Duke at the 2024 Olympic Games: Live tracking the Blue Devils competing in Paris

The 2024 Olympics are in Paris from July 26 to Aug. 11, and multiple former and current Duke athletes will compete with the best in the world. The Chronicle is here with information on each Blue Devil and daily updates on their progress.

Men’s basketball

Jayson Tatum, United States 

Former Duke men’s basketball star Jayson Tatum — who most recently won an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics — will be suiting up with Team USA for his second consecutive Olympics. The St. Louis native shined in his lone year with the Blue Devils, earning a spot on the All-ACC freshman team and being selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-8 forward will look to help lead the U.S. to its fifth straight gold medal, dating back to the Redeem Team coached by Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski.

Update July 28: Tatum did not appear in Team USA’s opening victory against Serbia. He was not sick or injured, according to head coach Steve Kerr. 

Update July 31: Tatum started this game against South Sudan, contributing four points and five rebounds to help Team USA cruise to a 103-86 win. Tatum and the rest of the squad will close out pool play Aug. 3 against Puerto Rico.

Update Aug. 3: Team USA closed out group play undefeated, as Tatum started again in a 104-83 victory against Puerto Rico. The former Blue Devil broke double digits for the first time in this Olympics, registering 10 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. As the top seed in bracket play, Team USA will next face Brazil in the quarterfinals Aug. 6.

Update Aug. 6: The first round of the knockout stage was no problem for Tatum and Team USA, who took down Brazil 122-87. Tatum chipped in five points, including a nice dunk off a sideline out-of-bounds play. Next up for Team USA is a rematch with Serbia, whom it beat in group play.

Update July 28: Maluach and South Sudan won their first contest of the Olympics against Puerto Rico 90-79. While the Duke big man only played six minutes — and made one of his two field goal attempts — the win will be crucial for his squad moving forward, who next face off against Team USA July 31. 

Update July 31: Maluach played just two minutes in his team’s loss to Team USA, as South Sudan was not able to find the same success as it did in a one-point exhibition loss against the Americans just a few days ago. The world’s newest nation remains at play to advance, but will need a strong showing in its final game against Serbia Aug. 3.

Update Aug. 3: The miraculous story of South Sudan — which does not have an indoor basketball court anywhere in the nation — came to an unfortunate end Saturday, as Maluach and company fell 96-85 against Serbia. The incoming freshman played only five minutes and did not see any action against three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, but his experience in France will surely help him in a few months in Durham.

RJ Barrett, Canada 

Barrett projects as a significant contributor for what is arguably Canada’s most talented Olympic roster ever. The former Duke one-and-done was traded from the New York Knicks back home to the Toronto Raptors in December, where he put up an impressive 21.8 points per game on a staggering 55.3% shooting in the regular season. The dynamic guard will hope to continue making Canada proud, starting with his team’s encounter against Greece July 27.

Update July 27: Barrett and Canada won their opening encounter against Greece by a score of 86-79. The former Blue Devil led his team in scoring and racked up an impressive 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting. 

Update July 30: The Toronto native continued to dazzle in Paris, dropping a team-high 24 points in Canada’s comfortable 93-83 victory over Australia. Barrett also added seven rebounds in the win. 

Update Aug. 2: Barrett and Canada clinched a spot in the quarterfinals Friday with a narrow 88-85 victory against Spain. The talented guard delivered another impressive performance, putting up 16 points on 60% shooting. 

Update Aug. 7: Canada’s Olympic journey came to a disappointing end after a 82-73 loss to France in the quarterfinals. Barrett scored 16 points to wrap up an impressive display in Paris. The former Blue Devil will now prepare for his first full season back home with the Raptors. 

Women’s basketball

Head coach Kara Lawson is an assistant for the USA Women’s National Team this summer. 

Elizabeth Balogun, Nigeria 

Balogun, a former standout forward for the Blue Devils who graduated in 2023, has continued to build a basketball career overseas. Since graduating from Duke, the Nigerian forward has played for CB Bembibre, a team in the Spanish Liga Femenina. With her combination of size and shooting, Balogun will look to help make a name for the only African nation competing on the biggest stage.

Update July 29: It was a big day for Balogun’s Nigeria squad, as the country upset Australia in a 75-62 victory. It was the team’s first Olympic win since 2004, and the former Blue Devil played a big role. She was in the game for 35 minutes, recording nine points and four rebounds. Next up, Nigeria will take on France Aug. 2.  

