Bobcats Covering the 2024 Olympics
From Athens, OH, USA, to Paris, France, Bobcats are working diligently behind the scenes of 2024 Olympics to craft headlines, create content and make photos that will resonate with you — and millions of others — for life.
Meet the OHIO alumni who are capturing all of the must-see moments at this year's Olympics, and learn where you can find their work.
OHIO Bobcats at the Olympics
Matt Barnes is the co-anchor at NBC4 Today at NBC4 in Columbus, OH. Barnes has held the role since 2016 and worked at NBC4 since 2010.
He previously covered the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Fun fact: Barnes brings an Ohio University flag with him each time he covers the Olympics, so he can take a picture with every OHIO alum he meets.
Follow Matt's 2024 Olympic Coverage:
- NBC4
- X: @Matt_NBC4
- Facebook: Matt Barnes
- Instagram: @mattbarnsie
Dr. Michael Burns is active in industry and academia. His industry experience includes working for NBC's TODAY Show at the the 2006 Torino, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio de Janeiro, 2018 PyeongChang, 2020 Tokyo, and 2022 Beijing Olympic Games.
Burns is an assistant teaching professor the director of TEDxCU at the University of Colorado Boulder in the College of Media, Communication and Information. He is also the founder of Burns Learning, a communication consulting and training company.
He earned his M.A. in Communication Studies from Texas State University in 2007 and his Ph.D. in Communication from North Dakota State University in 2012. He serves on the Alumni Advisory Council in OHIO's School of Communication Studies.
Follow Dr. Burns' 2024 Olympic Coverage:
- Instagram: @mburnsou
I was hoping to see the opening ceremony and it happened! Despite the rain, it was amazing!
For the past 21 years, Frank Franklin II has been a Staff Photographer with The Associated Press (AP) in New York City. Prior to that, he worked for AP as a staff photographer in Raleigh, N.C. In 2001 he was a photo intern for AP in Seattle, Washington, while working towards an MA in photography at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication.
Frank grew up in Queens, New York. He discovered photography while majoring in Business Management at Howard University in Washington D.C.
Frank has covered events including Hurricane Ike in Texas, Hurricane Sandy in New York, multiple Super Bowls, London 2012 Summer Olympics, Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, multiple World Series events, Stanley Cup Playoffs, March Madness basketball, and NBA Playoffs.
Frank was part of the team of AP photographers that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography for a collection of images across multiple U.S. cities showing the national response to the death of George Floyd.
Follow Frank's 2024 Olympic Coverage:
- AP Newsroom
- Instagram: @ffranklin2
This is my sixth Olympics. In London, I covered Cycling; Rio was boxing; PyeongChang was hockey; Tokyo was boxing; and for the Beijing winter Olympics, I was the photo editor for ski jumping but got to shoot the half pipe. In Paris, I am covering Skateboarding, 3x3 basketball, and BMX cycling and breaking, which is what I am really looking forward to.
I have always shot hip hop culture even when I was at OHIO, and to see an aspect of hip-hop showcased at the Olympics is what I really want to see. I usually go as a photographer but I've gone as a photo editor as well. Both have their benefits.
Obviously I want to shoot, but when I have gone as an editor in find the experience helps my shooting. Working with photographers who are more experienced but equally motivated is a rewarding experience that's hard to duplicate. I think of it as an intense crash course in photography from someone who may be older or more experienced or just stronger at something than I am right now. In that sense its kinda like being back at VisCom.
Jack Gruber is a staff photographer at USA TODAY and the founder and executive director of Boyd's Station — a Kentucky nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization — which seeks to provide varied visual journalists and artists an environment to “live free and create” through programs to pursue the artist’s individual craft without distractions in a supportive community of like artists in Harrison County, Kentucky.
Gruber launched the Boyd's Station 306.36 Visual Documentary project in 2018, an annual project documenting Harrison County, Kentucky, awarding student journalists the Ed Reinke and Tim Dillon Grants for Visual Storytelling and the Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship each year to live and work.
