{"id":51419,"date":"2016-08-04T07:15:11","date_gmt":"2016-08-04T11:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=51419"},"modified":"2021-11-03T08:13:50","modified_gmt":"2021-11-03T12:13:50","slug":"team-usa-olympians-follow-instagram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/team-usa-olympians-follow-instagram\/","title":{"rendered":"The 25 Inspiring USA Olympians to Follow on Instagram"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/div>\n

The road to Rio has finally ended, and Team USA has arrived. From swimming<\/a> to gymnastics to fencing and running<\/a>, this month, 550 athletes will represent Team USA, including 292 women. (That\u2019s the most in Olympic history to ever compete for a single country, proving that women, quite literally, run the world.) And while there are loads of familiar names and faces \u2014 like Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Carli Lloyd \u2014 there\u2019s also a ton of new talent. We rounded up 25 of the most inspiring American athletes to watch, root for and, of course, follow on Instagram. (Behind-the-scenes Olympic Village access, FTW!)<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/strong>: 6 Reasons to Get Pumped for the 2016 Olympic Track Events<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @simonebiles<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Simone Biles
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Gymnastics
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@simonebiles<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong> Though she\u2019s arguably the buzziest name heading to Rio, this marks 19-year-old Biles\u2019 first trip to the Olympics. But she\u2019s no stranger to podiums and medals. Biles has 14 World Championship medals, 10 of which are gold, and is undefeated in the all-around program. She\u2019s one of just three women in history to win four all-around titles at the P&G Gymnastics Championships, and has won the most world medals in U.S. history. She can also rope climb like no other. #squadgoals<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @WeAreEaton<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2.\u00a0Ashton Eaton<\/a><\/strong>
\nSport:<\/strong> Track and Field
\nIG:<\/strong> @ashtonjeaton<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong> Because he\u2019s the greatest athlete in the world<\/a>. Eaton competes in the decathlon, so he\u2019s a veritable master of not just one, but 10<\/em> events, including speed (100-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, 400 meters), endurance (1,500 meters), agility (long jump, high jump, pole vault), and strength (shot put, discus, javelin) competitions. What, like it\u2019s hard? The Oregon native won gold in London, so if he wins it again in Rio, he\u2019ll be the first back-to-back Olympic decathlon champion in 32 years.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @De11eDonne<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Elena Delle Donne
\n<\/strong>Sport: <\/strong>Basketball
\nIG: <\/strong>@de11edonne
\n<\/a>Why you should follow: <\/strong>You don\u2019t want to mess with Donne on the court. The 6-foot-five basketball star\u00a0is known to \u201cbring it home\u201d in any game. In her 2013\u00a0WNBA\u00a0debut for the Chicago Sky, she led her team to the playoffs for the first time in its history, earning her the league’s coveted Rookie of the Year award.\u00a0Two years later, the Delaware-native was named the WNBA’s MVP. Averaging 23.4 points per game and shooting 95 percent from the free throw line? Just icing on the cake, really.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @jake_dalton<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Jake Dalton
\n<\/strong>Sport: <\/strong>Gymnastics
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@jake_dalton<\/a>
\nWhy you should watch follow:<\/strong> The 24-year-old has won four medals in four world championships, so his record is pretty legit. Although he didn\u2019t medal at the London Olympics, he\u2019s coming back<\/a> stronger, fitter and with more tricks up his sleeves \u2014 literally.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @VenusWilliams<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. and 6. Venus and Serena Williams
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Tennis
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@serenawilliams<\/a> and @venuswilliams<\/a>
\nWhy you should watch follow:<\/strong> They\u2019re the Williams sisters. So of course<\/em> you should watch them. The indomitable forces on the court will duke it out in both the singles and doubles competitions. On their Instagram feeds, you\u2019ll find behind-the-scenes photos of them getting their makeup and hair did for glamorous magazine cover shoots, and shots of them playing on the court, trying different workouts and playing with their dogs.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Powerful Commercial Meant to Stop Body Shaming<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @GabbyCVDouglas<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. Gabby Douglas
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Gymnastics
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@gabbycvdouglas
\n<\/strong><\/a>Why you should follow:<\/strong> Douglas competed in London, where she became the first woman of color of any nationality in Olympic history to become an individual all-around champion. Now, \u201cGabby” has officially joined the ranks of other one-name wonders. The 16-year-old gold medalist even has a #gabbymoji<\/a> that you can include in all your Team USA-related texts.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @IbtihajMuhammad<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8. Ibtihaj Muhammad
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Fencing
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@ibtihajmuhammad<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong> Muhammad made headlines when she became the first Muslim woman who wears a hijab to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team. She\u2019ll compete in both the individual and team sabre events.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @m_phelps00<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. Michael Phelps
\nSport:<\/strong> Swimming
\nIG: <\/strong>@m_phelps00
\n<\/strong><\/a>Why you should follow:<\/strong> Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time \u2014 and this will probably be his final Olympic Games. He’ll feel pretty OK about hanging up that Speedo, though.\u00a0At 31, the “Flying Fish”\u00a0has 22 Olympic medals \u2014 including 18 golds \u2014 and set an Olympic record in Beijing in 2008 when he won eight gold medals. He\u2019s also the first American swimmer to qualify for five Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @af85<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10.\u00a0Allyson Felix<\/a><\/strong>
\nSport: <\/strong>Track and Field
\nIG: <\/strong>@af85
\n<\/strong><\/a>Why you should follow:<\/strong> Well don\u2019t blink, because you\u2019ll miss her. This girl is fast<\/em>. The 30-year-old sprinter<\/a> will head to Rio for her fourth Olympics, and she\u2019s got a decorated history. She has already won four gold medals (three in London and one in Beijing), and two silver medals. The 2012 IAFF World Athlete of the Year is returning from a hamstring injury to compete in the 400-meter and the 4×400-meter dash. Brb, we can now train with the Nike+<\/a> athlete, too.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @kledecky<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

