SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 12, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — It was a successful Summer Games for Olympians with Utah ties who collectively won eight medals — three silver and five bronze — in Paris.
- Team USA distance runner Grant Fisher, who lives and trains in Park City as part of the Run Elite Program, is returning to Utah with a matching set of bronze medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
- Former BYU distance runner Kenneth Rooks earned a silver medal for Team USA in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, running the seventh-fastest time in Olympic history.
- Park City native Haley Batten overcame a broken wheel to win the silver medal and post Team USA’s best-ever finish in mountain biking.
- The U.S. women’s rugby sevens team featured two Utah athletes who earned bronze medals in Paris: Stephanie Rovetti, who played both basketball and rugby at BYU, and Alex “Spiff” Sedrick, a Herriman High School athlete who scored the winning try in the bronze medal match vs. Australia.
- A pair of U.S. speed climbers who live and train in Salt Lake City, where USA Climbing moved its headquarters and training facilities in 2018, also earned medals, with Brooke Raboutou winning the silver and Sam Watson setting a world record in his bronze medal climb.
In all, 34 athletes with who’ve either lived or competed as professionals or collegians in Utah took part in the 2024 Paris Olympics, which concluded Sunday.
Twenty-three Utah Olympians represented Team USA in Paris, while another 11 athletes with ties to the Beehive State competed for other countries: five from Canada and one each from France, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway and Sweden.
Nine current or former BYU athletes took part in the Paris Olympics, the University of Utah was represented by seven Olympians, and Utah State sent one alumnus to the Games.
3×3 Basketball
Paige Crozon
Crozon is one of three former Utes who helped Canada to a fourth-place finish in 3×3 women’s basketball. The Humboldt, Saskatchewan, native helped Canada earn its first ever Olympic appearance in the event but fell 16-13 to Team USA in the bronze medal game.
Canada arrived in Paris as a medal contender just five years after Crozon and fellow Utah alumnus Michelle Plouffe founded the team in 2019 along with Plouffe’s twin sister, Katherine.
Crozon, 30, played at Utah from 2012 to 2016 and served as team captain in her junior and senior seasons.
Jimmer Fredette
It was a disappointing Olympic debut for Fredette, who suffered a thigh/hip injury early in Team USA’s second game in Paris and was sidelined for the remainder of the tournament.
Without the former BYU star and 2011 National Player of the Year, Team USA went 2-5 and made an early exit from the Games.
Fredette, 35, played four seasons at BYU (2007-11) and led the NCAA in scoring as a senior in 2010-11, averaging 28.9 points per game.
Kim Smith Gaucher
Gaucher, 40, made her third Olympic appearance, this time as coach of the Canadian 3×3 squad, which finished fourth in Paris. The Mission, British Columbia, native was a member of the Canadian women’s basketball team in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.
While at Utah (2002-06), Gaucher led Utah to three Mountain West Conference regular-season and tournament titles. She ranks as the Utes’ all-time leading scorer with 2,281 points.
Michelle Plouffe
Plouffe called the past five years representing Canada in 3×3 women’s basketball a “special” journey.
“Obviously, a medal would’ve been a cherry on top,” she said. “But I’m just so thankful for the relationship we have with each other and the support we’ve had from our families and our friends and everyone back home who’s just seen us start from the bottom, from below the bottom, from nothing, to be at an Olympic Games, and that’s pretty special.
“And obviously, we didn’t get the outcome we wanted, but like we’ve always said, even in the wins and the losses before this, it doesn’t make the journey any less important or less special than it was. The whole point was the journey, and I’m very proud of our team and just the resilience we’ve had and have faced through the last five years.”
During her time at Utah (2010-2014), Plouffe was a three-time Associated Press All-American and all-conference selection in both the Mountain West and Pac-12. She also was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year and currently holds the school record for most career rebounds at 1,171.
Cycling
Haley Batten
Batten broke a wheel in the first half of the seven-lap, roughly 30-kilometer mountain biking race but fought back into medal contention.
The two-time Olympian finished just under three minutes behind gold medalist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of France to earn the silver.
Batten, 25, earned just the third medal and first silver for Team USA since women’s mountain biking made its Olympic debut in 1996. American mountain bikers previously won bronze medals in 1996 and 2012.
