Meet the Queens University of Charlotte athletes headed to Tokyo for Summer Olympics

When you think of the kind of person it takes to become an Olympian, representing their country on the world’s largest athletic stage, you probably think of athletes who attended the most prestigious Division I schools or training schools — the “creme de la creme,” or so we think.

But four athletes from Queens University of Charlotte — a small Division II school just minutes from Uptown Charlotte — have proved that you don’t have to go to the most well-known school to reach the highest heights.

At this year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo, four Royals will be representing their countries in events, including three Olympians and one Paralympian. By coincidence, the three Olympians are alumni of the university, while the Paralympian — swimmer Hannah Aspden — will graduate in 2022.

Triathlete Felix Duchampt is the oldest of the group, having graduated from Queens University in 2015. During his time in Charlotte, he was named the Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year once and the South Atlantic Conference Runner of the Year twice after Queens University switched conferences. After graduating, he became the cross-country team’s first volunteer assistant coach.

Though Duchampt is a native of France, he will be representing Romania in Tokyo, having received his Romanian citizenship in March of 2020.

In another coincidence, two of the Royals’ four Olympians will be representing Germany, and were also classmates, having both graduated in 2019.

Anabel Knoll will be representing Germany in Tokyo as a triathlete. Knoll made history in May of this year, winning the Deutschland Triathlon and becoming the first-ever NCAA varsity triathlete to qualify for the Olympics since women’s triathlon became an official sport.

During her time at QUC, Knoll was already a star, helping the team to multiple NCAA and Collegiate Club national titles. By winning the Deutschland Triathlon in May, she secured the final spot on Germany’s Tokyo-bound triathlon team.

The other Royals Olympian competing for Germany is swimmer Marius Kusch, who will be representing his home country in the 100-meter butterfly event.

Kusch already has a plethora of international experience, including three medals — a gold and two bronzes. His gold came at the 2019 European Short Course Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, where he topped the podium in the 100-meter butterfly. In the 2017 rendition of the tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark, he won his first medal, a bronze. He also earned a bronze at the 2018 Long Course Championships in Glasgow as a member of Germany’s 4x100 relay team.

The 28-year-old also shone during his time in the Queen City, being a 16-time NCAA champion and 21-time All-American.

And on the Paralympic stage, Aspden is also no stranger to international attention. This is the Raleigh, N.C. native’s second Paralympics, having won two bronze medals during Rio 2016 — the youngest to medal on that year’s team.

Aspden, who was born without her left leg, is a multi-event swimmer and showed how dominant she can be at the 2020 Paralympic Swimming Trials, taking first in the 100-meter backstroke and both the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyles. She also showed out at the 2018 Pan Pacific Para Swimming, taking a silver as part of the 4x100-meter medley relay team.

You can watch these local athletes and their teams compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics from July 23 through Aug. 8 and Paralympics from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5 in in Tokyo.

This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 7:00 AM.