Update Aug 1: Balogun and the Nigerians struggled against the home team, losing to France 75-54. Balogun started and played 30 minutes, but struggled mightily from the field, going 1-for-10. Nigeria will take on Canada Aug. 4. 

Update Aug. 4: Nigeria made history, becoming the first African country ever to reach the basketball quarterfinals of The Olympics. They upset Canada 79-70 in the final game of pool play, and Balogun had her best game of the tournament. The former Blue Devil scored 14 points with two triples, and contributed on the glass with four rebounds. Nigeria awaits their opponent for the quarterfinals Aug. 7. 

Update Aug. 7: The Cinderella run ended for the Nigerian squad, which fell 88-74 to the United States. Balogun had five points on disappointing 2-for-9 shooting, along with two rebounds and two assists. While the end result was disappointing for her team, Nigeria signaled a bright future for African nations competing on the biggest stage with its quarterfinal run.

Chelsea Gray, United States

The former Duke standout has been thriving in the WNBA since graduating in 2014, making a name for herself as a star for the Las Vegas Aces. Now, she will look to do the same on a stacked American team that is heavily favored to leave Paris with the gold. While Gray will be playing with a number of the best guards in the game, she is more than capable of leaving a mark. 

Update July 29: It was a statement win for the Americans, as they came out on top of a 102-76 blowout against Japan. While Gray only scored two points, she did what she does best and put up 13 assists and two steals. The U.S. will have a few days to rest before taking on Belgium Aug. 2. 

Update Aug 1: The United States stayed undefeated with an 87-74 defeat of Belgium. It was the A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart show, as the duo combined for 49 points. Gray did not get on the board, but had three assists and a rebound. The Americans will face Germany Aug. 4. 

Update Aug 4: Gray played a limited role in the United States’ 87-68 win against Germany, as many starters got some rest in the last pool play contest. She was on the court for six minutes, with two assists and rebounds. The U.S. is into the quarterfinal round as the top seed.  

Update Aug 7: Gray's United States team continues to roll despite another weak performance from the former Blue Devil. The U.S. triumphed 88-74 in the quarterfinal against Nigeria, as the guard scored five points and added on four assists. Moving on to the semifinal, the Americans will play Australia for a spot in the gold-medal game.

Update Aug 9: The American women’s team continues to roll, running Australia out of the building 85-64. Gray put up five points and five assists along with three blocks, helping her squad to victory and earning a chance to play for the gold medal Aug. 11 at 9:30 a.m. against France. 

Update Aug 11: Gray’s United States team did it again, besting a strong France team 67-66 to claim the gold medal. The former Blue Devil had a limited role; Gray did not score but tacked on four assists. The American team has now claimed its eighth consecutive gold medal — the longest streak by any Olympic basketball team — and Gray will return to WNBA play.

Sofia Roma, Puerto Rico

The 6-foot-2 center was a consistent bench player in her time with the Blue Devils, but her career has continued since her graduation in 2019. Roma now plays for the Montaneras de Morovis, a team in the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino. The Richmond Hill, N.Y., product has averaged 6.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game off the bench in her time with the Montaneras. She will look for minutes on the court to help a Puerto Rican team to its first Olympic win in its second-ever appearance.

Update July 28: It was a disappointing start to Roma and her squad's second Olympic appearance. Puerto Rico fell 58-55 to Serbia in its first game of group play, and Roma went an unfortunate 1-for-7 from the field. She did tack on 6 rebounds, and the team will look to bounce back against Spain Wednesday. 

Update July 31: Puerto Rico suffered another heartbreaker, losing to Spain 63-62. Laura Gil sank two free throws with one second remaining to clinch the victory for the Spaniards. Roma struggled in her 14 minutes on the court, going 0-for-3 from the field with no rebounds. Puerto Rico will try to get in the winning column against China Aug. 3. 

Update Aug. 3: It was a difficult final game of the group stage for Roma’s Puerto Rican squad, as her team lost 80-58 to China. Roma scored two points, making one of her two field-goal attempts and tacking on three offensive rebounds. It is the end of the road for this team, as it lost all three of its games in pool play. 

Track and field

Simen Guttormsen, Norway

This year’s pole vault star put Duke in the throes of national competition with his NCAA Championships performance. The Ski, Norway, native vaulted his way to a third-place finish on the national stage in June. As a graduate transfer to Duke from Princeton, Guttormsen made quick work of the Blue Devil record books by replacing the standing record from 2022 with his own personal best of 5.65m.

