Former Gophers track star Matt Wilkinson nearly records personal best at Olympics

Wilkinson left everything he had on the track Monday.

Aug 5, 2024; Saint-Denis, FRANCE; Matthew Wilkinson (USA) in the men's 3000m steeplechase round 1 heats during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Former Gophers athlete and Greenwood, Minnesota native Matt Wilkinson had an improbable journey to the Olympics. He never qualified for the state track and field meet while at Minnetonka High School, then attended Division III Carleton College before transferring to Minnesota, where he became a star in the 3000 meter steeplechase.

Wilkinson, 25, qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in thrilling fashion at the U.S. Olympic trials in June with a time of 8:23.00 in the steeplechase.

The odds were stacked against him once again in Paris, but he nearly recorded a personal best time at 8:16.82, less than a full second off his PR of 8:16.59. He finished sixth in his heat, just shy of qualifying for the final round.

Matt Wilkinson 🇺🇸 makes his Olympic debut in the men's 3k steeplechase, but won't make it to the final.

He finished sixth in the second section of the first round in 8:16.39, just a spot outside of qualifying for the final.

In that heat, Mohamed Tindouft 🇲🇦 threw down a PR… pic.twitter.com/NNgQpUSi7W

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) August 5, 2024

Wilkinson came to the University of Minnesota in 2021, competing in cross country for a season before switching to outdoor track and field. He was a first team All-American in 2022 and a two-event Big Ten champion in 2023, winning both the 3000m steeplechase and the 5000m to earn Big Ten Athlete of the Championships honors.

His remarkable journey to Paris is over, but Wilkinson can forever call himself a U.S. Olympian.