Kentucky Track & Field Sends Seven Representatives to Paris Olympics

Kentucky Track and Field will once again make its mark on the Olympic stage, as seven representatives of the program are set to compete in the Paris Olympics over the next week. Alumni Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Andrew Evans, Alexis Holmes, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Daniel Roberts, and Masai Russell will be joined by current Volunteer Assistant Coach and Purdue alum Devynne Charlton. Additionally, Kentucky alum Ashley (Muffet) Kovacs will serve as the Women’s Throws coach for Team USA.

Athletics competition at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad will commence on August 1 and run through August 11. Most of the events, including all featuring UKTF representatives, will be held at Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The Race Walk and Marathon events will take place on courses throughout the city.

Kentucky’s track and field program is coming off a historic medal haul at the Tokyo 2020 games, where its representatives earned five medals, including three golds. Both of Kentucky’s gold medalists from Tokyo, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, are returning to defend their titles.

Daniel Roberts will be the first Wildcat to compete, making his second Olympic appearance in the 110m hurdles. The competition is set from August 4-8. Roberts, who advanced to the semifinals in Tokyo, has since won multiple USATF titles and earned a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the world record holder in the 400m hurdles, will compete in her signature event from August 4-8. The Dunellen, N.J. native and three-time Olympian has continuously set new world records, including her gold-medal-winning performance at the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials.

Alexis Holmes, a first-time Olympian, will compete in the 400m from August 5-9 and may also participate in the Women’s 4x400m Relay on August 9-10. Holmes, who set a collegiate record and won a national championship in the Women’s 4x400m Relay, brings impressive credentials to her Olympic debut.

Andrew Evans will represent Kentucky in the Discus Throw, beginning August 5. This marks his second Olympic appearance after competing in Rio. Evans won the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials, adding to his two SEC titles and NCAA bronze medal from his time at Kentucky.

The final Wildcats to compete will be in the 100m hurdles. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, the defending Olympic gold medalist and Olympic record holder, will be joined by Masai Russell, the 2024 US Olympic Trials champion, and Devynne Charlton, a volunteer assistant coach and world record holder in the 60m hurdles. The competition runs from August 7-10.

Camacho-Quinn, representing Puerto Rico, enters her third Olympics with a decorated career that includes World Championships medals and multiple NCAA and SEC titles. Russell, the fastest woman in 2024 in the 100m hurdles, is making her Olympic debut, while Charlton, competing for the Bahamas, returns after a strong showing in Tokyo and a record-breaking performance at the 2024 World Indoor Championships.

Ashley (Muffet) Kovacs, a former UKTF athlete, will serve as the Women’s Throws coach for Team USA. Kovacs, a two-time SEC champion and four-time All-American, coaches her husband, Joe Kovacs, a two-time World Champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist.

A full event schedule for Kentucky athletes is listed below.

Event Schedule