Update Aug. 3: Guttormsen jumped 5.60m at Saturday morning’s qualifying round, putting him in the middle of the pack of the world’s best. In 15th place, however, the Norwegian Duke graduate fell just three places short of  qualification for the finals. His Olympic efforts, though solid, end here.

Lauren Hoffman, Philippines

Hoffman bleeds blue through and through. She ran track for five years at Duke between 2017-22, leading the women’s team with outstanding performances in the 400m hurdles. The Haymarket, Va., native peaked in her final year with the program when she finished in third place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and garnered All-America first-team honors along the way. Her personal best, 55.47 seconds, shattered the school records that she had already broken three times in her tenure.

Update Aug. 4: Hoffman had her first go at the Paris track Sunday morning. She completed her 400m hurdles lap in 57.84 seconds to place 37th overall and last in her heat. Hoffman did not qualify for the semifinal race, but will have another shot at her hurdles in the Repechage, or “second-chance” round. In the semifinals of the women’s 400m hurdles, all eyes turn to American runner Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who holds the world record in the event, along with Netherlands athlete Femke Bol, who beat out McLaughlin-Levrone for first in Sunday morning's race.

Update Aug. 5: Hoffman placed 20th in the Repechage round, ending her Olympics. 

Maddy Price, Canada

In the six years since Price graduated from Duke — which she managed to do in six semesters — the sprinter has already become a tried and true Olympian. She earned a fourth-place finish on the Canadian women’s 4x400m relay team at the 2020 Tokyo Games, even after sustaining an injury that limited her training time prior to the competition. With the Blue Devils, Price stood at the helm of the track and field program as the women’s captain two years in a row while she worked on speed — her college personal best was as low as 53.27 seconds. Price’s Duke journey began in high school when she ran with soon-to-be assistant coach Mark Mueller at Menlo High School in Hillsborough, Calif.

Update Aug. 11: Price did not run with Canada's 4x400m team, who placed sixth at the Olympics. 

Brynn King, United States

After four years with the Blue Devils, King moved to Roberts Wesleyan University for her graduate year, where her vaulting talents really shone: In the spring, she won the pole vault at the Division II NCAA Outdoor Championships. At Duke, King boldly led the women’s pole vault team; as a junior, she was tabbed to the All-ACC second team and as a senior she jumped to fourth place at the ACC Indoor Championships before her final season in blue was cut short by injury.

Update Aug. 5: King barely missed a qualification in the first round of the women’s pole vault Monday morning; she was close enough for it to hurt. Though the former Blue Devil hauled herself over the 4.40m vault — which was good enough for nine of the 20 qualifying athletes — she scratched her first attempt, putting her at 22nd in the rankings. A valiant effort, however, gives King a performance to truly be proud of in her first Olympic competition, still fresh out of the college athletics world.

Daniel Golubovic, Australia

Golubovic, who will represent Australia in the decathlon, spent the 2017-18 academic year as a graduate student at Duke, where he earned second-team All-America honors in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. 

Update Aug. 3: With eight events completed in the decathlon so far, Golubovic sits in 20th place, consistent with a streak of performances that put him towards the bottom of the rankings.

Update Aug. 3: Golubovic pulled out the best performance of his Olympic run with a 10th-place finish in the 1500m, the decathlon's final event. His speedy 4:39.02 bumped him up to 19th place overall in combined results.

Women’s golf

Ana Belac, Slovenia

During Belac’s career at Duke from 2016-20, she achieved what was then the seventh-lowest stroke average in program history. Fittingly, the WGCA and Golfweek first-team All-America designee also helped guide the Blue Devils to their seventh NCAA Championship title in 2019. Belac has recently been finding success on the Epson Tour and ranks 52nd amongst the Olympic field. 

Update Aug. 7: After holding together a nearly full day of decent play, Belac fell sharply on her 18th hole, landing a triple bogey. She was 2-over through hole 17 and exited the opening round tied for 46th place. With three days of competition left, Belac’s work has been cut out for her as she resumes her climb Thursday at 4:33 a.m. EST. 

Update Aug. 8: Belac showed considerable improvement in her second round, rising six places (T-40) and shooting even-par on the day. She will attempt to continue her advance Friday, beginning play at 4:11 a.m. 

Update Aug. 9: Belac struggled in Round 3, shooting 4-over and returning to a tie for 46th place. She begins her final round of competition Saturday at 3:44 a.m. 

