Texas A&M Athletics will be represented by 21 current or former student-athletes and coaches at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, which will be contested July 26-Aug. 11 in Paris and other cities throughout France, as well as Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Carter Karels
The following is a release from Texas A&M athletics.
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Texas A&M Athletics will be represented by 21 current or former student-athletes and coaches at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, which will be contested July 26-Aug. 11 in Paris and other cities throughout France, as well as Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Countries represented by Aggies in Paris include the United States (9), Australia (2), Jamaica (2), Algeria, Canada, France, Grenada, Israel, Lebanon, Peru and Singapore.
The Aggies will compete in a variety of sports, including Track & Field (10), swimming (6), diving (2), tennis (2) and women's basketball.
Daily updates and a schedule of events can be found at 12thMan.com's Official "Aggies in Paris" page.
2024 Aggies in Paris Bio Capsules
Basketball
Texas A&M head women's basketball coach Joni Taylor will serve as an assistant coach for USA Basketball Women's National Team in Paris. Taylor has served USA Basketball on a variety of occasions. She started off as a court coach at the 2018 USA U18 National Team Trials and then won gold as an assistant with the 2021 U19 World Cup Team. Taylor won gold as an assistant coach for the USA Women's National Team at the 2022 FIBA World Cup and as head coach for the 2022 USA Basketball Women's U18 National Team in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2023, she added a fourth gold medal to her USA Basketball resume with a spotless 7-0 record as the head coach of the American U19 team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Diving
Australian divers Kurtis Mathews and Jaxon Bowshire became first-time Olympians this summer. Mathews, a two-time NCAA Champion for the Aggies, claimed a national title on the 3-meter springboard at Australian National Championships to earn his spot on the Olympic team, and Bowshire posted a second-place finish on the 10-meter at the national championships to punch his ticket.
Swimming
Béryl Gastaldello and Sydney Pickrem head to their third Olympic Games. Representing the host country, Gastadello punched her ticket to Paris at French Elite Championships in June. She clocked in at 59.17 in the 100m back and 24.51 in the 50m free at the meet and added a third qualifying mark with a time of 53.60 in the 100m free from the Giant Open Final in 2023. Pickrem will compete individually in the 200m breast and 200m IM after securing a pair of top-two finishes at Bell Canadian Swimming Trials in May. Pickrem, who helped Canada's 4x100m medley relay team bring home bronze in Tokyo, went a personal-best 2:07.68 in the 200m IM to place second and clocked a 2:23.79 in the 200m breast to finish first at Trials.
Rising senior Aviv Barzelay and pro McKenna DeBever will make their second appearance at the Olympic Games. After only competing in the 200m back in 2020, Barzelay qualified in both backstroke events in 2024, going 1:01.54 in the 100 and 2:09.63 in the 200 at Israel's swimming trials this summer. DeBever is set to compete in the 200m IM for Peru, boasting a personal-best time of 2:14.70 from earlier this year at the GA SA Atlanta Classic.
Shaine Casas and Jing Wen Quah will make their Olympic debuts in Paris. Casas, a three-time NCAA Champion at Texas A&M, punched his ticket with second-place finish in the 200m IM at U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, going 1:55.83. Wen Quah earned a spot to represent Singapore on its 4x100m medley relay team.
Tennis
Austin Krajicek will compete in men's doubles for the second-straight Olympic games after coming in fourth at the 2020 Olympics. His partner is Rajeev Ram, who is ranked No. 5 in doubles this year. The Brandon, Florida, native is ranked No. 21 in doubles. The 2011 NCAA Doubles Champion finished last season as the No. 1 ranked doubles player in the world and won his first ever Grand Slam at the 2023 French Open in Paris.
Hady Habib will take part in men's singles and doubles for the first Olympic action of his career. Habib is ranked No. 275 in singles and No. 303 in doubles. He will be playing with partner Benjamin Hassan who has a ranking of No. 391. The three-time ITA All-American was a late addition to the singles rotation for Lebanon, after replacing a teammate who is sidelined with injury.
Track & Field
Bryce Deadmon enters his second Olympics for the United States as the most decorated medalist in the group, as won a pair of medals in the 2020 Tokyo Games. He was a part of the gold-medal winning men's 4x400m relay team and secured bronze in the mixed 4x400m relay. He placed fourth in the men's 400m at U.S. Olympic Trials, securing him a spot in the relay pool.
Fred Kerley returns for his second Games representing the Red, White and Blue after claiming a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in the 100m. He ensured his second-place finish at the last games, crossing the line in 9.84 seconds. He qualified third at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with a time of 9.88.
Maggie Malone-Hardin continued to dominate the women's U.S. javelin scene, qualifying for her third Olympics in outstanding fashion. She recorded a toss of 64.58m/211-10 on her opening throw of the event which secured the national title and her spot on the plane to Paris, as she now looks to build on her 10th-place finish at the last games.
Brandon Miller punched his first Olympic ticket following an outstanding showing at the U.S. Trials. He finished third in the final in 1:43.97 and was one of the two athletes to run sub 1:44 twice during the trials.
Jacob Wooten added another spot in the field for Team USA with a second-place finish at the qualifying event. He competed in a stacked field and after a seasons-best clearance of 5.87m/19-3 he secured his spot.
