Meet the Kansas Jayhawks competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics

Tomorrow night is the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, where more than 6,000 athletes from around the world will be representing their country during a parade of boats on the Seine River.

Among those athletes representing their countries, is a select group who will be representing the Kansas Jayhawks fanbase as well.

In addition to Kansas Track & Field Head Coach Stanley Redwine leading Team USA’s Men’s Track & Field team, there are seven current and former KU athletes who will be competing in this year’s Olympics representing six countries from across the globe.

Joel Embiid (United States)

Joel Embiid, the former Kansas basketball freshman phenom who took the college basketball stage by storm during his one and only year in a KU uniform during the 2013-14 season, is set to participate in his first Olympic games.

Embiid – who owns U.S., Cameroon, and France citizenship – chose to play for the United States last year to help Team USA return to international glory and play with his fellow NBA teammates.

After becoming the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Embiid has been one of the most dominating players in the NBA. In his professional career, he has averaged 27.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while earning seven All-Star nominations and being named the 2023 league MVP.

Should Team USA win gold this year, Embiid would become the first former KU men’s basketball player since Jo Jo White to win Olympic gold.

Bryce Hoppel (United States)

Bryce Hoppel – one of the most decorated former athletes in KU school history – is set to make his second Olympics appearance after a record-setting performance in the recent U.S. Olympic Trials.

While at KU, Hoppel earned multiple All-American nods, four Big 12 titles, and two NCAA titles before turning his pro after his junior year. At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Hoppel made it to the semi-finals in the 800 meters where he finished fifth in his heat.

Now seemingly at the top of his game, Hoppel should have a great chance at medaling in Paris.

Sharon Lokedi (Kenya)

Sharon Lokedi, a former KU cross country and track & field star, is making her Olympics debut as a member of the Kenya women’s marathon team. After initially being a reserve, she was elevated to the team on July 10 following the withdrawal of Brigid Kosegi due to injury.

Lokedi made national headlines in 2022 when she won the New York City Marathon in her first-ever marathon race with a time of 2:23:23. She finished third in the same race in 2023 and finished runner up in this year’s Boston Marathon.

The now 30-year-old Lokedi is easily one of the most accomplished athletes in KU history.

While at KU from 2015 to 2019, she was a seven-time First Team All-American between cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field. She was a three-time All-Big 12 First Team cross country runner and two-time Big 12 Cross Country champion and Women’s Runner of the Year.

She was also a three-time indoor Big 12 5,000-meter champion, two-time indoor Big 12 3,000-meter champion, three-time outdoor Big 12 10,000-meter champion, and won the outdoor Big 12 5,000-meter title. Lokedi was the Big 12 Indoor Performer of the Year from 2017 to 2019.

To top it all off, she won the 2018 Outdoor NCAA title in the 10,000 meters with a record time of 32:09.20 and had the sixth best time in NCAA indoor history for the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:15.47.

After graduating from KU in 2019 after studying nursing and business, Lodeki signed a professional contract with Under Armour.

She holds multiple KU school records and is sure to be a lock for the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame one day.

Alexandra Emilianov (Moldova)

Alexandra Emilianov – a former decorated KU discus and shot put thrower – will be making her second Olympics appearance representing her home country of Moldova. Her father Ivan was a four-time Olympics shot put participant from 2000 to 2016.

While at KU, Emilianov was a three-time Big 12 champion and four-time All-American. She also set three school records in the Indoor Shot Put, Outdoor Shot Put, and Outdoor Discus.

Emilianov will be one of 26 athletes representing Moldova at this year’s Olympics.

Michael Joseph (Saint Lucia)

Senior sprinter Michael Joseph is making his first Olympics appearance after qualifying during the Outdoor Big 12 Championships in May 2023 where he set a KU school record and national record of 44.77 in the men’s 400 meters.

Joseph, one of only four athletes participating from Saint Lucia, was recently selected as his country’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony.

"To be named the flag bearer for St. Lucia is both a crowning achievement of all that I have poured into this sport and a great honor," said Joseph. "To be able to hoist our flag high and represent the beautiful island of Saint Lucia on the biggest stage in track and field means everything to me." 

Hussain Al-Hizam (Saudi Arabia)

The 26-year-old former KU pole vaulter will be making his Olympics debut after finishing in the top 32 (No. 25 overall) in the world rankings.

Al-Hizam was a three-time Big 12 champion in pole vault while at KU from 2016 to 2021. He finished 14th at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and 26th at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Having missed out on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Al-Hizam says he is ready to make his mark.

“I learned my lesson from missing the Tokyo Olympics,” he told Arab News. “I should have been there … but I learned from that and now I am here. I am ready to show why I am here, that I can compete with the best of the best.”

Al-Hazim is one of 10 athletes representing Saudi Arabia at this year’s Olympics.

Yoveinny Mota (Venezuela)

KU sprinter and hurdler Yoveinny Mota will be making her first Olympics appearance after qualifying during the 2024 Outdoor West Preliminary Meet where she ran a KU school record time of 12.66 in the 100-meter hurdles.

Mota will be one of 32 athletes representing her home country of Venezuela.