PARIS – Current and former BYU athletes wrapped up a historic run at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as the quadrennial event concluded Sunday evening.
The Games featured nine current or former BYU athletes in various events with seven in track and field program along with Jimmer Fredette in 3x3 men's basketball and former women's basketball player Stephanie Rovetti in women's rugby sevens. This year's Games saw a record eight athletes from BYU compete for Team USA.
Former BYU distance runner Kenneth Rooks placed the highest among the Cougars, earning a silver medal for Team USA in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Rooks ran the seventh-fastest time in the event in Olympic history. The 2023 NCAA champion becomes the third American male to medal in the event since 1984 and seventh all-time.
WOW!
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024
Kenneth Rooks just won SILVER in the men’s 3000m steeplechase in a STUNNER. 🤯 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/PIM2gcvY47
Stephanie Rovetti, former BYU women's basketball player, earned bronze as part of Team USA's women's rugby sevens team. With the win over Australia, Rovetti became the fourth BYU female athlete to medal in an Olympic Games joining Christy Opara Thompson (Nigeria, Track & Field - 4x100 Relay, 1992), Lelei Fonoimoana-Moore (USA, 4x100 Medley Relay – Swimming, 1976) and Shauna Rohbock (USA, 2-Woman Bobsled, 2006).
Conner Mantz finished eighth in the men's marathon in 2:08:12. His former teammate and current training partner Clayton Young crossed the line next in 2:08:44. Both ran the fastest times by Americans in Olympic history. Rory Linkletter, another former teammate of Mantz and Young, represented Team Canada in the event and finished in 2:13:09.
Two friends giving each other a HIGH FIVE! ✋
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024
Conner Mantz and Clayton Young show support during the men's marathon. #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/gGrIInBs9d
"Well, it's always an amazing opportunity to represent your country in international competition, and certainly even more so in the Olympic Games. I thought they represented themselves, their family and their countries well. The overall consensus from other coaches and fans of the sport that I've talked to was that everyone couldn't have been happier with how our athletes did on the Olympic stage."
Ed EyestoneBYU Director of Track and FieldCourtney Wayment ran 9:13.60 in the women's 3000m steeplechase en route to a 12th place finish in her Olympic debut and the sixth-fastest time of her career. The 26-year-old from Layton, Utah was the top-finisher from Team USA in the 7.5 lap event.
Wayment's finish also marks BYU's highest Olympic placement in women's track and field since 2000. A four-time NCAA champion, Wayment has placed in the top-14 in the world for three consecutive years in the 3000m steeplechase (12th in 2022, 14th in 2023, 12th in 2022).
Whittni Morgan ran a career best of 14:53.57 in the women's 5000m to mark the first time she has ever run under 15 minutes in the 12.5 lap event. Her time was nearly nine seconds faster than her previous personal best of 15:02.07. A 26-year-old from Panguitch, Utah, Morgan's 14th-place Olympic finish came just seventh months after recovery from a knee injury.
Current BYU athlete James Corrigan competed in the men's 3000m steeplechase as well, running 8:36.67 across the finish. Corrigan placed tenth in the first heat, but did not advance to the final.
The distance runner from Los Angeles, California concluded a historic track and field season. Corrigan’s prior personal best at the end of the 2023 season was 8:52.54. In his 2024 season, he became the Big 12 Champion in the event, running an 8:29.24. He placed ninth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, then two weeks later took third at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Corrigan then qualified for Team USA at a last chance meet, running 8:13.87 at the Penn Relays Summer Showcase which was the fastest time by an American collegiate athlete and a new BYU school record.
Jimmer Fredette's Olympic debut was cut short as the former Cougar was injured in Team USA's game against Poland. With Fredette missing the last five pool play contests, Team USA played with no subs and picked up wins over France and China.