In the summer of 2024, three UTSA athletes, two alumni and one transfer, competed in the Paris Olympics representing Australia and Italy. Out of all the athletes that compete in the Olympics, 65% are NCAA student athletes, with track and field being America’s top competed in sport.
Overall, there were over 100 former and current NCAA athletes comprising the 2024 U.S. track and field Olympic roster of 385. Team USA’s track and field were able to bring home 34 total medals, a mix of gold, silver and bronze.
UTSA has hosted five Olympians over the course of its athletic program: one trainer, one coach and three athletes. Track and field associate head coach Kareem Streete-Thompson is a three-time Olympian and has coached the three athletes at UTSA. Thompson is in his eighth season with UTSA, helping coach the program to multiple NCAA and All-American conference participations and wins.
Alum Alanah Yukich competed for Australia and secured twentieth in the Women’s 400m hurdles. Alum Diego Pettorossi and transfer Fatoumata Kabo were both a part of the Italian National team. Pettorossi earned seventh in the Men’s 200m and despite not competing in the games, Kabo still fought her way to be a part of the team and hopes to compete in 2028.
UTSA has only had track and field Olympians even though there are multiple other programs that have successful athletes. This may be because within track and field itself there are multiple different activities where athletes can hone in on their skills and better themselves rather than just one singular drill where everyone is fighting for visibility. UTSA has five coaches in its track and field/cross country department.
The colleges in Texas making the list of top schools that sent the most athletes to the 2024 Olympics are University of Texas, Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University. Colleges primarily send athletes to compete in track and field because the U.S. better accommodates the sport with training and focus structures. Again, there are numerous competitions in which student-athletes can choose to focus on, but their choices and opportunities depend on the programs colleges provide.
America prides itself on its Olympic accomplishments; track and field is where they have found the most success. Becoming UTSA’s three-of-five all-time Olympians is not an easy task. The achievements of these athletes show not only their determination but the strength of UTSA’s athletic program. These Roadrunners represent the pride of UTSA, and they stand as an example of what can be accomplished. With the hard work and determination of coaches and athletes producing the feats of Olympic runners, track and cross country is one of UTSA’s top shining sports.
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