Olympic athletes with local ties to watch Friday in Rio

Athletes with ties to Maryland and the Baltimore area will take center stage this month in Rio for a chance at Olympic glory. Be sure to check back every day for a schedule of which locals are in action.

Micha Powell (Canada), track and field

Ties to Maryland: Born and raised in Montreal. Rising junior at Maryland. Daughter of Mike Powell, an American long jumper who set the world record in that event at the world championships in Tokyo in 1991 and won silver medals in the long jump in Seoul in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992.

Women's 4x400m relay

Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant, men's basketball

Ties to Maryland: 

Anthony: Moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Baltimore at age 8. Played three years at Towson Catholic before transferring to Oak Hill (Va.) Academy. Was The Baltimore Sun's All-Metro Player of the Year and Baltimore Catholic League's Player of the Year in 2001. … Founded the Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center in East Baltimore in 2006 to help support disadvantaged youths.

Durant: Born in Suitland. Eventually graduated from Montrose Christian in Rockville after spending his first two years of high school at National Christian in Fort Washington and his third at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Played in the McDonald's All-American Game as a senior.

Semifinals

Aaron Russell, men's volleyball

Ties to Maryland: Grew up in Ellicott City. Graduated from Centennial in 2011. Trained at the Maryland Volleyball Program in Rockville. Played for the U.S. Youth national team in 2010 and 2011 while in high school. He also lettered in soccer at Centennial.

Semifinals

Gary Antuanne Russell, boxing

Ties to Maryland: Grew up in Capitol Heights, just outside Washington. Lives in the area and has five brothers, all of whom are named Gary and three of whom also box. Gary Antuanne was the valedictorian of his high school class at Croom High School.

Men's light welter 64 kg

Note: TV listings subject to change. All events are streamed on NBCOlympics.com/video.