Five former Fighting Illini, one current student-athlete, and one current assistant coach will represent the Orange and Blue at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Opening Ceremonies are on Friday, July 26.
Follow along as they compete for gold in Paris!
Poulter, Team USA Earn Silver at Paris Olympics (Aug. 11)
Illinois volleyball alum Jordyn Poulter brought home a medal for the second-straight Olympics after helping Team USA earn silver at the 2024 Paris Games.
The Team USA captain posted 25 assists and five digs in the gold medal match, where the Red, White and Blue fell to Italy in straight sets (25-18, 25-20, 25-17). Poulter started all six matches, helping the USA to a 4-2 record at the tournament.Â
The All-American becomes the only Fighting Illini alum to earn multiple medals at the Olympic Games. Poulter was the starting setter for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, helping the program earn its first-ever gold medal.Â
Poulter, Team USA Power Past Brazil in Five to Advance to Gold Medal Match (Aug. 8)
For a second straight Olympic Games, Jordyn Poulter and the U.S. Women's National Team will play for the gold after defeating top-ranked Brazil in a stellar semifinal, 3-2 (25-23, 18-25, 25-15, 23-25, 15-11) on Thursday. Poulter totaled nine digs and scored on a block and an ace while pacing the U.S. offense.Â
The U.S. Women have won only one Olympic gold medal during the 2020 games. Poulter and the Red, White and Blue take on Italy in the decisive match on Sunday at 6 a.m. CT.
Team USA Breaks Out Brooms against Poland (Aug. 6)
Jordyn Poulter and the Paris Olympics, the U.S. Women's National Team advanced to the Paris Olympic semifinals with an dominant 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-20) triumph over Poland on Tuesday. Poulter added four points, including a squad-best two aces. The captain helped the defense with a pair of blocks and also paced the USA offense.
The Red, White and Blue face off against Brazil on Aug. 8 in the semifinal match.
Price Completes Third Olympic Hammer Throw Finals (Aug. 6)
Deanna Price completed her third-straight Olympic hammer throw final appearance with an 11th-place finish on a throw of 71.00m (232-11 1/4).Â
Poulter, Team USA Sweep France to Reach Quarterfinals (Aug. 4)
Jordyn Poulter and the U.S. Women's National Team clinched a berth in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics with at 3-0 (29-27, 29-27, 25-20) sweep over France on Sunday. Poulter scored a point in each set, including a pair of kills and an ace during the match. She once again ran the Red, White and Blue offense during the straight-set triumph.Â
Detry, Dumont de Chassart Close Play in Olympic Men's Golf Competition (Aug. 4)
Thomas Detry (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR/IGF)
PGA TOUR professionals and former Fighting Illini Thomas Detry and Adrien Dumont de Chassart, representing their native Belgium, closed out play Sunday in the Olympic men's golf competition at Le Golf National. Â
Detry, playing in his second consecutive Olympic Games after a T22 finish in Tokyo in 2021, finished in a tie for ninth, missing out on the medal stand by five strokes with a 72-hole tally of 272 (-12).Â
Following an opening round of even-par 71, Detry vaulted up the leaderboard with a 63 (-8) in Round 2. He closed with back-to-back rounds of 69 (-2) over the weekend to wrap up his top-10 showing – now the second-best finish by a Belgian in Olympic men's golf history behind fellow Illini Thomas Pieters' T4 in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Â
Dumont de Chassart, making his Olympic debut, finished tied for 40th in the 60-player field. He opened his week with three consecutive rounds of 70 (-1) before carding a closing 73 (+2) during Sunday's final round to finish 1-under-par overall.Â
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA) won gold at 265 (-19), followed by Tommy Fleetwood (Great Britian) with a 266 (-18) and Hideki Matsuyama with a 267 (-16) to claim silver and bronze, respectively.Â
Price Qualifies to Hammer Throw Finals (Aug. 4)
Assistant coach Deanna Price qualified to the hammer throw finals on Sunday, Aug. 4. This is Price's third Olympics and this makes it three-straight times that she's advanced to the finals. This time she used a throw of 73.79m (242-1) to punch her ticket to Tuesday's (Aug. 6) finals, starting her pursuit for gold at 12:57 p.m. CT.Â
