Austin Peay alum Wes Kitts officially named to 2024 U.S. Olympic Team
By: PR & Marketing July 10, 2024
Photo courtesy of USA Weightlifting
Kitts will represent Team USA in weightlifting at the Olympic Games Paris 2024
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has announced its official roster for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team, and Austin Peay State University graduate Wes Kitts is one of 592 athletes who will represent Team USA this summer in Paris.
Kitts graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in applied exercise science. He was a running back for the football team from 2008-2012. Through 26 games, he totaled 1,180 rushing yards and 83 receiving yards, scoring five touchdowns.
Kitts also competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, finishing eighth, lifting 177 kilograms in the snatch and 213 kilograms in the clean and jerk. He holds five senior American records across two weight classes.
He will compete in his father’s memory during these Olympic Games. His father died before seeing him compete in weightlifting.
“My biggest motivator was making him proud until I had my son, [and] it sort of shifted,” Kitts told NBC Sports. “It’s sort of leading by example and showing my sons what they can accomplish if they want to do something.”
Kitts will compete in the 102-kilogram division starting at 6:30 a.m. CDT on Aug. 10.
Collegiate athletes form the backbone of the Olympic team
The American collegiate athletics system plays a vital role in Team USA’s success on the Olympic stage. This summer in Paris, 75% of U.S. Olympians will have competed collegiately as part of their journey to Team USA. In total, 169 schools from 45 different conferences will have one or more U.S. Olympians competing in Paris. Twenty-one teams have at least 80% collegiate participation on their U.S. Olympic rosters, including 15 teams that are comprised entirely of collegiate athletes: women’s basketball, men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s indoor volleyball, diving, fencing, women’s field hockey, women’s rugby, modern pentathlon, men’s and women’s water polo, rowing and triathlon. Collegiate athlete representation on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team spans all three NCAA Divisions (I, II and III), as well as junior colleges, NAIA schools and collegiate club programs.
“We are incredibly grateful for the collegiate athletics administrators, coaches and support staff who inspire greatness in the student-athletes who will represent Team USA in Paris this summer,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “With more than 440 current and former college athletes on the U.S. Olympic Team, we know they are competing not only for themselves and our country, but also proudly for their schools and school communities.”
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games kick off Friday, July 26, and run through Sunday, Aug. 11. During this time, Paris will welcome more than 10,000 Olympians worldwide to compete in 32 different sports. There will be 329 medal events, with Olympic competitions spanning 40 different venues. Tune in to NBC and Peacock to watch the opening ceremony at noon ET on July 26, with primetime coverage starting that evening at 7:30 p.m. local time.
All collegiate data of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team was collected by the USOPC collegiate partnerships department. Team USA’s collegiate footprint is defined by athletes who have or will represent their college in competition. This includes athletes who have finished their collegiate careers, those currently competing and incomers who have signed National Letters of Intent. While most athletes will have competed in NCAA intercollegiate athletics, athletes who competed in non-NCAA varsity programs, junior college programs and club sports are also included in the USOPC’s collegiate data collection. More information about the collegiate composition of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team can be found online at www.usopc.org/2024college.
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