Chari Hawkins Faces Challenges in Olympic Debut

Rexburg native Chari Hawkins is making headlines as she competes in the women’s heptathlon at the Paris Olympics. At 33 years old, she’s living a dream she’s chased for a long time.

Things got off to a shaky start for Hawkins during her Olympic debut. She managed to place fifth overall in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing with a time of 13.16 seconds. However, her performance took a turn in the high jump event, where she faced significant trouble.

In the high jump, Hawkins ‘no heighted’, which means she couldn’t clear the bar in any of her three attempts at a height she needed to surpass. This left her without any points, a tough blow after passing lower heights successfully.

Soon after, she was only able to throw the shot put for 13.64 meters, landing her in 11th place in that round and 17th overall out of 22 competitors.

Though her chances for a medal seem slim now, there are still events she can participate in over the next couple of days. Following the hurdles and high jump, she was sitting in last place among her fellow competitors in the heptathlon.

Earlier in her journey, Hawkins had shown so much potential, notably finishing second in the high jump just weeks before the Olympics, clearing a solid 1.79 meters at the trials held in Eugene.

It’s worth noting that Hawkins is not alone on this stage; fellow Americans Anna Hall and Taliyah Brooks are also competing and holding strong positions in the heptathlon.

Hawkins is making history for Utah State as she is the first athlete from the university to reach the Olympics since James Parker represented the U.S. back in 2004.