Midland native and two-time Olympian Bryce Hoppel may have returned to American soil without a medal, but the Midland Chamber remains proud of the former Midland High School Bulldog and University of Kansas (KU) Jayhawk.
Hoppel placed fourth in the men’s 800-meter final at the recently concluded 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris on August 10.
Though the six-foot-tall, 26-year-old athlete fell short of his goal to secure his first Olympic medal, the Midland Chamber joined the city, the Midland Independent School District (MISD), and many others in praising his efforts.
The event took place at 7:05 p.m. Paris time/12:05 p.m. Central time. According to Midland Times, back in Midland, the Diamond Club at Momentum Bank Ballpark, located at 5514 Champions Dr., served as a venue for a watch party for Hoppel.
Citing Permian Basin stations KMID News and KPEJ News, the publication additionally reported that Hoppel clocked a time of 1:41.67, which was both a personal best and a new U.S. record.
Hoppel left Paris as the fastest American in the 800-meter and the fourth-fastest in the world.
According to Reuters, twenty-year-old Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya emerged as the gold medal winner of the event, extending Kenya’s title streak in this race to five consecutive Olympic Games. Wanyonyi won his first Olympic accolade with a time of one minute and 41.19 seconds.
In a Facebook post following the race, the Midland Chamber thanked Hoppel for "inspiring us all and showing that hard work and dedication can take you anywhere."