Shamier Little earned his first Olympic berth, as she travels to the Games as a part of the 400m relay pool. She finished ninth in the women's 400m final in 50.96 to make the team.
Lamara Distin's record-breaking final year for the Aggies culminated in her qualifying for the Jamaican team, as she soared over 1.89m/6-2.25 at trials to ensure her first Olympic berth. She concluded her collegiate career breaking the NCAA indoor high jump record, as she became the first woman to clear 2.00m/6-6.75 on her way to SEC gold.
Charokee Young qualified for her second Olympiad following a seventh-place finish in the women's 400m final at Jamaican trials, crossing the line in 52.64. She is in the relay pools for the Black, Yellow and Green.
Lindon Victor qualified for his third Olympic Games representing Grenada in the men's decathlon. He previously finished 16th and 7th at the Rio and Tokyo Games, respectively. Victor set his personal best and national record at the 2023 World Championships where he won the bronze medal with 8,756 points.
Tahar Triki reached his second Games representing Algeria in the triple jump. Earlier this year, Triki displayed his skills amongst the world's best, placing second in the World Indoor Championships with a leap of 17.35m/56-11.25.
Aggies at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
Aviv Barzelay (Israel) – Swimming, 2021-present
Jaxon Bowshire (Australia) – Diving, Incoming freshman
Shaine Casas (United States) – Swimming, 2018-2021
Bryce Deadmon (United States) – Track and Field , 2016-2021
McKenna DeBever (Peru) – Swimming, 2016-2019
Lamar Distin (Jamaica) – Track and Field, 2020-2024
Béryl Gastaldello (France) – Swimming, 2014-2018
Hady Habib (Lebanon) – Tennis, 2016-2021
Fred Kerley (United States) – Track and Field, 2016-2017
Austin Krajicek (United States) – Tennis, 2007-2011
Shamier Little (United States) – Track and Field, 2014-2016
Maggie Malone-Hardin (United States) – Track and Field, 2015-2016
Kurtis Matthews (Australia) – Diving, 2017-2021
Brandon Miller (United States) – Track and Field, 2021-2022
Sydney Pickrem (Canada) – Swimming, 2015-2019
Tahar Triki (Algeria) – Track and Field, 2018-2019
Lindon Victor (Grenada) – Track and Field, 2016-2017
Jing Wen Quah (Singapore) – Swimming, 2017-2021
Jacob Wooten (United States) – Track and Field, 2016-2019
Charokee Young (Jamaica) – Track and Field, 2020-2022
Joni Taylor (Coach-United States) – Women's Basketball, 2022-Present)
Aggies at the Olympic Games * (By Year)
2024 – Paris, France – 21
2020 – Tokyo, Japan – 26
2016 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 27
2012 – London, England – 26
2008 – Beijing, China- 17
2004 – Athens, Greece – 5
2000 – Sydney, Australia – 5
Aggie Olympic Medal Winners
Gold
Art Harnden (United States) – 1948 London, Trackand Field (4x400 relay)
Walt "Buddy" Davis (United States) – 1952 Helsinki, Trackand Field (high jump)
Randy Matson (United States) – 1968 Mexico City, Track and Field (Shot put)
Mike Stulce (United States) – 1992 Barcelona, Track and Field (Shot put)
Randy Barnes (United States) – 1996 Atlanta, Track and Field (Shot put)
Jennifer McFalls (United States) – 2000 Sydney, Softball
Jeneba Tarmoh (United States) – 2012 London, Track and Field (4X100 relay)
Demetrius Pinder (United States) – 2012 London, Track and Field (4X400 relay)
Breeja Larson (United States) – 2012 London, Swimming (400 medley relay)
DeAndre Jordan (United States) – 2016 Rio, basketball
Athing Mu (United States) – 2020 Tokyo, Trackand Field (800, 4x400 relay)
Khris Middleton (United States) – 2020 Tokyo, Basketball
Bryce Deadmon (United States) – 2020 Tokyo, Track and Field (4X400 relay)
Silver
Darrow Hooper (United States) – 1952, Helsinki, Track and Field (Shot Put)
Randy Matson (United States) –1964Tokyo, Track and Field (Shot Put)
Randy Barnes (United States) – 1988 Seoul, Track and Field (Shot Put)
Howard Davis (Jamaica) – 1988 Seoul, Track and Field (4X400 relay)
Stacy Sykora (United States) – 2008 Beijing, Volleyball
Simone Facey (Jamaica) – 2016 Rio, Track and Field (4X100 relay)
Fred Kerley (United States) – 2020 Tokyo, Track and Field (100)
Bronze
Tetsuo Okamato (Brazil) – 1952 Helsinki, Swimming (1,500 free)
Christine Marshall (United States) – 2008 Beijing, Swimming (800 free relay)
Deon Leondore (Trinidad and Tobago) – 2012 London, Track and Field (4X400 relay)
Sydney Pickrem (Canada) – 2020 Tokyo, Swimming and Diving (4X100 medley relay)
Bryce Deadmon (United States) – 2020 Tokyo, Track and Field (mixed 4X400)
