Given its athletic prowess and proximity to world-class training venues for sports all year round, it’s no surprise that the University of Utah has been called home by numerous Olympic athletes. During the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, the world watched six alumni, one current student and two future students represent the U in their respective sports. Here is a closer look at these athletes and how they performed this summer.
Zachary Hammer & Sam Watson
Both just 18 years old, Zachary Hammer and Sam Watson made their Olympic debut this summer in Men’s Speed Climbing. Prior to his appearance in Paris, Watson held the world record in the sport with a time of only 4.79 seconds, which he claimed earlier this year. However, in his run during the Games, Watson broke his own record during the qualifying rounds at a time of 4.75 seconds, ultimately earning him the bronze medal.
Unfortunately, Watson set the new record during an elimination heat, where he found himself competing against Hammer. Setting the record meant eliminating his own teammate, and as a result, Hammer’s Olympic debut was put to an end before having a chance at a medal. However, the pair will have the opportunity to compete alongside one another again, as they are both incoming freshmen here at the U.
Michelle Plouffe, Paige Crozon & Kim Gaucher
These three Utah alumni represented Canada in the women’s 3×3 Basketball competition in Paris. Michelle Plouffe, who played for Utah Women’s Basketball from 2010–2014, was joined by teammate Paige Crozon, who played from 2012–2016. The pair, joined by two other athletes to make up the four-person team, was coached by the U’s own Kim Gaucher, a star athlete who was named Honorable Mention All-American for all four years of her Utah career from 2002 to 2006.
The team had a respectable run in Paris, first claiming a monster 21-10 win over Australia to make it to the semifinals, where the team ultimately fell to Germany. The team just missed the podium, placing fourth overall after succumbing to the United States in the Bronze medal match.
Emilia Nilsson Garip
Currently a sophomore at the U and a member of Utah Diving, Emilia Nilsson Garip competed in the women’s 3 m Diving event in Paris. Competing for Sweden, her home country, Garip entered the competition with some impressive stats under her belt. Last year, in her first year competing for Utah, Garip made ninth place at the NCAA 1m Championships, the highest ever finish by a member of Utah Swim & Dive. She also claimed two individual medals during the Pac-12s, placing first in both the 1m and 3m, helping her team claim the Pac-12 Championship for that year. In Paris, Garip placed ninth overall in the 3m Diving event for Team Sweden, earning a total score of 279.40.
Simone Plourde & Josefine Eriksen
In the Track and Field event, Utah saw alumni Simone Plourde and Josefine Eriksen compete for their respective countries, Canada and Norway. During her time on the Track and Cross Country teams at the U from 2021–2023, Plourde set five school records and won the Pac-12 individual title in the 1500m race, the same event she competed in at the Games. In Paris, Plourde recorded a time of 4:08:49 during the second heat, putting her in sixth place and nearly two seconds short of the top spot. Unfortunately, this was not enough to qualify her for the semifinals, as only the top three moved on.
Eriksen, who just graduated this year, set 11 school records split between relays and the 200m, 400m, 600m and 800m distances. The 2024 Games was Norway’s debut in the 4×400 relay, which Eriksen helped the team qualify for earlier this year at the World Championships where the team set a Norwegian record with a time of 3:26:89. At the Olympics, the team finished sixth overall in their heat with a final time of 3:28:61, just barely leaving them out of qualifying for the final.
Regardless of how they placed this summer, the U and the thousands of fans who tuned in to the games are proud to call each of these athletes their own. Performing on the global stage is a feat in itself and will continue to inspire current and future Utes.