Detry Remains in Medal Contention Heading Into Sunday's Finale (Aug. 3)
Thomas Detry carded a 2-under 69 during Saturday's third round of the Olympic men's golf competition at Le Golf National, moving to 203 (-10) through 36 holes to remain in medal contention heading into Sunday's finale.Â
Detry is tied for sixth in the 60-player field, four shots off the pace of co-leaders John Rahm (Spain) and Xander Schauffele (USA) and three shots outside of third place held by Tommy Fleetwood (Great Britian). He is tied with World Nos. 1 and 3 Scottie Scheffler (USA) Rory McIlroy (Ireland), respectively, and Tom Kim (South Korea). Â
Adrien Dumont de Chassart, fellow former Illini and Team Belgium teammate, posted his third straight round of 1-under 70 to sit seven strokes behind Detry in a tie for 31st at 210 (-3).Â
Detry is in search of Belgiums' first Olympic medal in men's golf which was originally contested in 1900 (Paris) and 1904 (St. Louis) before returning in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. Former Illini Thomas Pieters' narrowly missed the medal stand in Rio, finishing in a tie for fourth.Â
Play continues with Round 4 on Sunday. Live coverage is scheduled from 2 a.m. CT – 11 a.m. CT on GOLF Channel and Peacock, followed by the medal ceremony. Dumont de Chassart tees off at 3:44 a.m. CT, with Detry scheduled for a 5:17 a.m. CT start.
Ram Secures Silver Medal in Men's Doubles Play (Aug. 3)
Illinois men's tennis alum Rajeev Ram secured the men's doubles silver medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics on Saturday, marking the second Olympic medal of his career.
Ram, a 2016 Olympic mixed doubles silver medalist who was competing in his third Olympic Games, is now the seventh Illinois alum to win multiple Olympic medals.
Ram and doubles partner Austin Krajicek began their Olympic run on Monday with a first-round win over Australian duo Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin, 6-2, 6-3. The American tandem then took down Brazil's Thiago Monteiro and Thiago Seybold Wild in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6(3).
In the quarterfinals, Ram and Krajicek recorded a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal, which saw the Americans advance to the semifinals.
Looking to earn a spot in the final, Ram and Krajicek dominated en route to a 6-2, 6-2 win against Tomáš Machác and Adam Pavlásek to move into the gold medal match.
Ram and Krajicek came up just short in the final, falling to Australia's Matthew Ebden and John Peers in three sets.
Ram is no stranger to winning hardware, as he was a part of Illinois' 2003 national championship-winning team while also amassing an NCAA doubles title and All-America, All-Big Ten First Team, and Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.Â
Ram and Krajicek are the first Americans to win a medal in the men's doubles event at the Olympics since 2016, when Steve Johnson and Jack Sock won bronze in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Yeboah Makes Olympic Debut (Aug. 2)
Rose Yeboah made her Olympic debut in the women's high jump on Friday, Aug. 2. The reigning national champion cleared 1.88m (6-2) and did not advance to the finals. She now aims to prepare for her upcoming senior season and defend her national high jump title.Â
Detry Vaults Into Medal Contention on Day 2 at Le Golf National (Aug. 2)
Thomas Detry turned in a near-record score on Friday in Round 2 of the Olympic men's golf Competition at Le Golf National, followed up his opening even-par 71 with a bogey-free, 8-under 63 - one off the course record and two off the Olympic record - to vault up the leaderboard and into medal contention.Â
Detry's 63 matched co-leader Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) for the lowest of the event through 36 holes. He sits at 134 (-8) with two rounds remaining, three strokes off the pace of Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele (USA), and Tommy Fleetwood (Great Britian) who are tied for first. John Rahm (Spain) sits in fourth place, one shot ahead of Detry, C.T. Pan (Chinese Taipei), and Tom Kim (South Korea).
Fellow former Illini and Team Belgium teammate, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, remained steady on Day 2 of his Olympic debut, carding his second straight round of 1-under 70 to sit six strokes behind Detry in a tie for 30th in the 60-player field.