Batten, who started cycling at age 9 and turned pro at 17, previously competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she finished ninth.
Diving
Emilia Nilsson Garip
The University of Utah diver finished ninth in the women’s 3-meter springboard final while representing her home country of Sweden.
Nilsson Garip turned in a pair of strong showings to secure a spot in the final, earing 295.20 points in the preliminary round and 279.60 in the semifinals.
The Utah freshman reached as high as fifth on the leaderboard in the finals before finishing ninth with 279.40 points.
Nilsson Garip, 21, is the first Ute to capture two Pac-12 championships, winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter springborard titles in March. She followed that up with a ninth-place finish in the 1-meter springboard at the 2024 NCAA Championships — the highest ever for a Utah diver — to earn All-American honors.
Rugby
Stephanie Rovetti
Rovetti, 32, who played both basketball and rugby at BYU (2010-14), was part of the U.S. women’s rugby sevens squad that won a bronze medal in Paris.
The Reno, Nevada, native is the first former BYU athlete to compete in women’s rugby sevens, as well as first former BYU women’s basketball player to reach the Olympics.
Alex “Spiff” Sedrick
Sedrick lifted Team USA to its first ever Olympic medal in women’s rugby sevens by breaking away for a long try as time expired and then hitting the conversion to clinch a 14-12 victory over Australia in the bronze medal match.
Sedrick, 26, was born in Salt Lake City and competed in rugby, gymnastics and volleyball at Herriman High School. The first-time Olympian also played rugby at Life University in Marietta, Georgia.
Make Unufe
Unufe and the U.S. men’s rugby sevens team finished eighth in Paris. The Provo native and two-time Olympian previously represented Team USA at the 2016 Rio Games.
Unufe played football at Provo High School before making the switch to rugby. He has played for the U.S. rugby sevens team for more than a decade and starred for the Utah Warriors at the Club 7s Nationals in 2011, earning a spot on the all-tournament team.
Soccer
Taylor Booth
Booth was part of the U.S. men’s soccer team that was eliminated in the quarterfinal round in Paris.
The Eden native was part of the Real Salt Lake youth academy (2016-18) before making his professional debut in 2019 in Germany with the Bayern Munich youth team. Booth currently plays for FC Utrecht in the Netherlands and made his Olympic debut with the U.S. National Team in Paris.
Macey Fraser
Fraser, who signed with the Utah Royals in April, made her Olympic debut for the New Zealand Women’s National Team, which went 0-3 in group play and made an early exit from the tournament.
The 21-year-old midfielder is one of four Utah Royals who competed at the Paris Olympics.
Amandine Henry
Henry, a native of Lille, France, returned to the Olympics for a second time as a member of the French Women’s National Team, which advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to eventual silver medalist Brazil.
The Utah Royals defensive midfielder previously played for France in the 2016 Rio Games. Henry, 34, has been playing professionally since age 15 and made her senior international debut for France in 2009.
Ifeoma Onumonu
Onumonu, 30, made her Olympic debut in Paris with the Nigeria Women’s National Team, which went 0-3 in group play and failed to advance to the quarterfinals in Paris.
The Utah Royals midfielder was born in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and was first selected to play for Nigeria in 2021. She was part of the Nigerian squad in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Mina Tanaka
Tanaka, 30, made her second Olympic appearance for Japan and scored a goal vs. Brazil during group play. Japan went 2-1 in group play before being eliminated by gold medal-winning Team USA.
The forward previously played for Japan in the 2020 Tokyo Games and signed with the Utah Royals as a free agent earlier this month.
Shooting
Alexis “Lexi” Lagan
Lagan finished 25th in 10-meter women’s air pistol in Paris. The two-time Olympian attended Utah from 2014 to 2017 and is the university’s first Olympic marksman.
The Boulder City, Nevada, native previously competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where she finished 16th in 10-meter mixed team air pistol, 18th in 25-meter women’s air pistol and 38th’s in 10-meter women’s air pistol.
Sport Climbing
Colin Duffy
Duffy, one of eight Team USA climbers who live and train in Salt Lake City, finished fourth in men’s boulder and lead combined in Paris.
