Griffith University has left an indelible mark on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, setting a new benchmark for university sports achievements on the global stage. With 38 athletes – comprising students, alumni, and swimming squad members - competing, the University contributed 24 medals including 10 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze.
If Griffith was a standalone country, based on athletes winning medals, the University would have finished 11th (above Canada and New Zealand) on the medal tally.
Based on medals won in different events Griffith would be 13th.
The Paris performance eclipses the number of medals won in Tokyo in 2021 when Team Griffith took home 19 medals including nine gold.
Griffith University easily topped the charts for Australian institutions, sending 38 athletes to Paris, including 19 current students. clearly outnumbering the Universities of Melbourne (29 and five students) and Sydney (22 and four students) in representation and medals won.
The achievement also places Griffith as a leader globally in terms of Olympic success and representation by a university. For reference, US sporting titans University of California (Berkley) collected 23 medals and University of Southern California took home 15 medals. In the UK, Loughborough University finished with 16 medals
Notably, Griffith athletes contributed significantly to Australia's success, accounting for 34% of the country's medal haul with 18 of the national team's 53 medals.
In line with our investment in the University's Women in Sports strategy, Griffith women won 16 of the 24 medals with eight of the 13 individual winning athletes being female. Nine of Griffith's 10 gold medals were won by women.
Bachelor of Public Health alumnus Emma McKeon, Australia's most decorated Olympian, continued her legacy by capturing another gold to bring to 14 the number of Olympic medals won. Emma's swim club teammate Kaylee McKeown achieved historic success with back-to-back gold medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke, becoming the first female swimmer to achieve the feat. Griffith also celebrated the long-awaited success of Bachelor of Science graduate Cameron McEvoy who triumphed in the 50m Freestyle Final at his fourth Olympiad.
Griffith's swimming program, under the guidance of legendary coach Michael Bohl, had a standout performance. All female swimmers from Griffith's swim club who competed in Paris earned medals. This included Lani Pallister, who won gold in the 4x200m Freestyle Relay, and Shayna Jack, who made a remarkable comeback to win two gold medals in relay events after a challenging period which saw her miss the Games in Japan.
Bachelor of Business alum Matt Denny finally achieved his dream of an Olympic podium, taking bronze in the Men's Discus final, becoming the first Australian male to ever claim a medal in the field event.
Griffith athletes were also named flag bearers during the opening and closing ceremonies. MBA alumnus and dual gold-medal winning canoeist Jessica Fox was named an Australian flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony while Kaylee McKeown was handed the flag in the Closing Ceremony. Bachelor of Science student Georgia-Leigh Vale was also afforded the honour of being a Flag Bearer for Papua New Guinea in the Opening Ceremony.
Duncan Free OAM, The University's Director of Sport Engagement, expressed pride in the university's athlete achievements.
"Our athletes have performed beyond expectations, not just competing but excelling at the highest level. This success is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and the support system at Griffith University," Free said.
"We are thrilled to see our students and alumni make such significant contributions to Australia's Olympic success."
Griffith University's achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympics reflect a commitment to excellence in sports and highlight the university's role as a breeding ground for world-class athletes.
All eyes will now focus on the Paralympic Games in Paris with Griffith represented by 12 para athletes at the event which starts on August 28.
To follow the performances of all our athletes, please visit our Griffith at the Games webpage.
