Go ahead, call James Corrigan a quick learner. He can’t deny it. It’s the only thing that explains how, just six weeks after the BYU sophomore placed ninth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Championships, he’s bound for Paris as an Olympian.
“It’s a dream come true,” Corrigan told FloTrack. “It’s a lot of pressure, just the progression that’s happened and how quickly things have happened.”
Things often happen quickly at the USATF Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. For five athletes with ties to Utah — Courtney Wayment, Kenneth Rooks, Grant Fisher, Whitni Orton Morgan and Cheri Hawkins — they secured their spots in Paris in the space of a few breaths or the depth of a lean. For the sixth, Corrigan, the process was longer. Yet the rate at which he shed seconds felt like a land speed record.
How quickly did they happen? Corrigan had to run a personal record (PR) to just reach the steeplechase finals. Rather than drop one second, he dropped seven. In the final, he found his way out of a forest of men pursuing eventual victor Rooks and rocketed his way into third — putting him in position to make the Olympic team. However, he hadn’t yet met the Olympic Standard. So to claim his spot at the starting line in Paris, he either needed to somehow move from 82nd to 36th in the world rankings or he had to run yet another PR.
And he had less than a week to do it.
Six days later, Corrigan found himself at the starting line of a track in muggy Pennsylvania. A steeplechase race had been hastily added to the Penn Relays schedule. It featured none of the starpower of the Olympic trials. Corrigan was racing on tired legs. And yet, it would be his only opportunity to punch his ticket to the Olympics.
“As [the pacer] brought me through a mile I told myself silently, ‘You’re going to the Olympics,’” Corrigan wrote on his Instagram account. “When I saw the time with 800 [meters] to go I was elated. With a lap to go I visibly smiled […]. I knew I was going to do it. Flying down the homestretch I’ve never felt or heard a louder crowd and it made crossing the line the greatest feeling.”
Corrigan needed to shave seven seconds off his trials time. The overachiever cut his time by eight.
In addition to surpassing the Olympic Standard, Corrigan’s time of 8 minutes, 13.87 seconds went down as a facility record, BYU record and American collegiate record.
And yet, Corrigan felt like he could still top that in terms of lifetime memories, and arguably he did. The very next Saturday, he got married.
Nearly 40 athletes with connections to Utah will attempt to create lasting, positive memories in the coming weeks at the Paris 2024 Summer Games, which run from July 26 to Aug. 11. Here’s a look at the Olympians representing Utah:
Athletics
• James Corrigan, USA, Men’s 3,000m steeplechase, BYU sophomore
• Josefine Eriksen, Norway, Women’s 4 x 400m relay, U of Utah (2020-2024)
• Grant Fisher, USA, Men’s 5,000m/10,000m, Park City resident; Run Elite Program
• Chari Hawkins, USA, Women’s heptathlon, USU alumna (2011-2015)
• Rory Linkletter, Canada, Men’s marathon, BYU alumnus (2014-2018)
• Conner Mantz, USA, Men’s marathon, Smithfield, BYU alumnus (2017-2021), Run Elite Program
• Whitni Orton Morgan, USA, Women’s 5,000m, Panguitch, BYU alumna (2017-2021), Run Elite Program
• Simone Plourde, Canada, 1,500m, BYU (2020-2021); University of Utah (2021-2023)
• Kenneth Rooks, USA, Men’s 3,000m steeplechase, BYU alumnus (2019-2023), Run Elite Program
• Courtney Wayment, USA, Women’s 3,000m steeplechase, Layton, BYU alumna (2017-2022)
3x3 Basketball
• Jimmer Fredette, USA, Men’s, BYU alumnus (2007-2011)
• Paige Crozon, Canada, Women’s, U of U alumna (2012-2015)
• Kim Gaucher, Canada, Women’s, U of U alumna (2002-2006)
• Michelle Plouffe, Canada, Women’s U of U alumna (2010-2014)
Boxing
• Alyssa Mendoza, USA, 57kg, Idaho native spent much of her training in Salt Lake City
Diving
• Emilia Nilsson Garip, Sweden, women’s 3m springboard, U of U sophomore
Gymnastics
• Patrick Hoopes, USA, Men’s artistic (non-traveling alternate), Lehi native; Skyridge High School
• Ruben Padilla, USA, Men’s trampoline (traveling alternate), grew up in Bluffdale
Mountain Biking
• Haley Batten, USA, women’s cross country, Park City High
Rowing
• Kathleen Noble, Uganda, Women’s single sculls, Salt Lake city resident
Rugby Sevens
• Stephanie Rovetti, USA women, wing, BYU alumna/basketball player (2010-2014)
• Alex “Spiff” Sedrick, USA women, center, Herriman High School, Utah Lions Rugby Academy
• Maka Unufe, USA men, utility, Provo High School
Shooting
• Alexis Lagan, USA, Women’s 10m air pistol, U of U alumna (2014-2017)
Soccer
• Taylor Booth, USA, men’s, forward, grew up in Eden, Real Salt Lake Academy (2016-2018)
• Amandine Henry, France, women’s, Utah Royals (present)
• Macey Fraser, New Zealand, women’s, Utah Royals (present)
• Ify Onumonu, Nigeria, women’s, Utah Royals (present)
• Mina Tanaka, Japan, women’s, Utah Royals (present)
Sport Climbing
• Colin Duffy, USA, Men’s boulder and lead, Salt Lake City resident
• Natalia Grossman, USA, Women’s boulder and lead, Salt Lake City resident
• Jessie Grupper, USA, Men’s boulder and lead, Salt Lake City resident
• Zach Hammer, USA, Men’s speed, Salt Lake City resident
• Emma Hunt, USA, Women’s speed, Salt Lake City resident
• Piper Kelly, USA, Women’s speed, Salt Lake City resident
• Brooke Raboutou, USA, Women’s boulder and lead, Salt Lake City resident
• Sam Watson, USA, Men’s speed, Salt Lake City resident
Volleyball
• Gabi Garcia Fernandez, USA men’s, opposite, BYU alumnus (2018-2021)
• Roni Jones-Perry, USA women’s, outside hitter, BYU alumna (2015-2018)
• Karch Kiraly, USA women’s, head coach, Heber resident
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