11. Katie Ledecky
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Swimming
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@kledecky
\n<\/strong><\/a>Why you should follow:<\/strong>\u00a0Real talk: Ledecky won gold in the London Games, has won nine world championship gold medals, and is probably the USA\u2019s best shot at the top spot on the podium in Rio. At last year\u2019s World Championships, Ledecky, now 19, made history as the first to swim \u2014 and win \u2014 all four freestyle distances at the same meet.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @runmeb<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

12. Meb Keflezighi
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Track and Field
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@RunMeb
\n<\/a>Why you should follow:<\/strong>\u00a0You’d be crazy not to count\u00a0Keflezighi<\/a>\u00a0as one of\u00a0America\u2019s favorite marathoners. At 38, the seemingly ageless runner won the Boston Marathon<\/a>, just one\u00a0year after the 2013 bombings. Keflezighi is the oldest American man to run the Olympic marathon<\/a>, and the only one to make three Olympic teams. Follow him on IG, and you\u2019ll feel like one of the fam.<\/p>\n

\"The
@alexmorgan13<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

13. Alex Morgan
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Soccer
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@alexmorgan
\n<\/strong><\/a>Why you should follow:<\/strong> After the U.S. Women\u2019s National Team won the World Cup in 2015, all eyes have been on this group of strong, undefeatable women. If you remember the U.S. Women\u2019s team competing at the London Olympic Games, you probably remember Morgan\u2019s semifinal-winning header. Led by this vet\u2019s pinpoint precision and lightning speed, you can bet Team USA is favored to win gold again.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @MollyHuddle<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

14. Molly Huddle
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Track and Field
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@mollyhuddle<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong> Humble, hardworking and ready for a\u00a0huge Olympic moment, Huddle is another favored runner to watch this year. She\u2019ll compete in the 10,000 meters in Rio \u2014 an event only two American women have medaled at in the past. All eyes are on her to make history.<\/p>\n

\"The
@nathangadrian<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

15. Nathan Adrian
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Swimming
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@NathanGAdrian<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow: <\/strong>First, that smile! But secondly, Adrian is a three-tie Olympic gold medalist who currently holds the American record in the 50-meter freestyle<\/a>. His dashing, down-to-earth personality comes through on his Instagram feed, where he’s often seen goofing around and cheering on his teammates.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @ughlyducklin<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

16. English Gardner
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Track and Field
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@ughlyducklin<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong>\u00a0This former Oregon Duck (hence the Instagram handle)\u00a0is the fastest woman in the U.S. In Rio, Gardner will compete in the 100 meters and the 4×100 meters relay. Other claims to fame:\u00a0At the University of Oregon, she set an American Junior record with a time of 11.03 and won four NCAA titles.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @CarliLloyd<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

17. Carli Lloyd
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Soccer
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@CarliLloyd<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong> Consider Carli queen of the pitch. The 2015 FIFA World Player of the Year and co-captain of Team USA is out to win her third consecutive Olympic gold medal. Lloyd is a super scorer for the team: She netted the game-winning goal in 2008\u2019s gold-medal match against Brazil, and scored both goals in the team\u2019s victory over Japan in 2012. She also became a household name last year when she led the team to a FIFA World Cup championship.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @galen_rupp<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