Play continues with Round 3 on Saturday. Live coverage is scheduled from 2 a.m. CT – 11 a.m. CT on GOLF Channel and Peacock. Dumont de Chassart tees off at 3:33 a.m. CT, with Detry scheduled for a 5:28 a.m. CT start.
Dumont de Chassart, Detry Open Play at Le Golf National (Aug. 1)
Adrien Dumont de Chassart (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR/IGF)
Former Illini men's golfers Adrien Dumont de Chassart and Thomas Detry, representing their native Belgium, began their hunt for Olympic gold on Thursday, teeing off in Round 1 of at Le Golf National.
In his Olympic debut, Dumont de Chassart opened the tournament with a 1-under 70 and sits in a tie for 29th with 54 holes remaining over the next three days. He followed a birdie on No. 3 with a double-bogey on four to move to 1-over early in his round. But he carded three more birdies – on Nos. 5, 9, and 14 – to offset a bogey on 12 to remain in the red.
Detry, who also competed for Team Belgium at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, is one stroke behind his Dumont de Chassart with an even-par 70. He bounced back in a big way after three straight bogeys to open his round, with birdies on 6, 10, 11, and 18 to overcome the slow start and a bogey on 17.
Japan's Hideki Matsuyama leads at 8-under through Round 1. The United States' Xander Schauffele who won gold in Tokyo is 6-under in second place, followed by a group of three golfers – Emiliano Grillo (Argentina), Tom Kim (South Korea), and Joaquin Niemann (Chile) – currently in third.
Play resumes Friday with live coverage from 2 a.m. CT – 11 a.m. CT on GOLF Channel and Peacock. Dumont de Chassart tees off at 3:22 a.m. CT, with Detry scheduled for a 4:33 a.m. CT.
Ram Wins in Straight Sets in Semifinals, Will Play for Gold Medal on Saturday (Aug. 1)
Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek dominated on Thursday en route to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Czechia's Tomáš Machác and Adam Pavlásek, which saw the American duo earn a spot in the men's doubles gold-medal match on Saturday. Ram and Krajicek broke the Czech duo's serve four times in the straight-set win.
Ram will make his second overall appearance in an Olympic gold-medal match, though it will be his first time competing for gold in men's doubles. Ram played in the mixed doubles gold-medal match at the 2016 Rio Olympics, at which he fell short and earned a silver medal.
The men's doubles final is slated for Saturday at approximately 10 a.m. CT on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Ram and Krajicek will take on Australia's Matthew Ebden and John Peers. The match will be available on Peacock.
Ram Secures Straight-Set Decision to Advance to Men's Doubles Semifinals (July 31)
Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek booked a spot in the men's doubles semifinals after taking down Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, on Wednesday.
No. 4-seeded Ram/Krajicek are now guaranteed to play two more matches in men's doubles play in Paris, and they will take on Adam Pavlásek and Tomáš Machác of Czechia in the semifinals on Thursday.
Poulter, Team USA Stun Serbia in Five-Set Thriller (July 31)
Illinois alum Jordyn Poulter and the U.S. Women's National Team clutched a dramatic 3-2 (25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25. 17-15) victory over Serbia in the Paris Olympics.
Poulter ran the Red, White and Blue offense while adding eight digs and an ace during the match. The team captain started all five sets during the triumph over the reigning world champs.
Detry, Dumont de Chassart begin the chase for Olympic gold Thursday in Paris (July 30)
Illinois men's golf alumni Thomas Detry and Adrien Dumont de Chassart – both representing their native Belgium – begin the chase for Olympic gold on Thursday when the men's golf competition tees off at the 2024 Paris Olympics at Le Golf National, just southwest of Paris.
Detry, the world's No. 57-ranked golfer, is playing in his second consecutive Olympics after joining former Illini teammate Thomas Pieters at the Tokyo games in 2021 (Pieters also played in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games), where he finished tied for 22nd in the 60-player field. For Dumont de Chassart it marks his Olympic debut.