The 20-year-old Broomfield, Colorado, native was the youngest member of the USA Climbing team at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where he finished seventh in men’s combined at age 17.
“I’m very proud of how far I’ve come since Tokyo,” Duffy said. “It’s just the start.”
Natalia Grossman
Grossman, 23, lives and trains in Salt Lake City and made her Olympic debut in Paris, where she finished 11th in women’s bouldering and lead combined.
The Santa Cruz, California, native qualified for the 2024 Summer Games by winning gold in the event at the 2023 Pan American Games.
Jesse Grupper
Grupper, 27, lives and trains in Salt Lake City and made his Olympic debut in Paris.
The Upper Montclair, New Jersey, native finished 18th in men’s bouldering and lead combined. He qualified for the Paris Olympics by winning gold in the event at the 2023 Pan American Games.
Zach Hammer
Hammer, 18, is another Team USA climber who lives and trains in Salt Lake City.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan, native finished 18th in men’s bouldering and lead combined in his Olympic debut in Paris. He qualified for the Games at the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, Hungary.
Emma Hunt
Hunt, 21, who also lives and trains in Salt Lake City, finished fifth in speed climbing with a time of 6.38 seconds in her Olympic debut.
The Woodstock, Georgia, native holds the U.S. women’s speed record of 6.301 seconds set at the USA Climbing North American Cup in Salt Lake City in April.
Piper Kelly
Kelly, 24, another speed climber who lives and trains in Salt Lake City, finished 12th in her Olympic debut in Paris.
The Indianapolis native also turned in her top time (7.39 seconds) since suffering a shoulder injury four years ago.
Brooke Raboutou
Raboutou because the first U.S. woman to win a medal in sport climbing, earning the silver in women’s bouldering and lead combined in Paris.
The 23-year-old Boulder, Colorado, native who now lives and trains in Salt Lake City previously competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games, finishing fifth in the event.
Raboutou is the daughter of former World Cup champions Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou and Didier Raboutou. Her older brother, Shawn, also is a professional rock climber.
Sam Watson
Watson set a world record and won the bronze medal in his Olympic debut. After losing in the semifinals by a mere 0.08 seconds, the 18-year-old who lives and trains in Salt Lake City set a world record of 4.74 seconds in men’s speed climbing to earn the bronze.
“I’m very happy to be on this stage, and I have no regrets,” the Southlake, Texas, native said. “To be an Olympic medalist, to hold it in my hand with a piece of the Eiffel Tower in it — nobody can ever take that away from me.”
Watson qualified for the Paris Olympics by winning gold at the 2023 Pan American Games, setting USA Climbing and Pan American Games records with a time of 5.02 seconds.
Track and Field
James Corrigan
Corrigan was the lone current BYU athlete who competed at the Paris Olympics, representing Team USA in the 3,000-meter steeplechase alongside Rooks. The 22-year-old sophomore placed 10th in the first heat with a time of 8:36.67 but did not advance to the final.
Corrigan was the first current track and field athlete to qualify for Team USA at an Olympics since Henry Marsh competed in the 1976 Montreal Games.
Grant Fisher
Fisher become the first man in U.S. history to win a medal in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at an Olympic Games.
The Grand Blanc, Michigan, native who now lives and trains in Park City, turned in a season-best time of 26:43.46 to finish third in the 10,000 meters on the purple track of Stade de France. He became only the fourth U.S. men to medal in the event and the second in 60 years.
Fisher followed up that performance with another bronze medal performance in the 5,000 meters, crossing the finish line in 13:15.13.
Josefine Eriksen
The former Utah All-American ran the lead leg in the women’s 4x400m relay for Norway, which finished sixth in the first heat with a time of 3:28.61. Eriksen’s 52.30 split was the fourth-fastest time among lead runners.
“It is surreal to think that little me from Norway had the opportunity to take part in the Olympics,” Eriksen said after the race. “I am very grateful for the opportunity and incredibly proud of our team.”
The Stavern, Norway, native recently graduated from Utah earlier this year with a degree in family, community and human development.
Eriksen, 23, owns five indoor records and six outdoor records at Utah, along with top-10 marks in five other events in just two seasons.
