- Julien Alfred (Saint Lucia) won 100m sprint gold (University of Texas)
- Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis (Sweden) won gold in the men’s pole vault (University of Louisiana)
- Cassandre Beaugrand (France) won gold in the women’s individual triathlon (Loughborough University)
There were over 11,000 athletes competing at the Olympic Games, many of whom are either enrolled or recently graduated from universities and colleges around the world.
Such is the level of sports development at modern HE institutions that some universities rank alongside the top 20 countries in terms of medals achieved.
Griffith University sent a combination of 38 students and alumni to compete in Paris and can be linked to 34% of Australia’s total medal haul (18/53 medals).
In the US, athletes connected to the University of California, Berkley amassed 23 medals, the University of Texas achieved 16 medals, the University of Southern California 15 medals and Harvard University 13 medals.
In the UK, athletes connected to Loughborough University finished with 16 medals.
International students’ success
There were some notable international student success stories, albeit dual citizenship allowed some athletes to choose which nation to represent.
US-Swedish star Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, a graduate of Louisiana State University, smashed his own world record to win gold in the men’s pole vault.
A picture of Duplantis with American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson taken in 2018 on their first day at LSU has gone viral on social media, after both athletes triumphed at the 2024 Olympics.
Julien Alfred, a former student at the University of Texas, won gold in the women’s 100m sprint, earning Saint Lucia its first ever Olympic medal.
Hungarian student Hubert Kos from the University of Texas claimed the gold medal in the 200m backstroke alongside alumnus Caspar Corbeau, who earned bronze in the 200m breaststroke for the Netherlands.
The University of Texas also had alumnus Leo Neugebauer competing for Germany to take silver in the men’s decathlon.
The University of Washington student Jacob Dawson scored victory over fellow UW alumnus Gert-Jan van Doorn, as the British rowing crew took gold ahead of the Netherlands in the men’s eight regatta.
UW alum Holly Dunford also earned a bronze medal for Great Britain in the women’s equivalent final, along with crew mate Heidi Long, who graduated from the University of Virginia.
The University of Arkansas celebrated Rojé Stona competing for Jamaica, who broke the Olympic record for discus with a gold-medal winning throw of 229 feet, eight inches (70m).
Alumnus Wayne Pinnock, also competing for Jamaica, won the silver medal in the men’s Olympic long jump with a leap of 27 feet, 5.25 inches (8.36m).
British sprinter Amber Anning graduated from the University of Arkansas this year with a degree in advertising and public relations with minors in journalism, strategic media and psychology.
Anning picked up two bronze medals as a relay team member for Great Britain’s mixed 4x400m relay and its women’s 4x400m relay team.
The University of Tennessee celebrated men’s basketball player Uroš Plavšić, who won an Olympic bronze medal for Serbia, and Indiana University Notre Dame celebrated Hungarian student Eszter Muarhi, who won bronze in epee (fencing).
Carlos Yulo, a student in the faculty of medical technology at Teikyo University in Japan, won gold medals in the men’s gymnastics floor exercise and vault representing the Philippines.
In the UK, Loughborough College student Cassandre Beaugrand took gold for France in Women’s individual triathlon, while Loughborough University student Paige Madden took silver in the women’s 4x200m swimming relay and bronze in the women’s 800m freestyle.
University of Bath graduate Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz won a silver medal for Mexico in the women’s 63kg judo competition and St Mary’s University alumnus and former sport scholar Aaron Grandidier won gold for France in the rugby sevens.
There will be more medals to follow when the Paralympics starts on August 28 2024.
Are you aware of other international students or alumni who won medals or competed at the Olympic Games? Comment below or email [email protected] and we will add them to the story.