Update Aug. 10: Belac struggled again on her last day of play, hitting 4-over and finishing the competition with a 13-over score (T-49). She leaves France three places beneath her starting seed.

Celine Boutier, France

Boutier will be making her Olympics return in Paris after her first go-around in Tokyo. Before graduating from Duke in 2016, she received All-ACC honors and held what was the program’s fifth-lowest career stroke average in history. Like Belac, she led the Blue Devils to the school's sixth NCAA Championship in 2014. The 2014 WGCA National and ACC Player of the Year has been playing on the LPGA Tour and will represent France, ranking sixth out of 60 competitors.

Update Aug. 7: Boutier was often met with cheers as she played her first 18 holes, nailing eight birdies and currently sitting atop the leaderboard at 7-under. Her home soil advantage served her well — having played and practiced at Le Golf National growing up — as she energized the crowd, sinking shots from on and off the green. Boutier will fight stay at her gold medal position Thursday, beginning Round 2 at 3:55 a.m. 

Update Aug. 8: Day two presented challenges for Boutier, who shot 4-over and slipped barely off the podium (T-6). Friday will mark her first chance at a comeback, starting her third round at 6:17 a.m.

Update Aug. 9: Although Boutier shot 1-under in her third round, nearly all golfers in the top 10 hit below par. She fell one place (T-7) and will make her final podium attempt Saturday at 6:17 a.m. 

Update Aug. 10: Boutier hit 2-over in her final round, marking her second round over par. She finished the competition with an overall score of 2-under. Boutier leaves Le Golf National tied for 18th place despite holding the lead after the first day of competition. 

Leona Maguire, Ireland 

At Duke, Maguire was a dominant force — she held the all-time WAGR record for most weeks ranked No. 1, was a four-time WGCA first-team All-America designee and achieved the lowest career stroke average in program history. As one of only 15 athletes in Paris making her third consecutive women’s golf Olympics appearance, the 2018 graduate and recent champion on the Ladies European Tour will be looking to improve on past showings in Tokyo (T-23) and Rio de Janiero (T-21). Maguire is ranked No. 22 in the field and will be representing Ireland alongside Stephanie Meadow.

Update Aug. 7: Maguire struggled to a 6-over (T-50) finish in her first round of competition. Bogeys plagued her throughout the day, opening and closing the front nine with a double and triple bogey, respectively. Like Belac, her first shot at redemption will come Thursday, beginning play at 4:22 a.m. 

Update Aug. 8: The competition went from rough to worse for Maguire, who shot 7-over and fell another seven places (T-57) on Day 2. She begins her third round Friday at 3:11 a.m. 

Update Aug. 9: Day three proved to be Maguire’s most challenging yet, as she hit 11-over and sank another two places to 59th. Her fourth and final round of play will start Saturday at 3 a.m. 

Update Aug. 10: Maguire had her strongest day of play in the final round, hitting 1-under. Despite her valiant efforts on the last day, she remained in 59th place and finished the competition at 23-over. 

Women’s soccer

Quinn, Canada

Quinn played for the Blue Devils as a midfielder from 2013-17, earning ACC Midfielder of the Year and United Soccer Coaches first-team All-America honors in her final year at Duke. They are now in the NWSL competing for Seattle Reign FC. Quinn has extensive experience with the Canadian national team, nabbing a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio before achieving gold at the 2020 games in Tokyo. They will begin their journey in Paris July 25 against New Zealand in Group A of the women’s tournament.

Update July 25: Quinn started for Team Canada and played 67 minutes as they defeated New Zealand 2-1 in their first game of Group A. Canada will face host country France July 28.

Update July 28: In a clash with the host country, Canada defeated France 2-1. Quinn once again started in the midfield, playing 67 minutes to help secure the win. 

Update July 31: Canada won its third straight game of Group A Wednesday, narrowly defeating Colombia 1-0. Quinn subbed on in the 74th minute, replacing Julia Grosso. With the victory, Canada officially qualified for the quarterfinal round. 

Update Aug. 3: In a quarterfinal showdown, Canada fell to Germany on penalty kicks by a margin of 4-2 after both teams went scoreless through 120 minutes of play. Quinn started and played the entire match while also converting one of Canada’s two penalty kicks. With the loss, their squad is out of the Olympic tournament.