18. Galen Rupp
\n<\/strong>Sport: <\/strong>Track and Field
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@galen_rupp
\n<\/strong><\/a>Why you should follow: <\/strong>The 30-year-old cross-country runner<\/a> is a familiar face in the 10,000-meter event. (He won silver in the London Olympics, making him the first American to medal in that event since 1964.) But this year he made the jump to 26.2 miles and competed in his first marathon trials for the Olympics earlier this year \u2014 and he won <\/em>them.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @missyfranklin88<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

19.\u00a0Missy Franklin<\/a><\/strong>
\nSport: <\/strong>Swimming
\nIG: <\/strong>@MissyFranklin88<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow: <\/strong>In London, Franklin<\/a> won four gold medals and a bronze. Plus, the 21-year-old has 17 world championship medals, including 11 gold, three silver, and three bronze. She\u2019s often dubbed \u201cthe darling of the women\u2019s swim team,\u201d and she\u2019ll compete in the 200-meter backstroke, 200-meter freestyle and 4×200-meter relay. Plus, don’t miss her\u00a0IG feed for her Olympic nail art (nailed it) and some cute kitty pics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @easymoneysniper<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

20. Kevin Durant
\n<\/strong>Sport: <\/strong>Basketball
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@EasyMoneySniper<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow: <\/strong>Now that America\u2019s favorites, Steph Curry and LeBron James, have opted out of playing the Olympics, it\u2019s up to Kevin Durant to lead Team USA to the gold medal. But make no mistake, this former gold medalist and NBA MVP averages 27.4 points per game. He was also voted Rookie of the Year during his debut season for the Seattle Sonics. On his Instagram feed, prepare for major shoe envy, and FOMO that you’re not on his pick-up-game texts.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Train Like an Olympian: Beach Volleyball Player April Ross<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @alyraisman<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

21. Aly Raisman
\nSport:<\/strong> Gymnastics
\nIG: <\/strong>@AlyRaisman<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong> Raisman became the most decorated U.S. gymnast in London, taking home two golds and one bronze. She was fourth in the all-around, and has won four world championship medals. When not doing tricks on the floor or balance beam, Raisman likes designing fancy\u00a0socks for Feat Socks, where she created a limited edition line for the Olympics.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: kerrileewalsh<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

22. Kerri Walsh-Jennings
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Beach Volleyball
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@KerriLeeWalsh<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong> Walsh-Jennings is a fan favorite \u2014 but this year she\u2019ll compete without her 11-year partner, Misty Mae-Treanor, who retired after the 2012 games. Together, the duo won 21 consecutive Olympic matches. This year, Walsh-Jennings will play alongside partner April Ross<\/a> \u2014 whom she defeated in London!<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @IamRioTanaka<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

23. Trayvon Bromell
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Track and Field
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@TrayvonBromell<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong> Consider him the next Usain Bolt. At 20 years old, Bromell is poised to give Bolt a run for his medal \u2014 literally. As one of the top American sprinters, Bromell will compete in the 100-meter event. If one thing is clear from his Insta \u2014 this young star is\u00a0ready<\/em>\u00a0to shine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @Sarah_K_Hammer<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

24. Sarah Hammer
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Cycling
\n<\/span>IG:<\/strong> @sarah__k__hammer<\/a>
\nWhy you should follow:<\/strong> Hammer is a two-time Olympic silver medalist, and her name is fitting \u2014 the world champion cyclist absolutely hammers on the bike<\/a>. She has won seven UCI world championship titles and 11 UCI World Championship medals. She currently holds the world record in the 3K individual pursuit on the track. And based on the pics in her feed, she knows how to have a pretty good time, too.<\/p>\n

\"The
Photo: @swimhaley<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

25. Haley Anderson
\n<\/strong>Sport:<\/strong> Swimming
\n<\/span>IG: <\/strong>@swimhaley
\n<\/a>Why you should follow:<\/strong> Anderson won a silver medal in the 10K open water event at the 2012 Games, and now she\u2019s back in pursuit of gold. While most of the popular televised swimming events feature swimmers going all-out for short distances in the pool, Anderson\u2019s up to something different: Her event takes place in open water, and it\u2019s far<\/em>. (That\u2019s why it\u2019s called a 10K marathon.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The month, Team USA\u2019s most talented athletes will bring their dreams to life on the world stage. Here are the top Olympians to follow on Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6,14],"tags":[209,129,108,141,128,341],"class_list":["post-51419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-strength-training","tag-athlete","tag-cycling","tag-running","tag-sports","tag-swimming","tag-tax1living-well"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51419\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}