Thirty-two current or former Vols competed at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Seven athletes brought home medals in sports including basketball, swimming, track and field, and volleyball.
Former Lady Vol basketball player Kara Lawson became a three-time gold medalist in Paris as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball 5×5 team. She is the first coach to win gold in both 3×3 and 5×5 basketball.
UT swimmers set a variety of national records for their teams:
• Martin Espernberger—200 Fly (1:54.17), Austria
• Lamar Taylor—100 Free (48.84), Bahamas
• Jordan Crooks—50 Free (21.51), Cayman Islands
• Mona McSharry—100 Breast (1:05.51), Ireland
• Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe—4×100 Medley Relay (4:00.12), Ireland
Vol Olympians
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Uros Plasivic (2019–23) | Serbia
Basketball | (Bronze)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Cierra Burdick (2011–15) | USA | 3×3
Basketball | (Bronze)
Kara Lawson (1999–2003) | USA
5×5 Assistant Coach (Gold)
SOCCER
Michelle Alozie (2019) | Nigeria
SWIMMING
Gui Caribe (current student) | Brazil
50 Free, 100 Free
Erika Connolly (2016–20) | USA
4×100 Free Relay | (Silver)
Jillian Crooks (current student)
Cayman Islands | 100 Free
Jordan Crooks (current student)
Cayman Islands | 50 Free, 100 Free
Brooklyn Douthwright (current
student) | Canada | 4×100 Free Relay
Lyubomir Epitropov (2020–23)
Bulgaria | 200 Breast
Martin Espernberger (current
student) | Austria | 200 Fly
Ella Jansen (current student)
Canada | 400 IM
Mona McSharry (current student)
Ireland | 100 Breast, 200 Breast,
4x100m Medley Relay | (Bronze)
Kayky Mota (2019–22) | Brazil
100 Fly
Julia Mrozinski (current student)
Germany | 200 Free
Tjasa Pintar (2017–22) | Slovenia
4×100 Free Relay
Regan Rathwell (current student)
Canada | 200 Back
Lamar Taylor (current student)
Bahamas | 100 Free
Kira Toussaint (2015–17)
Netherlands | 100 Back
Joaquin Vargas (current student)
Peru | 400 Free
Ellen Walshe (2021–22) | Ireland
100 Fly, 200 IM, 400 IM
TRACK & FIELD
Christopher Bailey (2020–22) | USA
400m, 4x400m Relay | (Gold)
Christian Coleman (2015–17) | USA
4x100m Relay
Clement Ducos (2023–24) | France
400m Hurdles
Davonte Howell (current student)
Cayman Islands | 100m
Joella Lloyd (2019–24) | Antigua and
Barbuda | 100m
Carey McLeod (2020–22) | Jamaica
Long Jump
Jah-Nhai Perinchief (2021)
Bermuda | Triple Jump
Stamatia Scarvelis (2017–19) | Greece
Hammer
Charisma Taylor (2022–23) | Bahamas
100m Hurdles, Triple Jump
Javonya Valcourt (current student)
Bahamas | Mixed 4x400m Relay
VOLLEYBALL
Kelsey Robinson Cook (2010–12)
USA | (Silver)