It feels pretty good to be Kenneth Rooks right now.
The former BYU track standout took home the silver medal in Wednesday’s men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final at the Olympics. It became the greatest among his already stacked list of career accomplishments.
“I’m feeling amazing right now after getting that silver medal in the steeplechase,” Rooks said in a video posted to BYU’s official track and field social media channels. “It’s really special. It feels like a dream.”
In other videos posted to the same channels, Rooks was seen celebrating with his family, embracing his wife, and taking photos with friends and fans in Paris.
With a time of 8:06.41 in the final, Rooks beat his previous personal best by nine seconds and recorded the second-fastest time ever for an American, as the Deseret News previously reported.
He also became the first former Cougar track product to medal at the Olympics since Frank Fredericks in 1996.
“It’s awesome to share this moment with all the people from BYU who came out and all you BYU family at home as well as my family here,” Rooks said. “It’s just been really special, I’m still just taking it in and hoping you guys are taking it in too. I’m just super excited and very grateful.”