On her 26th birthday, Latter-day Saint Courtney Wayment advanced to the finals in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase on the ninth day of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday, Aug. 4.
Three heats showcased 12 runners each, and the top five from each heat advanced to the finals.
In Wayment’s heat, the top six runners were less than a half second apart — from 9 minutes and 10.51 seconds by Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai, who was first, to Tunsia’s Marwa Bouzayani at 9:10.91, who was sixth.
Second was Faith Cherotich of Kenya at 9:10:57, third Gesa Felicitas Krause of Germany was at 9:10.68, Wayment’s fourth-place time was 9:10.72, and fifth was Ethopia’s Lomi Muleta at 9:10.73.
Wayment ran with the pack in the front during the race, staying in the top five throughout the race as they sprinted to the finish line. The steeplechase is a 7.5-lap race, with multiple barriers and a water obstacle on each lap.
Diljeet Taylor, Wayment’s coach, is in Paris and told the Deseret News that Wayment “was tactically sound and looked good over the water jumps. She used racing instincts to make good moves to position herself well. Really proud she has moved to the final.”
Wayment, who is from Kaysville, Utah, had a successful collegiate career at Brigham Young University, has been on two Team USA senior national teams and has competed in the World Athletics Championships. She was fourth at the USA Olympic trials for the Tokyo Games and was second for the Paris Games.
Wayment is one of several athletes with Latter-day Saint connections competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Basketball
In 3x3 basketball, Team USA lost to the Netherlands 21-6 in the final pool game on Sunday as Jimmer Fredette watched from the sidelines.
Fredette, 35, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, suffered an apparent leg injury against Poland on Wednesday, July 31, and hasn’t played in any games since.
Team USA, with two wins and five losses, was seventh of the eight teams in the pool round and didn’t advance to the finals.
Upcoming events
On Monday, Aug. 5, USA’s 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 USA’s Whittni Morgan is also Monday, Aug. 5.
On social
Corrigan posted a video about going to church Sunday in Paris, just outside the Olympic village.
Morgan shared her excitement to race in the 5,000-meter finals on Monday.
“I’m feeling SO excited to give my best for the USA 🇺🇸, my family, coach, all of you who have shown me so much support and love, and God!” she wrote.
Morgan and Wayment are training partners with Taylor as their coach.
“I am super proud of Courtney and Whittni for moving through to the finals,” Taylor said in a video. “The plan was to come here and race their hearts out. They did that on the biggest stage. I am really proud and excited for both finals.”
