Top Local Performances From 2024 Paris Olympic Summer Games
Aug 11, 2024, 2:17 PM
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 02: Bronze medalist Grant Fisher of Team United States celebrates after the Men's 10,000m Final on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 02, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
PARIS – With over 30 Olympians with ties to the state of Utah competing at the Paris Games, there were plenty of memorable moments and performances to look back on.
A total of six Olympic medals from six different athletes will be coming back to the Beehive State.
Caption this. #KSLOlympics #Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/MDAEMCT2Fm
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 9, 2024
Kenneth Rooks Shocks Field, Takes Home Silver In 3000m Steeplechase
Perhaps the best performance from a local came in the men’s 3000m steeplechase when former BYU Cougar Kenneth Rooks made a late push to secure a spot on the podium.
RELATED: Former BYU Athlete Kenneth Rooks Reaches Podium In Men’s Steeplechase
KENNETH ROOKS, OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/DTbXjZbgzu
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024
Haley Batten Makes Team USA History With Mountain Bike Silver Medal
No Team USA mountain biker has had a better performance than Park City’s Haley Batten did in Paris to start the Summer Games.
Batten pushed through a flat tire halfway through the race to finish in 1:28:59 and claim a silver medal.
RELATED: Utah Native Haley Batten Makes History For Team USA With Silver Medal Win
Haley Batten wins silver at Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Team USA’s best ever Olympic Mountain Bike finish!
Read More: https://t.co/h7Y6lMQ60j pic.twitter.com/gpCLET0Rkg
— USA Cycling (@usacycling) July 28, 2024
Mina Tanaka Leads Team Japan Women’s Soccer In Paris
Japan got knocked out in the quarter-finals at the Paris Olympics. However, Utah Royals FC forward Mina Tanaka was Japan’s biggest playmaker.
Tanaka scored a goal in the win over Nigeria and was dynamic for her country on the attack in all four games.
RELATED: Utah Royals FC Forward Mina Tanaka Helps Japan To Olympic Win
Grant Fisher Makes Podium In 10,000m And 5,000m
Fisher trained in Utah leading up to the Paris Olympics and he credited his time in the Beehive State when talking about his two bronze medals.
“(Utah is) a fantastic place to train, a fantastic place to live, and the community is awesome,” Fisher said.
RELATED: Park City’s Grant Fisher Claims Bronze In 10,000 Meters, Says Utah Training Helped
Park City’s Grant Fisher wins another bronze🥉 with final push in the #Paris2024 men’s #5000m #ParisOlympics2024 #ParisOlympics https://t.co/aCcEFCoRtc
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 10, 2024
Sam Watson To Bring Olympic Medal Back To Utah
The 18-year-old Texas native starts classes at the University of Utah this fall and he will be bringing a bronze medal with him.
Watson set a speed-climbing world record in the bronze medal decider after a disappointing loss in the previous round.
RELATED: Team USA’s Sam Watson Wins Bronze Medal In World Record Fashion
#Bronze medal for USA! 🇺🇸
Sam Watson with an incredible World Record time of 4.74 seconds claims third place in sport climbing men’s speed. 🤯@TeamUSA | @ifsclimbing | #SportClimbing | #Paris2024 | #Samsung | #TogetherForTomorrow pic.twitter.com/30kLgB85lb
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 8, 2024
Trio Of Utes Fall Just Short Of Podium At 2024 Summer Games
Canada’s 3×3 Women’s Basketball team featured three former Utah hoopers. Starters Michelle Plouffe and Paige Crozon as well as head coach Kim Gaucher all played college ball at the U.
Plouffe and Crozon came up huge for Canada multiple times as they made their way to a fourth-place finish.
RELATED: Former Utes, Team Canada Fall Just Short Of 3×3 Medal At Paris Olympics
A tremendous run in Paris comes to a close. These four made Canada proud.
Un parcours formidable à Paris s’achève. Ces quatre joueuses ont rendu le Canada fier.#Paris2024 #3x3WNT #ENF3x3 pic.twitter.com/mCUIy3AecC
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 5, 2024
Team USA Women’s Rugby Sevens Makes History With Two Locals On Roster
Former BYU women’s basketball player Steph Rovetti and Herriman High graduate Alex Sedrick helped lead Team USA to its first women’s rugby sevens Olympic medal.
Coming off of the bench, Sedrick and Rovetti were both able to score tries and make an impact in the historic run for the U.S.
RELATED: Alex Sedrick Steamrolls Australia To Win Bronze Medal For U.S.A. Rugby Sevens
Writing their names into @USARugby history 🇺🇸
A bronze medal performance at #Paris2024 to bring their tournament to a close 🥉#RugbySevens pic.twitter.com/NqncLJtGFz
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) July 30, 2024
Two Former Cougars Finish In Top Ten Of Men’s Marathon
Conner Mantz and Clayton Young were both making their Olympic debuts in Paris but that didn’t prevent them from putting together excellent races.
Mantz finished in eighth with a time of 2:08:12 and Young crossed the line shortly after with a time of 2:08:44.
RELATED: Two Former BYU Cougars Record Top Ten Finishes In Marathon At Paris Olympics
Two friends giving each other a HIGH FIVE! ✋
Conner Mantz and Clayton Young show support during the men’s marathon. #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/gGrIInBs9d
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024
Follow The 2024 Summer Olympics With KSL Sports
The 2024 Paris Olympics takes place Friday, July 26, through Sunday, August 11. The Paris Games are comprised of 329 events across 19 days, with 754 competitions and ceremonies for more than 10,000 athletes.
Find KSL Sports coverage of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics here.
RELATED STORIES
Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com. Follow Chandler on Twitter @CHoltSports or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
