WATCH - Kenneth Rooks receives a grand welcome at the airport after massive success at the Paris Olympics

Kenneth Rooks landed home after taking the 3000m steeplechase silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics and sustaining an injury at the Silesia Diamond League. Fans at the airport welcomed him with cheers while the Olympian walked through the door with a plastered arm.

Rooks rose to fame after winning the 3000m steeplechase title at the 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He won his event at the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials clocking a time of 8:21.92 minutes, booking his maiden Olympic spot at the 2024 Games. In Paris, the 24-year-old clocked a new personal best time of 8:06.41 minutes to secure silver, his first Olympic medal.

Shortly after his Olympic success, the BYU alumnus competed at the Diamond League installment in Silesia but faced a setback. He fell over a barrier 4 1/2 laps into the 7 1/2-lap race and hurt his shoulder, landing in the hospital. His coach, Ed Eyestone later said (via Deseret):

“Looks like no breaks or dislocation. He (Kenneth Rooks) is coming home tomorrow. We’ll get him checked out when he gets home.”

Kenneth Rooks finally landed home after his Paris and Poland performances. In a video posted by Citius Mag, he is seen walking through a door at the airport, sporting an arm sling for his shoulder injury.

As Rooks walked out of the airport, fans with US flags and banners erupted in cheers. The gesture seemed to move him as he stared in delight and embraced his mother on arrival.

The 24-year-old had faced a fall midway through the race at the 2023 US Championships too, but persevered and ultimately won the 3000m steeplechase title there instead of landing in the hospital like the recent incident.

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Kenneth Rooks was unable to register his silver win at the Olympics

Kenneth Rooks realized that he and the other 3000m steeplechase competitors were already running under 8:15 minutes, so his personal best time was sure to lower. After finishing with silver, he reconfirmed what "really happened" by looking at the board that flashed his time. He said (via Citius Mag):

"There was so much to process in that moment. I think I was like, ‘Did that really just happen? Am I really the silver medalist?’ Then I saw the time up on the board. I knew that we were running under an 8:15 (minutes) pace the majority of the race, so I knew I was going to run a personal best."

"With how hard I closed at the end, it was also like, ‘I really closed that hard and ran 8:06?’ So that was going through my head, but more or less it was mostly like, ‘Did this really just happen?’"

Rooks announced in January 2024 that he would continue to compete for Nike professionally.