Athletes will Colorado roots brought won several medals – including the first for Team USA in multiple events – at the Paris Olympics.
The list below contains athletes who said their hometowns are in Colorado or train long-term in the state. For a full list of Colorado athletes who competed in Paris, go here.
Soccer
Mallory Swanson, 26, of Highlands Ranch, scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for the USWNT over Brazil in the gold meal game on Aug. 10. It marks the USWNT’s fifth gold medal and first since 2012.
Lindsey Horan, 27, of Golden, and Sophia Smith, 23, of Windsor, were also on the team.
Vadim Ghirda/AP
Mallory Swanson, of the United States, up, celebrates with Lindsey Horan, of the United States, after scoring her side’s first goal during the women’s soccer gold medal match between Brazil and the United States at the Parc des Princes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
All three women were named to the Olympic Team on June 26. The Games marked Horan’s third Olympics, Swanson’s second and Smith’s first, according to U.S. Soccer.
During the semi final game against Germany, Smith scored in extra time, securing her team a spot in the gold medal match. Swanson passed to her.
Silvia Izquierdo/AP
United States’ Sophia Smith celebrates with team mates the opening goal during a women’s semifinal soccer match between the United States and Germany at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Lyon Stadium in Decines, France. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
The USWNT won the gold medal in the first year — 1996, in Atlanta — that welcomed women’s soccer to the Olympics. They went on to win silver in 2000 in Sydney, and then three more gold medals in Greece in 2004, Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. In 2021, they came away with a bronze medal.
Track and field
Athletes continued to shine on the track.
Valarie Allman, 29, of Longmont, won her second straight Olympic title in the discus in Paris.
Allman attended Silver Creek High School, where she graduated as a co-valedictorian, carrying a GPA of 4.4. She went on to compete for Stanford. At the 2023 world championships, she won silver.
David Goldman/AP
The United States’ Valarie Allman takes a victory lap after winning the women’s discus throw at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
In Paris, she had some jitters after fouling her first attempt, but then came back to throw 68.74 meters on her second throw and 69.5 meters on her fourth.
“Pressure is becoming my friend,” Allman told the Associated Press. “I think it’s one of those things I’ve learned can bring out the best in you if you embrace it.
Anna Hall, 23, of Highlands Ranch, finished fifth in the heptathlon. Just six months after Hall had knee surgery, she made an incredible comeback to secure her spot in the event. She held the fifth-highest heptathlon score in history heading into Paris, according to Team USA.
Valerie Constien, 28, of Edwards, finished 15th in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Elise Cranny, 28, of Niwot, finished 11th in the women’s 5,000-meter. Woody Kincaid, 31, of Littleton, finished 16th in the 10,000-meter.
Cycling
Jennifer Valente, 29, and Chloe Dygert, 27, who both train long-term in Colorado Springs, won the gold medal in the Women’s Team Pursuit. It is Team USA’s first gold medal in the team pursuit.
Thibault Camus/AP
United States’ Jennifer Valente, Lily Williams, Chloe Dygert and Kristen Faulkner compete during the women’s team pursuit event, at the Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
“This marks our fourth consecutive medal in the event, having stood on the podium in every Women’s Team Pursuit since its debut in 2012,” USA Cycling said.
The Associated Press reported that they soared to a big early lead on New Zealand in their head-to-head showdown, then held on through a ragged finish to finally win the gold.
Thibault Camus/AP
From left, United States’ Lily Williams, Jennifer Valente, Kristen Faulkner and Chloe Dygert pose with the gold medal of the women’s team pursuit event, at the Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Olivia Cummins, 20, of Grand Junction, was on the team, but did not compete in the final.
Swimming
Emma Weber, 20, of Denver, helped her team bring home a gold medal when she swam breastroke in the prelims of the 4×100 Medley Relay. While she wasn’t selected to compete in the finals round, she earned a gold medal – her first Olympic medal.
She is a junior at the University of Virginia. Weber attended Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora and was part of the Denver Hilltoppers Club team. She was the Colorado State Champion in the 100-meter breaststroke and 200 IM.
Basketball
Colorado native and NBA champion Derrick White was on the US men’s team that won gold with a victory over France on Saturday. White, who was a late add to the Olympic squad as a replacement for Kawhi Leonard, played 15 minutes per game in a reserve role for Team USA, which went undefeated in Paris.
Triathlon
Taylor Knibb, 26, of Boulder, and Morgan Pearson, 30, both of the Boulder area, were on the mixed relay triathlon team that snagged a silver medal in a photo finish.
David Goldman/AP
Silver medalists, Seth Rider, Taylor Spivey, Morgan Pearson and Taylor Knibb, of the United States, celebrate during a medal ceremony for the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
It was a positive mark on an otherwise tough competition for Team USA’s triathletes. Knibb finished 19th and Pearson, a CU Boulder grad, finished 31st in their individual triathlon competitions, Team USA reported.
Climbing
Boulder’s Brooke Raboutou, 23, won silver in sport climbing, becoming the first American to medal in the event in her second Games. Colin Duffy, 20, of Broomfield, finished just off the podium in the men’s competition.
Natalia Grossman, 22, of Boulder, finished 11th in the women’s semifinal.
Volleyball
The woman’s volleyball team — which includes 26-year-old Jordyn Poulterof Aurora and 28-year-oldHaleigh Washington of Colorado Springs — will play for a gold medal on the final day of the Paris Olympics Sunday after beating Brazil in the semifinal. However, the team didn’t get the gold medal — wining a silver medal — after losing to Italy 3-0.
Team USA took home the Olympic gold in women’s volleyball during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. At those Games, Poulter was named the best setter and Washington was named the best middle blocker, according to USA Volleyball.
Mountain biking
While mountain biker Riley Amos,22,of Durango did not medal in the men’s mountain bike race, his seventh-place finish marked the best men’s Olympic Mountain Bike result of all time for the United States, according to USA Cycling.
Ricardo Mazalan/AP
Riley Amos, of United States, leads Alan Hatherly, of South Africa, left, and Julian Schelb, of Germany, as he competes in the men’s mountain bike race, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Elancourt, France. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan).
“Honestly, I was just so excited to cross the finish line,” he told USA Cycling. “I don’t think I felt any emotions until that last lap. It was just such a perfect race. The first two laps were hectic. I felt good and tried to control my effort because I knew it would be a long race and I would pay for it. I got swarmed hard in the first two laps. It was so aggressive.”
His teammate Christopher Blevins, 26, also of Durango, came in 13th.
Thibault Camus/AP
Christopher Blevins, of United States, competes in the men’s mountain bike race, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Elancourt, France. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus).
On the women’s side in mountain biking, Savilia Blunk, 24, of Durango, placed 12th in the final.
Rowing
Jessica Thoennes, 28, of Highlands Ranch, and her teammate claimed fourth place in the Women’s Coxless Pair.
“I’m really proud of Azja and I,” Thoennes told U.S. Rowing. “Four months ago, we were standing at (Olympic) trials, like, ‘Well?’ I think the beauty of being in a pair with someone is the gift of seeing them grow constantly. Azja is just starting her Olympic campaign; she’s starting her career, and to have that amount of grit and determination… She just came in fourth at the Olympics, in a pair, a year out of college. It is incredible for someone to do that.”
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Publish date : 2024-08-11 08:05:00
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