Past and Present Lake County Olympians and Where to Watch the Tokyo Games 2021
By: Jonathan Jones 07/16/2021
John Williams' "Olympic Fanfare" is playing on everyone's Spotify right now as the best Lake County Olympians head to Tokyo in late July.
The Olympic games are packed with Prairie State dwellers. According to the Chicago Tribune, since 1896, Illinois residents have taken home nearly 240 Olympic gold, silver or bronze medals. The City of Lake Forest leads the pack for our fair county with 18 medal recipients historically.
Everyone is ready to see some dramatic stories in the Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics were supposed to happen in 2020, but since COVID-19 struck, the summer games move to - how they phrase - 2020NE Olympic Games.
While you're in town, there are plenty of places, Lake County Libation Trail partners, restaurants and more showing the games. Continue scrolling to see where you can watch the Tokyo games.
Speaking of exceptional athletes, Visit Lake County recently announced a newly-formed marketing partnership with the Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Chicago Bears Training Camp. Continue here to learn more.
Here is a rundown of your Lake County Olympians competing in the Tokyo games. Cheer on your fellow of Land of Lincolners as they go for the gold and grab a drink and/or grub at one of Lake County's venues to watch Team USA!
Fun Facts: Zeng, who trains in North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center in Highland Park, finished no. 1 at the 2021 USA Gymnastics Championship. Zeng, who is going for a second in the Olympics, finished 11th overall in the 2016 Rio edition. Zeng notched top finishes on the hoop, ball and ribbon. Zeng became the first U.S. rhythmic gymnast to win a medal at an Olympic or Youth Olympic Games. She's also the second rhythmic athlete ever to sweep all five Pan Am Games medals in 2015. Laura graduated from Libertyville High School in 2018.
Fun Facts: According to the Daily Herald, Papadakis was part of the 2017 Warren High School graduating class in her hometown and has been competing in the sport since she was four years old. She has trained in the Gurnee Judo Club near Viking Middle School. She competes at the 78-kilogram class and is ranked no. 30 in the world. The Papadakis family has had its own dojo in Waukegan.
Fun Facts: This is the first year BMX is an event in the Olympics. Stancil graduated from Grayslake North in 2013. She started riding two-wheelers when she was just four years old. Post Lake County days, she attended Marian University in Indianapolis, and finished in second in the 2019 world cup series rankings for BMX. Stancil won her first world title in the Netherlands at just age nine.
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