he competes at the Olympic Trials in Oregon next month.

Joseph Awinongya Jr., 16, of Joliet, also known as “Jojo the Boxer,” won the junior open in his weight class in the Chicago Golden Gloves.

Crystal Lake's Sara Golden will be at the Pan American games this fall and ranks 42nd globally for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Police officers and deputies helped raise money for Illinois Special Olympics in fundraisers held at Dunkin' locations in Rock Falls and Dixon.

Dixon police officers raised money at Dunkin' Donuts Friday, May 19, 2023 for Illinois Special Olympics.

The former gymnastics coach from Mexico faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 32 years and he is eligible for a maximum sentence of 120 years, according to Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow.

The FMC Natatorium in Westmont is hosting Tyr Pro Swim Series through March 5. Several Olympic swimmers including Katie Ledecky, Lilly King and Caeleb Dressel are competing.

It wasn’t the medal he was hoping for, but Ethan Cepuran is one of a select few Americans who can say they’ve ever stood on an Olympic podium. The 21-year-old speed skater from Glen Ellyn will leave the Beijing Olympics this weekend after earning bronze in Tuesday’s team pursuit.

Addison native Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier turned in a sixth place overall finish Saturday at Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium — the best result by an American pair in the Olympics since 2002.

Savannah Harmon and the U.S. women's hockey team settled for silver in Beijing after a 3-2 loss to rival Canada in the gold-medal game, but the Downers Grove native had plenty to smile about from her Olympic debut with two goals and five assists in seven games.

Campton Hills native and St. Charles North graduate Austin Kleba finished 27th in a stacked 500 meter speed skating field in Beijing, but he was all smiles after his Olympic debut.

Ethan Cepuran has dreamt of being an Olympian since his days cutting his teeth at the Glen Ellyn Speedskating Club. Now the 21-year-old Glen Ellyn native is a valuable piece of a long track speedskating unit that has a legitimate chance to medal in China.

After winning bronze at the 2018 Winter Games, Addison native Alexa Knierim earned her second Olympic medal on Monday, taking the silver medal as part of Team USA in the team figure skating competition in Beijing.

Norge's trio of ski jumpers were unable to crack the top 30 Sunday and didn't advance to the final round of competition in the normal-hill event at the 2022 at Winter Olympics.

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the Games open Friday during an opening ceremony heavy on ice-blue tones and winter imagery that was held in the same lattice-encased National Stadium that hosted the inaugural event at the 2008 Olympics.

Team USA announced Thursday that Norge Ski Club's Casey Larson and Patrick Gasienica will join Kevin Bickner at the 2022 Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing

Downers Grove South graduate Tori Franklin failed to qualify for the triple jump final in Tokyo, but she still chalked up her Olympics debut as a win for other reasons while looking ahead to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Geneva High School alumnus Kevin McDowell, who beat cancer 10 years ago, capped off a memorable Olympic debut in Tokyo with a silver medal in the first-ever Olympic mixed team triathlon relay.

After the heartbreak of a 2016 Olympic semifinal loss, former St. Francis star Kelsey Robinson is motivated to bring home the gold this year in Tokyo with the favored U.S. women's volleyball team.

While Wheaton native Thomas Jaeschke is finding his second trip to the Olympics very different in the Tokyo 'bubble,' he is making the most of the experience, and has helped the U.S. men's volleyball team to a 2-1 start in pool play.

Regan Smith, an Olympic swimmer with family ties to the Illinois Valley, advanced to the 100-meter backstroke finals at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday night

Ten years after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, cancer survivor Kevin McDowell of Geneva took sixth place in the individual triathlon on Sunday at the Tokyo Olympics – the highest finish ever by an American man in Olympic triathlon history. Now the 28-year-old McDowell has his sights set on gold in the team event at his first Olympics.

Yorkville native Melissa Myers earned her black belt in the sport of judo at age 16, has competed in 11 countries worldwide, won her first national title this year at 25 – and has designs on reaching the 2024 Paris Olympics.

There is more than one way to realize an Olympic dream.Erin Virtue is proof of that.The former St. Francis setter played briefly for the U.S. women’s volleyball national team after starring at Illinois before beginning a coaching career that has taken her to the highest ranks of the game.Virtue is the assistant coach of the women’s national team that will attempt to win its first gold medal at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics.

Coach Dan Sharp and I naturally talked football, but he also brought up something else for discussion – JCA graduate Kelly Murphy in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.