Fighting Illini Paris Olympics Central

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!

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. 

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…