A veteran of the DP World Tour, Detry is familiar with the Olympic venue, Le Golf National, which annually hosts the Open de France. In five previous appearances on the course for the Open de France, the Brussels native has made four cuts with three top-25 finishes including a tie for eighth in 2019.
The 72-hole (no cut) Olympic competition runs from Thursday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 4.
Live coverage, from 2 a.m. CT – 11 a.m. CT is slated for each day on GOLF Channel and Peacock. Sunday's final round will be followed by the medal ceremony.
Dumont de Chassart tees off at 3:22 a.m. CT on Thursday, with Detry slated for a 4:33 a.m. CT start time in Round 1.
Ram Wins in Straight Sets, Clinches Spot in Men's Doubles Quarterfinals (July 30)
Rajeev Ram and partner Austin Krajicek defeated the Brazilian partnership of Thiago Monteiro and Thiago Seyboth Wild in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6(3), in the second round of men's doubles action on Tuesday.
Moving on to the men's doubles quarterfinals, Ram and Krajicek will face Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal of Spain on Wednesday at 12 p.m. CT.
Team USA Falls in Opening Match against China (July 29)
The U.S. Women's National Team made a valiant comeback before dropping its Olympic opener to China, 3-2 (25-20, 25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 15-13).
Jordyn Poulter started all five sets for the Red, White and Blue, donning the captain's jersey. The setter paced the squad in assists and added a point with a kill in the fourth set.Â
The team's next match will take place against Serbia on July 31 at 10 a.m. CT.
Ram Advances to Second Round With Straight-Set Win in Olympics Opener (July 29)
No. 4-seeded Rajeev Ram and partner Austin Krajicek took care of business in the opening round of men's doubles play on Monday, defeating Australia's Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.
Ram and Krajicek were never broken en route to the first-round victory, setting up a meeting with Thiago Monteiro and Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil in the second round.
Ram to Begin Men's Doubles Tournament Run on Monday (July 29)
Illinois men's tennis alum Rajeev Ram will team up with Austin Krajicek for men's doubles play at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The American tandem was awarded the No. 4 seed in the men's doubles tournament, and the pair is scheduled to face Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin of Australia in the opening round of action.
Ram/Krajicek will compete on Monday, July 29, at approximately 9 a.m. CT, with the tournament set to be played in its entirety at Roland-Garros in Paris. The match will be streamed in the U.S. on Peacock.
Fighting Illini in Paris
Illinois will be represented by five alumni, one current student-athlete, and a current assistant coach at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. The seven individuals will don the colors of Belgium, Ghana, and the United States while spanning four sports at the Games. Thomas Detry and Adrien Dumont de Chassart are both set to represent Belgium in men's golf; Jordyn Poulter and Erin Virtue (assistant coach) will represent the United States women's indoor volleyball squad; current Illini Rose Yeboah will represent Ghana in the women's high jump while Illinois track & field assistant coach Deanna Price will sport the red, white, and blue in the women's hammer throw; and Rajeev Ram will represent the United States in men's tennis doubles action.
For the third consecutive Olympics, former Fighting Illini golfers will be representing their native Belgium, as Thomas Detry and Adrien Dumont de Chassart prepare to tee off in search of gold in Paris. During their time competing for the Fighting Illini, both golfers left their marks as two of the top competitors in program history and were key to the program's sustained success in the Big Ten and at the NCAA Championships.Â
Detry, from Brussels, Belgium, will compete in his second consecutive Olympics after teaming up with another fellow Illini and countryman, Thomas Pieters, at the 2020 Tokyo Games. The PGA Tour and DP World Tour veteran is currently ranked No. 56 in the Official World Golf Rankings. During his time at Illinois (2012-16), Detry helped the Illini capture three Big Ten Championships and was named the 2013 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and 2015 Big Ten Player of the Year. During his freshman season in 2013, Detry helped the Illini to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship. He won Big Ten Medalist honors as a senior in 2016, one of his five collegiate victories. During the course of his Illini career, he was selected as a four-time first-team All-Big Ten performer and a four-time All-Midwest Region selection. He was also a second-team All-American in 2015 and 2016, and an honorable-mention All-American in 2014.