Chari Hawkins
Utah State’s lone representative at the Paris Olympics finished 21st in the heptathlon with 5,255 points. Despite not scoring in the high jump, Hawkins persevered and finished all seven events.
Hawkins, 33, opened with a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.16. In the high jump, Hawkins received no mark after passing on the opening five heights and failing to clear the bar at 1.71 meters in three attempts.
The Rexburg, Idaho, native placed 14th in the long jump (5.90 meters), 15th in the javelin throw (44.30 meters) and 200 meters (24.49), and 17th in the shot put (13.64 meters) and 800 meters (2:15.76).
Hawkins was first USU athlete to compete at the Olympics since hammer thrower James Parker at the 2004 Games in Athens.
She also had a viral moment on social media with then and now pictures with fellow Olympian LeBron James of the U.S. men’s basketball team.
Rory Linkletter
Linkletter was one of three former Cougars who ran in the men’s marathon in Paris, finishing in 47th place (2:13.09) for Canada.
The Calgary, Alberta, native was a six-time All-American at BYU and placed second at the 10,000-meters as a sophomore at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Conner Mantz
Mantz ran the fastest time by an American in Olympic marathon history, finishing the 26.2-mile course in 2:08.12 — just ahead of fellow former BYU distance runner Clayton Young.
The Logan native and former Sky View High School star earned back-to-back individual NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2020 and 2021 while at BYU.
Whittni Orton Morgan
Morgan ran a career best of 14:53.57 in the women’s 5,000 meters, running under the 15-minute mark for the first time in her career to finish 14th in Paris.
The Panguitch native claimed the final spot in the event for Team USA after Elle St. Pierre and Parker Valby opted to scratch from the race in favor of the 1,500 meters and 10,000 meters, respectively.
Morgan, 26, won the 2021 Cross Country individual title while at BYU.
Simone Plourde
Former Utah All-American Simone Plourde had two chances to advance to the semifinals of the women’s 1,500 meters but fell just short.
The Canadian runner placed ninth in her heat with a time of 4:06.59 but returned for the repechage round, where she finished sixth with a time of 4:08.49.
“What I learned competing with the best of the best is that to trust myself and the work I put in, knowing that in a championship race like that, nothing is taken for granted,” Plourde said after the race. “I think I’ll come back with more confidence but also learned about what it takes to be at that level. There’s still a lot of work to be put in to be able to make that next jump.”
Plourde, 24, spent two seasons at Utah (2021-23), finishing her collegiate career as a three-time All-American, a Pac-12 outdoor champion, a USTFCCCA All-Region recipient in cross country, and a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree in cross country.
Kenneth Rooks
Rooks earned the silver medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in Paris, finishing with the seventh-fastest time in Olympic history (8:06.41).
The former BYU runner became the third American man to medal in the event since 1984 and just the seventh all-time.
“The goal was to get out and stay relaxed,” he said after the race. “If the race went out fast, I was going to be OK being toward the back. I just wanted to conserve as much energy as possible, but stay within striking distance. I was nervous, especially with where I had positioned myself, but we all were really in it as we got later in the race. I just got up in position to make that move at the end.”
With his performance in Paris, the 24-year-old Walla Walla, Washington, native became the ninth all-time BYU track and field medalist.
Courtney Wayment-Smith
Wayment-Smith, another former BYU athlete, finished 12th with a time of 9:13.60 in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.
The 26-year-old Layton native and former Davis High School star was the top finisher from Team USA in the 7.5-lap event.
Wayment-Smith was a four-time national champion during her collegiate career at BYU, winning national titles in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and indoor 5,000 meters in 2022, along with the indoor 3,000 meters and distance medley relay in 2021.
Clayton Young
Young turned in a 2:09.44.30 time in the men’s marathon, finishing just behind Mantz, another former BYU distance runner and his training partner. Both runners turned in the fastest times in U.S. Olympic marathon history.
The former American Fork High School star ran under the Olympic Standard at the Chicago Marathon, where he finished in 2:08:00. At the USATF Marathon Olympic Team Trials, Young finished in stride with Mantz to place second overall and earn a spot in the Paris Olympics.
At BYU, he placed first in the 10,000 meters at the 2019 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships.