A 1989 graduate of the Ohio University School of Visual Communication, Jack worked as a staff photographer at the Flint Journal, The Detroit News, and the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee before joining the staff at USA TODAY in 2000, first based in San Francisco before moving to USA TODAY's headquarters in Washington DC.
Follow Jack's 2024 Olympic Coverage:
- Portfolio Site
- Instagram: @gygruber
I landed in Paris on July 23, after spending a week in Scotland covering The Open golf tournament in Troon, Scotland. Here in Paris, I have already covered the Israel-Mali men's soccer game and the USA and France men's rugby early rounds, prior to opening ceremonies on Friday, July 26.
I will be covering a bit of everything, as needed. After the opening opening ceremonies will be the first gold medal event, which is shooting down in Chateauroux, France. Then I am back to cover four or five days of gymnastics. After that, no idea.
Amanda Lucci is the director of special projects at Women’s Health, the largest wellness media brand for women. In this role she leads ideation and execution of new brand franchises, multi-platform editorial packages and strategic partnerships, and oversees social media and audience engagement efforts.
With a background in celebrity journalism and passion for fostering a deep love of all things pop culture and sports, her writing and reporting for Women’s Health includes as-told-to essays with top athletes, deep-dive features on women in sports, and magazine cover stories. In addition to covering the 2024 Paris Olympics for Women’s Health, she has traveled to the WNBA All-Star Game, Women's World Cup, NCAA Women's Final Four, and US Open on behalf of the brand.
Outside of work, Amanda is an NASM-certified personal trainer and kettlebell coach with a passion for building positive, inclusive communities specifically within the fitness and wellness space.
A native of Pittsburgh, PA and a graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism — where she served as culture editor for The Post — Amanda currently lives in Queens, NY, with her husband, a fellow OHIO alum.
Follow Amanda's 2024 Olympic Coverage:
- Women's Health Magazine Site
- Women's Health Magazine Instagram: @womenshealthmag
- Women's Health Magazine TikTok: @womenshealthmag
- Instagram: @alucci
I'm excited to see and cover as many women's sports as I can, including swimming, track and field, basketball and gymnastics. I can't wait to see Simone Biles land her Yurchenko double pike in person!
Maddie Meyer is a staff photographer for Getty Images based in Boston, Mass. Her regular assignments include covering New England professional sports teams like the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins and the Boston Celtics. She has photographed four Olympic games, The men's and women's FIFA World Cups, and the FINA World Swimming Championships.
Her love of sports photography stems from her time playing soccer growing up and working for the Athletics Department at Ohio University. After photographing a game on the sidelines at Peden Stadium, she was hooked.
Prior to covering the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with Stier, the pair photographed the Olympic Swim Trials in Indianapolis on June 16.
Sarah Stier is a staff photographer for Getty Images based in New York City. Her regular assignments include covering New York and New Jersey's professional teams, including the New York Knicks, Rangers, Yankees, Giants, Jets and the Brooklyn Nets. She has photographed numerous World Series, tennis grand slams, two Olympic Games, the World Cup, and UEFA European Women's Championship. Her favorite sports to photograph are boxing and swimming. Before joining Getty full-time, she graduated with a photojournalism degree from Ohio University.
Prior to covering the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with Meyer, the pair photographed the Olympic Swim Trials in Indianapolis on June 16.
Follow Sarah's 2024 Olympic Coverage:
- Getty Images' website
- Instagram: @stieriously
I'm really looking forward to covering the sport of swimming on its largest global scale. I grew up a swimmer, with my eyes glued to my TV in 2008 watching Michael Phelps win a historic eight gold medals in Beijing — it's such a vivid memory for me. I never imagined that I would photograph swimming in the Olympics later in life, and Paris 2024 is the first time that I'll be part of Getty Images' swimming coverage at the Olympic Games. It feels really full-circle.
I'm looking forward to experiencing a real crowd at the Olympics as well. The best part of the Olympics is the diversity and energy that the fans bring to the atmosphere, and with my first two Olympics (Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022) being held during the COVID-19 pandemic, I haven't seen a true Olympics crowd first-hand.