PARIS — BYU track and field alum Kenneth Rooks earned the silver medal in the 3000-meter steeplechase final at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Wednesday night.
With his 8:06.41 finish, Rooks ran the seventh-fastest time in the event in Olympic history. Rooks becomes the third American male to medal in the event since 1984 and seventh all-time.
"The goal was to get out and stay relaxed," said Rooks post-race. "If the race went out fast, I was going to be okay being toward the back. I just wanted to conserve as much energy as possible, but stay within striking distance. I was nervous, especially with where I had positioned myself, but we all were really in it as we got later in the race. I just got up in position to make that move at the end."
With his performance in Paris, Rooks became the ninth all-time BYU track and field medalist. He became the first male athlete from the BYU track and field program to medal at the Olympic Games since Frank Fredericks in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games who represented Team Namibia. He is just the third BYU men's track and field athlete to medal for Team USA. He joins Ralph Mann (1972 Munich Olympic Games 400m silver medalist) and Alma Richards (1912 Stockholm Olympic Games high jump gold medalist) in that category.
KENNETH ROOKS, OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/DTbXjZbgzu
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024
The distance runner from Walla Walla, Washington began the race in the back of the field. Calculating his moves, Rooks sped up to maintain close position to 2021 Olympic gold medalist Soufiane El Bakkali in the middle of the pack with two laps remaining. Rooks made his move with a surge in the final lap to lead the field in first. El Bakkali caught the BYU alum inside the last 50m to take gold, while Rooks crossed in second in 8:06.41 besting his previous personal best by nearly nine seconds.
"It was a race for the ages," said BYU director of track and field Ed Eyestone. "He was in a great position with two laps to go. You can talk about a plan, but to execute it is another thing. He had to move up and pass people and he did a nice job doing that. I think he felt a surge of adrenaline with a lap to go. I was proud of his last water jump and how he dug down to get second. It was a phenomenal race and a testament to sticking to and executing the race plan. I’m convinced that he did so well because he was patient with it."
Rooks is the first medalist coached under Eyestone, a two time Olympian himself. Rooks has since continued his training under Eyestone since turning professional and joins fellow Cougar alums Conner Mantz and Clayton Young who also are trained by the BYU coach. Mantz and Young will represent the United States in the men's marathon in Paris Saturday.