Dumont de Chassart, who hails from Villers la Ville, Belgium, is in his rookie season on the PGA Tour, and the 2024 Paris Games will mark his Olympic debut. During his time at Illinois (2018-23), Dumont de Chassart built a résumé that ranks among the most decorated in program history. The three-time GCAA All-American became the first Illini male athlete to be a three-time recipient of his sport's Big Ten Player of the Year award and was a key part of four consecutive Big Ten Championship-winning teams. He captured four collegiate victories, including a share of the 2019 Big Ten Individual Championship, and posted the two best single-season scoring averages in program history (69.56 in 2022-23 and 70.08 in 20221-22) en route to the Illinois career record of 70.82. Dumont de Chassart's time at the University of Illinois was capped by his recognition as the Illini's 2023 male recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor, the highest annual award that the Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics bestows upon a student-athlete.
Jordyn Poulter became the only Fighting Illini volleyball alum to make two Olympic rosters. Poulter and former Illini All-American Michelle Bartsch-Hackley helped the U.S. earn its first-ever gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Poulter was named Best Setter at the last Summer Olympics following the final match when the U.S. National Team swept Brazil (25-21, 25-20, 25-14) to capture gold. The setter helped the team to a .418 hitting efficiency during the gold-medal match and totaled 36 assists, six digs, and one kill. Despite suffering an ankle injury in pool play, Poulter still managed to lead all setters during the Games with 247 assists.
During her time in the Orange and Blue, Poulter was a three-time All-American, earning first-team accolades as a senior in 2018. During her stellar senior campaign, the Colorado native was named the Big Ten Co-Setter of the Year, AVCA Northeast Region Player of the Year, and a finalist for the Honda Award. Poulter also led the Illini to the program's fourth-ever NCAA National Semifinal appearance.
Rajeev Ram will make his third appearance at the Olympics in 2024 and will represent the United States in doubles action. A 2016 silver medalist in mixed doubles while competing with Venus Williams, Ram is looking to return to the podium this summer.
During his time at Illinois, Ram was a member of the 2003 team that went 32-0 and won the NCAA team national championship. An All-American and First-Team All-Big Ten honoree in his debut season with the Orange and Blue, Ram was also the NCAA doubles champion and named Big Ten Freshman of the Year following a phenomenal freshman campaign.
Currently sitting at No. 5 in the ATP doubles rankings, Ram has collected six Major wins over the course of his professional career, while he is currently the three-time reigning U.S. men's doubles champion. Having won 31 men's doubles titles in his career, Ram is looking to avenge a second-round defeat in men's doubles and a first-round loss in mixed doubles at the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Rose Yeboah will be making her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where she will represent her home country of Ghana in the women's high jump. She qualified for Paris on the heels of her national title high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with the meet- and school-record 1.97m jump (6-5 1/2) on June 8.
Yeboah enjoyed a stellar first season in the Orange and Blue, taking home Big Ten Outdoor Championships gold in the high jump on May 11, becoming an indoor high jump All-American on March 9, and breaking the school record multiple times both indoors and outdoors.
Deanna Price, the assistant throws coach with Illinois track & field, is set to make her third appearance at the Olympics in 2024, as she will represent the United States in the women's hammer throw. The Southern Illinois alum qualified to the Paris Olympic Games on June 24 with her Olympic standard 74.52m (244-6) throw.Â
Her previous two Olympic hammer throw appearances came in 2021 in Tokyo, where she placed eighth (73.09m (239-9 1/2)), and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she also took eighth place (70.95m (239-9 1/4)).Â
Erin Virtue will serve as an assistant coach for Team USA's women's indoor volleyball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Virtue was a member of the coaching staff at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, guiding Team USA to its first-ever gold medal. She coached fellow Fighting Illini alumni Jordyn Poulter and Michelle Bartsch-Hackley during those Olympic Games.Â
An All-American setter in 2003, Virtue helped the team to an appearance in the NCAA Regional Semifinals that season. The setter's 1,627 assists in 2003 rank fifth all-time for a single season in the Illini record books.Â
