Runner Whittni Morgan is going to the 5,000-meter Olympic finals after coming in sixth in her qualification heat on Friday, Aug. 2. She had a season’s best time of 15 minutes, 2.14 seconds.
“I feel like I ran so smart out there,” Morgan said in an interview on NBC right after the race at the Stade de France just outside of Paris in Saint-Denis, France.
Morgan, 26, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had knee surgery last November and began running again in April. The Panguitch, Utah, native was fifth at the Olympic trials in June. After two others who qualified for other races dropped out of the 5,000-meter, or 5K, Morgan was added to the team to go to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Morgan, who previously ran for Brigham Young University, also thanked her coach and family, and gave a shout-out to BYU.
There were 40 women competing for 16 spots in the final. They were divided into two groups and the top eight from each heat advanced.
She ran near the middle of the pack of runners for most of the 12.5-lap race. During the last lap, she edged out and began to pass other women. Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet won the heat with a time of 15:00.73. Overall, Morgan’s time has put her in 15th among those who qualified.
Her coach Diljeet Taylor told the Deseret News it was a “perfectly executed race.” She added: “I’m beyond proud. Faith and hope — those were the keys today. And wow ... speechless.”
The final race for the women’s 5,000-meter race is on Monday, Aug. 5, 1:10 p.m. MDT.
Athletes connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are also on the United States’ 3x3 basketball and soccer teams, which also competed Friday.
Basketball
Team USA’s 3x3 basketball team made two critical wins on Friday in the Paris Olympics — 21-19 win against France and 21-17 against China. The USA men’s team is on 2-4 in the pool play with one more team left to play.
It was the first wins of the Olympics after losing to Serbia and two-point losses to Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
Jimmer Fredette, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been out with an apparent leg injury since the game against Poland on Wednesday, July 31, and did not play in their two games on Thursday, Aug. 1, or on Friday.
Fredette has been on the sidelines cheering on his teammates — Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis.
Against the French team, the game was point for point, with the game tying up several times during the 10-minute game. The Chinese team also had only one win going into the game late Friday night at La Concorde Urban Park in Paris. It was also an evenly matched game, with USA pulling ahead.
In the pool round, each team plays the other seven teams. The top two teams advance to the semifinals and the bottom two teams are eliminated. The remaining four teams compete in “Play in” games.
The game is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock and the first team to 21 points wins.
USA’s 3x3 team faces the Netherlands on Sunday, Aug. 4, at 11:05 a.m., MDT. If they qualify for a “Play in” game, the first matches begin Sunday afternoon, Mountain Time.
Football (soccer)
Team USA, including forward Taylor Booth, lost 4-0 to Morocco in the quarter finals on Friday at Parc des Princes in Paris. The team was ranked eighth overall in the Paris Olympics.
Booth, a Latter-day Saint, played in the last several minutes of the game.
Booth, of Eden, Utah, moved to Germany when he was 14 to play soccer. He was playing for the Netherlands prior to the Olympics in Paris.
On Sunday, July 28, during a young adult devotional in Versailles, France, he shared in a recorded message how his faith in the Lord and membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints guided him through those pivotal years.
Upcoming events
Courtney Wayment runs in the qualifying round of the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase on Sunday, Aug. 4.
Team USA’s 3x3 basketball team plays the Netherlands in the last game of the pool round on Sunday, Aug. 4. Jimmer Fredette has been out with an apparent lower leg injury, but has been attending the games. Depending on rankings at end of the pool round, the tournament begins later Sunday.
On Monday, Aug. 5, Kenneth Rooks and James Corrigan race in the qualifying round of the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.
The final race in the women’s 5,000 meter for Whittni Morgan is also Monday, Aug. 5.
On social
Wayment shared a video of her attending the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and also of her at the 2024 Olympics. “2024 I am competing in my first Olympics,” she wrote.
Wayment also shared in her stories a video from watching Morgan’s 5,000-meter event.
Steph Rovetti, who was part of the bronze-winning USA rugby sevens team, shared BYU Cougars’ post with her holding her bronze medal. She previously played basketball for BYU.
