Among the athletes representing their home country in the 2024 Olympics, eight of them competed for the Gophers. The Minnesota Daily compiled a list of each and the events in which they are striving for a gold medal.

The opening ceremony for the Olympics is on July 26.

Team USA

Sarah Bacon

Years with Gophers: 2017 to 2022

Olympic medals: none

Olympic event and when to watch: 3-meter synchronized dive (July 27) and 3-meter dive (Aug. 7 to 9)

Bacon will make her Olympic debut in Paris. She is a five-time NCAA champion and a four-time Big Ten champion. Bacon holds Minnesota’s diving program record and Big Ten record in the 1-meter (376.10) and 3-meter dive (437.60). Bacon’s diving coach, Wenbo Chen, will join her on Team USA as an associate coach.

Summer Schmit 

Years with Gophers: 2022 to present

Paralympic medals: none

Olympic event and when to watch: swimming (Aug. 28 to Sept. 8)

At the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, Schmit placed fifth in the 200 Individual Medley, sixth in the 100-meter butterfly and seventh in the 400-meter freestyle. At the world championships in 2022, Schmit earned a bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle. 

Matthew Wilkinson

Years with Gophers: 2021 to 2023

Olympic Medals: none

Olympic event and when to watch: 3000-meter steeplechase (Aug. 5-7)

Wilkinson qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 3000-meter steeplechase the last two seasons and won the Big Ten title in the event last season with the Gophers. Before joining the Gophers, Wilkinson competed at the Division III level with Carleton College. He will make his Olympic debut in Paris.

Coach Wenbo Chen

Years with Gophers: 2009 to present

Olympic medals: coached former Gopher Kelci Bryant to a silver medal in 2012

Olympic event and when to watch: assistant coach for U.S. diving team (July 27 to Aug. 10)

Chen was named the Big Ten women’s diving coach of the year five times and Big Ten men’s diving coach in 2016. He was part of the Team USA coaching staff in Beijing before joining the Gophers in 2008. Chen coached with Team USA’s 2024 head diving coach, Drew Johansen, at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Other Countries 

Ava Stewart

Team: Canada

Years with Gophers: 2024, present

Olympic Medals: none 

Olympic event and when to watch: Gymnastics (July 27-Aug. 5)

Stewart competed for Team Canada at the Tokyo Olympics before her first college meet. The soon-to-be freshman started training with the Gophers this summer.

Bar Soloveychik

Team: Israel

Years with Gophers: 2021 to present

Olympic medals: none

Olympic event and when to watch: 4×200-meter swimming freestyle relay (July 30)

At the Israel Olympic trials, Soloveychik took home three gold medals in the 200-meter, 400-meter and the 800-meter freestyle events. Soloveychik holds Minnesota’s program record in five freestyle events. He will make his Olympic debut in Paris. 

Airi Miyabe

Team: Japan

Years with Gophers: 2019 to 2021

Olympic medals: none

Olympic event and when to watch: volleyball (July 28 to Aug. 11)

Miyabe helped the Gophers defeat Baylor in a sweet sixteen matchup of the 2021 NCAA volleyball tournament. The outside hitter earned an AVCA All-North Region honorable mention in 2021. She spent her first two seasons at the College of Southern Idaho where she led the Golden Eagles to a NCJAA championship. Miyabe will make her Olympic debut in Paris.

Devin Augustine 

Team: Trinidad and Tobago

Years with Gophers: 2022 to present

Olympic medals: none

Olympic event and when to watch: Track & field 100-meter sprint (Aug. 3 and 4)

Augustine posted the fastest 100-meter sprint time for Trinidad and Tobago at the 2023 championship (10.21 seconds). Augustine’s qualification for the Olympics is the first in 24 years the Gophers had someone earn a spot in an individual sprint event. 

Erik van Rooyen

Team: South Africa

Years with Gophers: 2009 to 2013

Olympic medals: none

Olympic event and when to watch: golf (Aug. 1 to 4)

During his junior campaign with the Gophers, Rooyen had a 72.45 stroke average which ranks ninth in program history. He has since competed in four Professional Golfer’s Association Tours (PGA) and is ranked 66th overall. Rooyen has two PGA Tour wins across 109 events.