USC Athletics Celebrates 15 Olympic Medals, Record-Tying Trojan Olympians In Paris - USC Athletics (2024)

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games saw USC athletes continue the Trojan tradition of Olympic competition and success. Trojans collected a total of 15 medals — seven gold, two silver and six bronze — to bolster USC's claim to themost medals won by any U.S. institution, now with 341 total medals. USC's gold-medal haul in Paris kept alive and well the Trojan streak ofgold won in every Olympics since 1912. Of USC's 67 Trojans past, present and future having competed in Paris, 33 were first-time Olympians to run USC's total to 545 Olympians from 1904-2024 — alsothe most Olympians of any U.S. university. USC also had more Olympians and collectedmoremedals in Paris than any other Big Ten school.

USC's 2024 Olympians spanned nine different sports, and Trojans saw both individual and team success in Paris. All 14 USC water polo Olympians helped their respective nations advance out of group play, and four ended up on podiums in Paris. Women's water polo was the only event where Trojans shared the podium on separate steps, with Spain's Anni Espar winning her third Olympic medal and first gold as the Spaniards edged out Australia in the final. Current Trojan Tilly Kearns was instrumental in the Aussies' efforts, as she captured her first Olympic medal with silver in Paris.

Three sets of Trojan teammates would also medal in Paris. On the track, Canada'sAaron BrownandAndre De Grassewon golds as members of the Canadian men's 4x100m relay. So, too, did TrojansYemiJohnandNicole Yearginhelp Great Britain to bronze in the women's 4x400m relay for their first Olympic medals. And in the pool, Trojan teammates for USC's 2018 NCAA championship,Hannes DaubeandMarkoVavic, joined forces for Team USA in its first men's water polo Olympic medal earned since 2008 with bronze.

USC had two Trojans double up on medals in Paris.USA'sRai Benjaminearned a golden double in winning the men's 400m hurdles and later helped Team USA to gold in the 4x400m relay. Great Britain'sNicole Yearginalso scored a pair of medals, earning bronze in the 4x400m mixed relay and in the women's 4x400 relay.

Also on the track, two other Women of Troy earned their first Olympic medals. First-time OlympianTeeTee Terrywon gold on Team USA's 4x100m relay, andAnna co*ckrell— competing in her second Olympic Games — raced to a silver medal in the women's 400m hurdles.

In addition to USC's four water polo medalists, two other Trojans scored team medals. Playing in his third Olympics for Team USA,Micah Christensoncollected his second bronze medal with the United States' effort in Paris. In women's soccer, USC grad and first-time OlympianCroix Bethunewas an alternate for Team USA and earned playing time during group play on the way to the United States' gold-medal finish.

By the close of the Paris Olympic Games, USC's 67 Olympians — matching the most Trojan Olympians total set in 2020 — had represented 27 different countries, withChris Borzor(Haiti),Halle Hazzard(Grenada) andJack Kirby(Barbados) standing out as the first Trojans to represent those nations.More than half of USC's 2024 Olympians are women, with 39 Women of Troy having competed in Paris. Of USC's 67 Olympians in Paris, 63 have competed for USC as a student-athlete, three (Emily Ausmus - women's water polo, Kate Miller - women's diving, Moritz Wesemann - men's diving) will be starting their freshman years at USC this fall, and one earned a graduate degree at USC. Six Trojans served as flag bearers for six different nations.

USC has won at least seven gold medals in every summer Olympics since Atlanta in 1996, and also has won 10 or more total medals in every Games in that same span. If USC were its own country,it would rank14th with seven golds wonand16th with 15 medals won in Paris.

Up next, USC currently has two Trojans set for competition in the Paralympics. Incoming TrojanEzra Frechwill compete for Team USA in athletics, and USC doctorate recipientCindy Ouelletis making her fifth Paralympic Games appearance for Canada in women's wheelchair basketball. The 2024 Paralympic Games run Aug. 28-Sept. 8.

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