Austin Peay Alum Wes Kitts Ready to represent Team USA in Paris Olympics

By: Brian Dunn August 7, 2024

PARIS, France — Austin Peay State University graduate Wes Kitts will compete in the Olympic weightlifting competition Saturday, representing Team USA in the 102-kilogram division. In an exclusive interview from Paris, Kitts shared his thoughts on representing his country and how his time as an NCAA athlete prepared him for the Olympic stage.

"Representing Team USA is one of the greatest honors," Kitts said. "Every time I put on the red, white and blue and get on the platform, it's just been such an amazing opportunity. If there's one thing I love about Olympic weightlifting, it is that I get to represent the country, and doing it at the Olympics is just such a special opportunity."

Kitts graduated from Austin Peay in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in applied exercise science. He credits his time as a college athlete for preparing him for Olympic-level competition.

"Being an NCAA athlete prepared me for this in a number of ways," Kitts said. "Especially in football, I was already doing really tough workouts with the team. I got used to what it felt like to be with the team, what it felt like to work hard in a weight room. All my hardest workouts will forever be the ones I did as a football player."

The former Governors running back emphasized how the mental toughness developed in college has translated to his weightlifting journey.

"You build up this base of ability to work and to deal with tough times, to deal with losing games and winning games and the emotions," he said. "All the team sports history I had went a long way as I switched into weightlifting."

Kitts, who finished eighth in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, holds five senior American records across two weight classes. He aims to improve on his previous performance and compete in his father's memory during these Olympic Games.

The 102-kilogram weightlifting competition starts at 6:30 a.m. CDT on Aug. 10.

Kitts concluded the interview with a message to his supporters back home: "And all my governors back in Clarksville, I appreciate the support. And Let's Go Peay!"

For more information about Wes Kitts and other Austin Peay alumni in the Olympics, visit www.apsu.edu/olympics.