The Paris Olympics begin July 27 with the eyes of the world focused on the best athletes from each country.
Among those will be a trio with former or current Aurora ties, who will represent two different countries when the games get underway. Two of them are among Colorado’s contingent of 29 Olympic and Paralympic representatives, which is tied for the sixth-largest contingent from any of the United States.
Here’s a brief bio of one of the athletes with local ties, their past international experience and what earned them a chance to go after a medal on the biggest stage:
JORDYN POULTER, WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Poulter — a 26-year-old who is a graduate of Eaglecrest High School — is back for a chance to win a second gold medal with the U.S. women’s indoor volleyball team after she had a hand in helping it win its first during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 6-foot-2 setter has been a part of the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2018, garnered Best Setter honors in the Olympic victory and earned a second straight Olympic trip after taking off all of 2023 to recover from a severe knee injury. Poulter is joined again on the U.S. roster by another former Colorado star in hitter Haleigh Washington, who hails from the Colorado Springs area. Poulter loves Colorado and the Aurora area, but she also loves to play abroad, which she did for the U.S. in international competition as a teenager and also as a professional once she became an adult. Poulter toured the globe with youth national teams during her time at Eaglecrest and has played professionally in Italy since 2018, when she wrapped up an All-American career at the University of Illinois.
PERSONAL: Poulter and her family have been a fixture of local volleyball. Her parents are Rhonda and Bob, and she has a younger sister, Lorrin, who also played at Eaglecrest, followed by time at the University of Denver and Purdue.
WATCH: Poulter and the U.S. women’s indoor volleyball team begin pool play on July 29 against China and will also play Serbia (July 31) and host France (Aug. 4) in Pool A play. The sport’s quarterfinal round takes place Aug. 6, followed by semifinals on Aug. 8 and the gold and bronze medal matches on Aug. 11.
— Sports Editor Courtney Oakes
