Utah athletes head to 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly two dozen athletes with ties to Utah are heading off to Paris to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Kenneth Rooks, who ran track and field at Brigham Young University, is one of the latest athletes to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Rooks won the Steeplechase event during the Team USA trials,  making him an Olympian for the first time.

“We are just taking it one moment at a time,” said Rooks after winning the event. “I am excited for right now, being an Olympian, and I am just enjoying that right now.”

Rooks joins an impressive list of Utah athletes competing in track and field events in Paris.

Grant Fisher, who lives in Utah, will compete for Team USA in the 10,000-meter. Chari Hawkins, who attended Utah State University, qualified for the Heptathlon.

Conner Mantz, who attended BYU and Sky View High School, will compete in the marathon alongside BYU teammates and American Fork graduate Clayton Young.

“I have dreamed about being an Olympian for a long time,” said Young during a running event in South Jordan last week.

Utah athletes will well represent climbing because the team is based in Salt Lake City.

Piper Kelly, Natalia Grossman, Jesse Grupper, Sam Watson, Emma Hunt, Brooke Raboutou, Colin Duffy, and Zach Hammer will compete for Team USA.

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Hammer, from Michigan, recently graduated from high school and moved to Utah to train with the national team and help make his Olympic dream come true.

“That scale between the World Cup events and the Olympics is crazy,” said Hammer during a climbing camp event in Salt Lake City earlier this year. “It is honestly a little hard to imagine what the Olympics will be like, but I am super excited, and I know that I will rise to the occasion.”

Rugby players Stephanie Rovetti, who played basketball at BYU, and Spiff Sedrick from Herriman will compete for Team USA.

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Pistol shooter Lexi Lagan, who attended the University of Utah, will compete in her second Olympics for Team USA.

Cyclist Haley Batten, from Park City, also qualified for her second Olympics and will race for Team USA in Paris.

“It was really special to experience Japan and Tokyo and get to be in the Olympics. They did such a good job considering Cand all the crazy factors, but I think this year, being able to go to what feels like a real true Olympics, yeah, it is really exciting for me,” said Batten during an event at Soldier Hollow last month.

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BYU’s Jimmer Fredette will play for Team USA’s 3×3 male basketball team.

“Paris is coming up soon now, so it has given me a new life to be able to continue to work at something, and that has been fun for me,” said Fredette during the Team USA Olympic Media Summit.

Four Paralympians with Utah ties have also qualified for the Paris Paralympics.

Dennis Connors, who attended the University of Utah, will compete in Para Cycling. Ali Ibanez, from Murray, is on the Team USA Wheelchair basketball team. Garrett Schoonover from Salt Lake City will represent Team USA in Wheelchair Fencing.

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Meanwhile, Josefine Eriksen, who spent time at the University of Utah, will compete for Norway in the 4×400-meter relay race. Rory Linkletter, who attended BYU, will represent Team Canada in the marathon.

Utah also has diver Emilia Nilsson Garip, who attended the University of Utah, competing for Sweden.

In 3×3 basketball, three women from the University of Utah will represent Canada: Paige Crozon, Michelle Plouffe, and Kim Gaucher.

More Olympians and Paralympians from Utah could be added to the list as teams hold their Olympic Trials and countries make their final lists.

If we’re missing an athlete, please let us know at news@ksl.com.