Las Vegas Olympian Katie Grimes eager to represent hometown, Team USA in Paris

by George Acosta

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics is just weeks away, and soon Las Vegas native Katie Grimes will get to represent her hometown along with Team USA.

Born and raised in Las Vegas and just 18 years old, Grimes has already made a name for herself after competing as the youngest Team USA Olympic athlete in the Tokyo Olympics.

Now, as the two-time Olympian returns to the water in Paris, Grimes says her strategy this year requires a lot more focus.

”This time around it's definitely a little more different just because there are more expectations and more pressure than there was last time,” she said.

After placing fourth in the women's 800-meter freestyle swim at the 2020 Olympics, Grimes returned to the water for the Olympic trials, which qualified her into two swim competitions for the Paris games.

“It all kind of came to me as like a shock and just surprise. It was pure joy honestly, just because going to the Olympics has always been a dream of mine as early as I can remember,” Grimes said.

She is set to first compete in the 400-meter individual medley, followed by the 10-kilometer open water competition in the Seine River.

“I am really excited for it. I think it will be such a cool opportunity to swim in the Seine, so hopefully everything gets squared away there because I think that is such a cool opportunity,” Grimes said.

While she brought up some concerns over the elements such as the current on the river, she says her focus is all about strategy.

“We are going to have really long stretches going out so it will be an 800-meter stretch, a 50-meter turn and then an 800-meter stretch again back. And then we will do that like five times. So, that definitely plays into how I swim, how my stroke works and the dynamics of strategy and all of that, but it will be a fun challenge,” said Grimes.

Along with the fun, Grimes says she’s also excited to be able to represent her hometown.

“I think that it's really cool, especially to represent Las Vegas, just since I’m born and raised here and my dad was born and raised here as well. So yeah, to be able to represent our community is definitely an honor and it's really cool,” she said.

While her focus will be on the games, Grimes says she is looking forward to making memories by connecting with her teammates and getting to enjoy time in Paris with family as well as spectators who get to return to the Olympics in 2024.