Eight WVU athletes, coaches set to compete in 2024 Olympic Games
By Joseph Smith
Action at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris kicked off on Wednesday, with the Opening Ceremony set for Friday, July 26th. And starting with women’s soccer on Thursday, July 25th, WVU will be represented in the multi-sport international competition by eight different athletes who either currently or previously have competed or coached in Mountaineer gold-and-blue.
A Pennsylvanian and a Floridian will represent WVU for the USA at the Olympics. Rifle senior Mary Tucker is set to compete in multiple events in her second Olympic Games competition, looking to follow up a silver medal performance in Tokyo. She has claimed multiple NCAA Championships in a collegiate career split between Kentucky and WVU.
Swimming senior Ivan Puskovitch will make an appearance in the marathon swimming event at Paris, becoming just the fifth American male in history to qualify for the Olympics in open water swimming since the 2008 inclusion of the event. He is also the first male swimmer in WVU history to make it to the Olympic Games.
WVU will be represented on Canada’s women’s soccer team by alumni Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence, who will each be making their third Olympic Games appearance. The duo played at WVU from 2013-2016. Buchanan was a four-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at WVU and has been a three-time Canadian Player of the Year, while Lawrence is a one-time Canadian Player of the Year herself. Both women featured on the 2020 Olympic gold medalist Canadian national team.
Also making her third Olympic appearance for Canada is swimmer Sydney Pickrem. Pickrem is a new addition to the WVU family, having competed at Texas A&M collegiately but having joined the swimming and diving staff for the Mountaineers this summer. She is a seven-time World Aquatics Championship medalist and a 2020 Olympic Bronze Medalist.
The fourth and final Canadian representing WVU is current track star Ceili McCabe, who is set for competition in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event. Mccabe is the current Canadian national record holder in the event and captured the Canadian National Championship in June to qualify for Paris.
She will be joined in the steeplechase by WVU’s lone Australian representative at the event, as alum Amy Cashin is also set for action in the event. Cashin enters the competition as the 2024 Australian National Champion and 2024 Oceania Championship gold medalist in the steeplechase. Finally, WVU alum Blessing Ejiofor is set to represent the Nigerian National Team in women’s basketball. The full schedule of events featuring WVU representatives is listed below.
Olympic Schedule:
Thursday, July 25th, 11 a.m. ET: Women's Soccer – Canada vs. New Zealand
Saturday, July 27, 3 a.m. ET: Mixed Team Air Rifle Qualification
Saturday, July 27, 4:30 a.m. ET: Mixed Team Air Rifle Bronze Match Final
Saturday, July 27, 5 a.m. ET: Mixed Team Air Rifle Gold Match Final
Sunday, July 28, 3:15 a.m. ET: Women's Air Rifle Qualification
Sunday, July 28, 3 p.m. ET: Women's Soccer – Canada vs. France
Monday, July 29, 3:30 a.m. ET: Women's Air Rifle Final
Monday, July 29, 5 a.m. ET: Women's Basketball – Nigeria vs. Australia
Wednesday, July 31, 5 a.m. ET: Swimming – 200m Breaststroke Heats
Wednesday, July 31, 3 p.m. ET: Women's Soccer – Canada vs. Colombia
Wednesday, July 31, 3:45 p.m. ET: Swimming – 200m Breaststroke Semifinal
Friday, August 1, 6 a.m. ET: Women's Rifle 3-Position Qualification
Friday, August 1, 11:15 a.m. ET: Women's Basketball – Nigeria vs. France
Friday, August 1, 3 p.m. ET: Swimming – 200m Breaststroke Final
Friday, August 2, 3:30 a.m. ET: Women's Rifle 3-Position Final
Friday, August 2, 5 a.m. ET: Swimming – 200m Individual Medley Heats
Friday, August 2, 3:30 p.m. ET: Swimming – 200m Individual Medley Semifinal
Saturday, August 3, 5 a.m. ET: Swimming – 4x100 Medley Relay Heats
Saturday, August 3, 3 p.m. ET: Swimming – 200m Individual Medley Final
Sunday, August 4, 4:05 a.m. ET: Track – Steeplechase Round One
Sunday, August 4, 7:30 a.m. ET: Women's Basketball – Nigeria vs. Canada
Sunday, August 4, 1:25 p.m. ET: Swimming – 4x100 Medley Relay Final
Tuesday, August 6, 3:10 p.m. ET: Track – Steeplechase Final
Friday, August 9, 1:30 a.m. ET: Swimming - Marathon