Tampa Bay goes gold: Athletes make Tampa Bay proud in the 2020 Olympics
There is no denying the top talent in Greater Tampa Bay, with an array of athletes leaving their mark in the 2020 Summer Olympics. The Champa Bay super jocks who make running, golfing, sailing, tennis, rugby and more look easy have dedicated their lives to being America’s best, to which they deserve all respect and congratulations for making the Sunshine State shine a bit brighter in the world of top athletes.
Here are the world-class athletes who trace their roots or make their homes in Pinellas, Pasco or Hillsborough counties.
Nelly Korda — Bradenton
Golfer Nelly Korda from Bradenton, 23, is the gold medal winner Women’s Golf Individual Tournament. The Bradenton native remains a resident in her hometown, where her nickname is Nells. The six-time Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour winner since her rookie year entrance in 2017 has been practicing birdies since she was 6 years old. The daughter of two professional tennis players, Korda is one of two tennis siblings with sister Jessica, who finished 15th in the 2020 Women’s Golf Tournament.
Athlete’s blood runs in Jessica Korda’s family, with the native Bradenton resident, 28, one of two siblings on the green this Olympics. Finishing 15th after sister Nelly, who won the gold medal in the same Women’s Gold Individual Tournament, is par for the course for Jessica Korda, who also played in the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open at the age of 15. Though she has played professional golf since 2010, Jessica’s eye for interior design and real estate keeps her busy in the off-season.
Bobby Finke — Tampa
Clearwater resident born in Tampa, swimmer Bobby Finke, 21, glided through the water to win two gold medals in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle races in the 2020 Olympics. Finke also set an American record when he finished third in the qualifying heats. Finke altered Olympian history as the first male swimmer to walk away with gold in the Olympic race since 1984. The first-time Olympian athlete and University of Florida student enjoys gaming and playing ping pong when not making waves.
Trayvon Bromell — St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg native and track and field athlete Trayvon Bromell, 26, proved he could go the distance when he advanced to the semifinals in a 100-meter race. However, while the gold-medal favorite advanced to the semifinals by 10.5 seconds, he failed to sprint to the finish line fast enough to move forward. The 2016 Rio Olympian, who has overcome some extreme sports injures, sees into the distance beyond the track as an avid photographer known for some great snapshots.
Knighton Erriyon — Tampa
Knighton Erriyon, 17, began his track and field career at Hillsborough High School at age 15 after playing as a promising wide receiver on the football field. Erriyon would not know his speed if it weren’t for football, since his coach inspired his sprinting career. The Tampa native is now the youngest male athlete to represent the U.S. in the Olympics since 1964. Erriyon earned fourth place in the 200-meter final race. When not striving to be the best on the track, Erriyon looks forward to studying medicine in college.
Anastasija Zolotic — Largo
The Colorado Springs-born, Largo resident Anastasija Zolotic, 18, became the first female to win the gold medal for taekwondo women’s 57kg in the Olympic Games. Her career as a taekwondo athlete that took Tokyo by storm started in an after-school program at 7 years old. However, this is not Zolotic’s first-place victory, with the Largo local winning a gold medal at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Tunisia. When Ana, as her friends like to call her, is not drop-kicking her competitors, she enjoys baking in the kitchen or basking in the sun on the family boat.
Paige Railey — Clearwater
Clearwater Yacht Club is where Paige Railey, 34, began making waves locally before becoming a three-time Olympian. Though Railey suffers from a chronic immune illness, it did not stop the sailor from finishing 37th overall in the One Person Dinghy — Laser Radial races this summer. Railey also coasted away as the U.S. Sailing’s Olympic Athlete of the Year in 2011-12 and the International Sailing Federation World Sailor of the Year in 2012. When Railey is not sitting starboard on deck, she competes in triathlons and enjoys mountain biking and swimming.
Austin Krajicek — Brandon
Though Austin Krajicek, 31, lost the Olympic bronze medal match in tennis, the Tampa Bay-born athlete remains top of the local game. Inducted in the Texas A&M University Hall of Fame in 2021, Krajicek, who grew up in Brandon, picked up his first racket at age 5, looking up to his tennis heroes Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. Running, golfing, fishing and hunting keep Krajicek busy when he is not cranking out backspins with his left hand over the net.
Alev Kelter — Tampa
Tampa-born Alev Kelter, 30, only played rugby for eight years before landing in the 2020 Olympics, after aspiring to compete in ice hockey at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Turning her passion from swinging a hockey stick to kicking a drop goal, Kelter and her team won the first three matches this summer before losing the fourth to Great Britain. The loss is second to the fact that Kelter became to first U.S. female to score a try in rugby sevens against Fiji in America’s opening match at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. When not raging at rugby, Kelter loves to volunteer, watch movies, fish and surf, among a long list of other fun activities.