Toni Payne, Nigeria

Payne competed for Blue Devil head coach Robbie Church from 2013-16, totaling 23 goals, 21 assists and 67 points during her time at Duke. She now plays professionally for Everton in the FA Women's Super League while competing for Nigeria on the international stage. Payne will open Olympic play July 25 against Brazil in Group C before taking on Japan and Spain later in the tournament.

Update July 25: Payne started in the midfield for Nigeria and played 67 minutes in the team’s 1-0 loss to Brazil in Group C. They will look to rebound July 28 against Spain.

Update July 28: In its second game of the Olympic tournament, Nigeria lost to Spain in a 1-0 contest, eliminating its chances of moving past the group stage. Payne started and played the entire match for her squad.

Update July 31: In Nigeria’s final game of the Olympic tournament, they were dealt a 3-1 loss at the hands of Japan. Payne played all 90 minutes for her squad as they bowed out of Group C with an 0-3 record.

Fencing

Pascual Di Tella, Argentina

Di Tella was a four-year member of Duke’s fencing team with a decorated career from 2015-18. He was a three-time ACC Fencer of the Year and two-time All-American, and led the Blue Devil men to their first ACC Championship in 2018. The Buenos Aires native will take part in the individual men’s saber for Argentina July 27.

Update July 27: Di Tella won his Round of 64 match in a 15-13 nailbiter against Francois Cauchon of Canada. However, Di Tella was defeated in the subsequent round by Egypt’s Ziad El-Sissy 15-11. El-Sissy went on to place fourth in the men’s saber.

Field hockey

Leah Crouse, United States

Crouse was a Blue Devil between 2018-21 and earned All-ACC Second Team honors in 2019. She ranks No. 33 on Duke’s all-time points list. Throughout her career, Crouse has played on Team USA’s U21, U19 and U17 field hockey teams, making her a seasoned asset for this year’s competition; she will represent Team USA in its first game July 27 against Argentina. 

Update July 27: Crouse and the United States fell 4-1 to Argentina in their first game of pool play. The United States were able to keep it scoreless throughout the first quarter, but surrendered the first goal three minutes into the second. Crouse and her squad will look to rebound July 29 against Spain.

Update July 31: In the next two pool play matchups, the United States had a 1-1 draw with Spain, and fell to Australia 3-0. Crouse has started on defense in all three matches for her team. The Americans are fifth in Pool B, and need to perform well in their next two contests to advance to the quarterfinal round. 

Update Aug 3: The U.S. ended their Olympics with a 5-2 loss against Great Britain and a 1-0 win against South Africa. The Americans finished fifth in their pool, so will not advance to the quarterfinal round. 

Triathlon

Morgan Pearson, United States

Pearson competed on Duke's cross country team for one season before transferring to Colorado, where he was an indoor All-American for three seasons. He earned a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the mixed relay triathlon. 

Update July 30: The men’s triathlon event was postponed Tuesday after sanitation concerns with the Seine River. They will try to reschedule the event for either July 31 or Aug. 2, but officials need to test the levels of bacteria in the water beforehand. 

Update July 31: After falling behind in the swimming portion, Pearson finished 31st out of 50 finishing competitors in the men’s triathlon. With a time of 1:48:26, Pearson was the second-best American, just behind Seth Rider. 

Update Aug. 5: Pearson becomes the first Blue Devil to medal at the Olympics. The United States' mixed relay triathlon team — made up of Pearson, Taylor Knibb, Seth Rider and Taylor Spivey — won the silver medal in an extremely tight finish. The mixed relay involves two men and two women each completing a mini-triathlon themselves before tagging their teammate; Pearson was the third leg of the race. The Americans finished with a time of 1:25.40, which was just one second behind the gold-medalist Germans. Great Britain also crossed the line at 1:25.40, and although they were initially declared the silver medalists, the United States finished first upon review. 

Wrestling

Ethan Ramos, Puerto Rico

Ramos has been an assistant coach at Duke for three years, putting him behind enemy lines as a former Tar Heel wrestler. At North Carolina, he garnered All-American honors in 2015 and won at the ACC Championships twice. Ramos qualified for the Paris Olympics at the 2024 Pan-American Wrestling Championship, and will participate in the 86kg Freestyle beginning Aug. 8 for Puerto Rico.

Update Aug. 9: Ramos fell in his first match in the 86kg Freestyle to Dauren Kurugliev of Greece. Kurugliev won 11-0 in a victory by technical superiority as he scored seven points in the first period.