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PROVO — Courtney Wayment had a stable plan and subjective goal as she set out to run in the preliminary rounds of the 3,000-meter steeplechase Sunday on her 26th birthday and her first Olympic Summer Games in Paris.
She executed the plan perfectly, and who can argue with the result?
The former NCAA champion from Layton finished fourth in the fastest of three heats in 9 minutes, 10.72 seconds to clinch a spot in the steeplechase final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
"I can't think of a better way to celebrate my 26th birthday," Wayment said in a video with BYU athletics. "I'll see you on Tuesday in the finals.
"I think I have kind of let go of expectations a lot," she added in a statement. "I'm here to not put a cap or a ceiling on what I am and not put up any expectations. I want to give myself the best chance and make myself proud, whatever that looks like."
American Courtney Wayment qualifies for the steeplechase final in her first Olympics! #ParisOlympics
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 4, 2024
📺: USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/suRReZNJjg
Wayment was pacing in fifth place halfway about halfway the race, and clocked a time of 6:09.5 through 2,000 meters. But the former Davis High standout was nearly flawless on the water barriers, and used her experience that included four Division I championships and eight All-America nods before signing with On Running and turning pro to train under head college coach, Diljeet Taylor.
Two days after teammate Whittni Morgan — the BYU 5,000-meter who make up the duo that Taylor likes to call "Olympian No. 1 and Olympian No. 2" — advanced to the finals in her own preliminary race, Wayment didn't leave anything to chance as she finished behind Uganda's Peruth Chemutai, Kenya's Faith Cherotich and Germany's Gesa Felicitas Krause, who ran a season-best 9:10.68 for third in the heat and third overall in the prelims.
"I am super proud of Courtney and Whittni for moving through to the finals," Taylor said. "The plan was to come here and race their hearts out. They did that on the biggest stage. I am really proud and excited for both finals."
Wayment will run in the 15-runner steeplechase final Tuesday. In addition to Morgan's 5,000-meter final at 1:15 p.m. Monday, BYU will also see two men's runners — former national champion Kenneth Rooks and current steeplechaser James Corrigan — run the steeplechase prelims at 11:04 a.m. MT.
The meet will be broadcast by NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Onto the next 🙌
— BYU Track & Field/Cross Country (@BYUTFXC) August 4, 2024
Wayment qualifies for steeplechase finals!! pic.twitter.com/zGFyn1uNOa
