Teen Hopes Olympic Gig Will Boost Career

Two weeks from now, when 16-year-old Tiombe Anika Lockhart shows up at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, she will come under the scrutiny of some of the world’s top athletes.

They will all be there: weightlifters, boxers, rowers, swimmers, soccer players, pole-vaulters, wrestlers, archers and jocks of every other stripe from all four corners of the world. They’ll stop at the coffeehouse in Olympic Village and maybe order up a decaf mocha or latte. They’ll settle into one of the 200 seats and prepare to soak in some stress-relieving entertainment. That’s where Tiombe comes in.

Tiombe, a North Hollywood resident who attends the Los Angeles High School for the Arts, said she’ll perform a mix of music, including hip-hop, rhythm and blues, and gospel. “I’ll be performing on a stage for the athletes and coaches” and anyone else allowed into the village.

Tiombe and her mother left their native Atlanta five years ago for Los Angeles, hoping to make connections in the music and television industry. But Tiombe’s greatest opportunity may be in her hometown during her upcoming two-night gig in Olympic Village.

“I really hope this can be a springboard for her,” said Tiombe’s mother, Gloria Lockhart, who said her daughter has a long list of performance credits, including a spot as a junior vocalist on the TV show “Star Search.”

Lockhart said her daughter will be one of the youngest of about 40 entertainers scheduled to perform for the athletes in Olympic Village.