USC Athletics Celebrates 15 Olympic Medals, Record-Tying Trojan Olympians In Paris

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games saw USC athletes continue the Trojan tradition of Olympic competition and success. Trojans collected a total of 15 medals — seven gold, two silver and six bronze — to bolster USC’s claim to the most medals won by any U.S. institution, now with 341 total medals. USC’s gold-medal haul in Paris kept alive and well the Trojan streak of gold won in every Olympics since 1912. Of USC’s 67 Trojans past, present and future having competed in Paris, 34 were first-time Olympians to run USC’s total to 546 Olympians from 1904-2024 — also the most Olympians of any U.S. university. USC also had more Olympians and collected more medals in Paris than any other Big Ten school. 

USC’s 2024 Olympians spanned nine different sports, and Trojans saw both individual and team success in Paris. All 14 USC water polo Olympians helped their respective nations advance out of group play, and four ended up on podiums in Paris. Women’s water polo was the only event where Trojans shared the podium on separate steps, with Spain’s Anni Espar winning her third Olympic medal and first gold as the Spaniards edged out Australia in the final. Current Trojan Tilly Kearns was instrumental in the Aussies’ efforts, as she captured her first Olympic medal with silver in Paris.

Three sets of Trojan teammates would also medal in Paris. On the track, Canada’s Aaron Brown and Andre De Grasse won golds as members of the Canadian men’s 4x100m relay. So, too, did Trojans Yemi John and Nicole Yeargin help Great Britain to bronze in the women’s 4x400m relay for their first Olympic medals. And in the pool, Trojan teammates for USC’s 2018 NCAA championship, Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic, joined forces for Team USA in its first men’s water polo Olympic medal earned since 2008 with bronze.

USC had two Trojans double up on medals in Paris. USA’s Rai Benjamin earned a golden double in winning the men’s 400m hurdles and later helped Team USA to gold in the 4x400m relay. Great Britain’s Nicole Yeargin also scored a pair of medals, earning bronze in the 4x400m…