KSR Today: Olympics Opening Ceremony and TBT attendance records
The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially here, over a billion people around the world expected to watch the opening ceremony to kick off the games on Friday with the prestigious event running from July 26 through August 11. Live on NBC, the pre-show will begin at noon ET, followed by the actual event at 1:30 p.m. ET. That will last over four hours, athletes proceeding by boat along the Seine River — the “main artery” of Paris.
Traveling past Paris’ most iconic locations such as the Louvre and Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, the Olympic torch will ultimately be lit at the Trocadéro near the Eiffel Tower.
NBC’s Mike Tirico will host the opening ceremony alongside Grammy-winning singer Kelly Clarkson and Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. As for the United States specifically, NBA superstar LeBron James and tennis champion Coco Gauff will serve as the country’s flag bearers, the latter being the youngest ever to carry the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony.
22 Kentucky Wildcats set to participate in the Olympics — a school record
KSR will be covering the Paris Olympics from start to finish, namely the school-record 22 former and current Kentucky Wildcats representing six countries and one U.S. territory in the games. The previous record of 20 was set in Tokyo during the 2020 Olympics, eventually held in 2021.
Thirteen Wildcats will represent the United States, three Canada, two South Africa, and one each for the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, and South Sudan. Seven will compete in men’s basketball and track and field, two in women’s basketball, two in fencing, one in women’s volleyball, and one in diving, with two UK coaches also coaching in diving and track and field.
Who should you keep an eye on? KSR’s Tyler Thompson has all of the information you need right here, building the one-stop-shop viewing guide for the Cats in Paris. Click that link for the full event schedule from July 26 to August 11 with the following athletes set to represent Kentucky on the world stage:
| Athlete | Country | Sport | Event(s) | Years at UK |
| Bam Adebayo | United States | Men’s Basketball | 5×5 | 2016-17 |
| Devin Booker | United States | Men’s Basketball | 5×5 | 2014-15 |
| Anthony Davis | United States | Men’s Basketball | 5×5 | 2011-12 |
| Wenyen Gabriel | South Sudan | Men’s Basketball | 5×5 | 2016-18 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Canada | Men’s Basketball | 5×5 | 2017-18 |
| Trey Lyles | Canada | Men’s Basketball | 5×5 | 2014-15 |
| Jamal Murray | Canada | Men’s Basketball | 5×5 | 2015-16 |
| Adebola Adeyeye | Nigeria | Women’s Basketball | 5×5 | 2022-23 |
| Rhyne Howard | United States | Women’s Basketball | 3×3 | 2018-22 |
| Jasmine Camacho-Quinn | Puerto Rico | Track & Field | 100mH | 2016-18 |
| Alexis Holmes | United States | Track & Field | 400m, 4x400m Relay Pool | 2019-22 |
| Devynne Charlton | Bahamas | Track & Field | 100mH | Volunteer Coach |
| Masai Russell | United States | Track & Field | 100mH | 2018-23 |
| Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | United States | Track & Field | 400mH | 2017-18 |
| Andrew Evans | United States | Track & Field | Discus Throw | 2012-14 |
| Daniel Roberts | United States | Track & Field | 110mH | 2017-19 |
| Avery Skinner | United States | Women’s Volleyball | Women’s Volleyball | 2017-21 |
| Ted Hatau | South Africa | Diving | Coach | UK Diving Coach for past 16 seasons |
| Julia Vincent | South Africa | Diving | 3-meter Springboard | UK Volunteer Assistant Coach |
| Lee Kiefer | United States | Fencing | Individual Foil | UK College of Medicine/Notre Dame Alum |
| Gerek Meinhardt | United States | Fencing | Individual Foil | UK College of Medicine/Notre Dame Alum |
| Ashley Kovacs (nee Muffet) | United States | Track & Field | Throws Coach | 2007-10 |
Kriisa, Williams and Perry talk to the media
How did Kerr Kriisa make it to Kentucky coming from Estonia with previous stops at Arizona and West Virginia? What pushed him to Lexington after being pursued by Mark Pope and Cody Fueger for a half-decade?
“I mean, it’s Kentucky,” Kriisa told KSR. “I don’t know what else to say really. It’s freaking Kentucky. Like, it’s not Duke, it’s Kentucky. It’s different.”
Also, what does Kriisa miss most about home? Same question applies to Amari Williams, who brings his talents to Kentucky from Nottingham, England. Spoiler alert: the latter likes eating beans for breakfast, a British staple.
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And did Travis Perry really hit 100 straight free throws on three consecutive days?
The trio of Wildcat newcomers answered those questions and more in a sitdown with local media on Thursday, five KSR affiliates in attendance to soak it all in. Take a look below:
#BBN and #L1C4 combine to break TBT attendance record
Just how excited are fans for the rivalry matchup between La Familia and The Ville at Freedom Hall on Monday? The lower bowl is full and only upper-level tickets remain ahead of the matchup. In all, over 10,000 tickets have been sold for the game, almost 3,000 more than the previous TBT record.
And there are still three days to go before the matchup on July 29 at 9 p.m. ET.
If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, what are you waiting for? We’re turning Freedom Hall blue on Monday — a BBN takeover. Join the party with us here.
Coach Cal about to land a former Kentucky target?
Some recruiting news is set to drop on Friday, and it’s expected to favor a familiar face, involving a familiar face.
2025 five-star guard Darius Acuff, previously a top Kentucky target under John Calipari, is scheduled to make his commitment this afternoon. He’ll be choosing between Arkansas, Kansas and Michigan, with the Razorbacks seen as the heavy favorite coming down the home stretch.
He’s rated as the No. 8 overall prospect and No. 1 point guard in 2025, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Previously considered a likely option for the Wildcats next season, he’s now expected to be a conference foe.
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