On August 8, at 9 a.m., be sure to tune into the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics to catch a local competing as a first-time Olympian.

Professional cyclist and Nederland resident Grant Koontz will be competing alongside some of the world’s greatest athletes in the Men’s Omnium event.

The Omnium is a track cycling event made up of six individual races, starting with a scratch race, then an individual pursuit, an elimination race, a time trial, a lap against the clock, and a points race.

30-year-old Koontz has plenty of experience in the Omnium event and in the professional cycling world, having competed internationally and ranked 6th place in the 2022 UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) World Championships.

He took home two bronze medals and four gold medals in the 2023 Pan-American Games in Santiago, Chile, a bronze medal in the 2024 UCI Track Nations Cup, and five gold medals in the USA Cycling Track National Championships.

Koontz has ridden for many legendary cycling teams over the years, including Texas A&M University from 2012 to 2016, DNA Racing in 2019, Rodeo Labs Pro Gravel from 2020 to 2021, Star Track UCI from 2021 to today, as well as the USA National Track Team from 2022 to today.

His biography on the official website for the 2024 Olympics notes that he began cycling professionally when his parents gave him a bike instead of a car for his 16th birthday. Koontz’s father was also a cyclist and introduced him to the sport.

During his formative years, from 16 to 22, Koontz fell in love with cycling and with competing as an athlete. For four years he competed in the professional road circuit, until he was introduced to track cycling in 2019. It was then that his sights became focused on working his way to the Olympics.

Koontz still competes in road cycling events, as does his partner Daphne Karagianis, who has raced with Team Illuminate and DNA Pro Cycling, and is currently with the Denver Disruptors.

Karagianis is also a fierce competitor in her own right, Placing 12th in the 2017 Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau, 9th in the 2019 Tour of Zhoushan Island, and 4th in the 2022 Tour of the Gila. She also is a successful designer in the branding and UI/UX (User Experience/User Interface) worlds.

Hopefully all cycling enthusiasts, fans of the Olympics and Team USA, and those who want to support an Olympian from Nederland will rally behind Koontz and cheer him on through to the finish line.

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics can be viewed live on NBC and on the Peacock app. The Men’s Omnium event is expected to take place on Thursday, August 8, 2024, at 9 a.m. but please follow the official 2024 Olympics schedule, located here, for the latest updates: https://olympics.com/en/ paris-2024/schedule/grid

Follow Grant Koontz at: https://www.grantkoontz.com or @ rakoooontz on Instagram.

Follow Daphne Karagianis at: https://www.daphneak.com or @ daphneak on Instagram.