Sports swap: Olympic athletes with multiple athletic careers
Stephanie Rovetti, former BYU women’s basketball player, is now preparing to compete for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but not in basketball. After moving to California to get an MPA and maxing out her college eligibility for basketball, Rovetti took up rugby and quickly excelled.
Rovetti’s sports switch story is one of many in the history of the Olympic Games. Here are some other well-known Olympic athletes whose athletic journey took an unique and exciting turn.
Jimmer Fredette
Jimmer Fredette is easily one of the biggest names in BYU basketball history. In his senior year as a Cougar, Fredette was named 2011 National Player of the Year, and he was the leading scorer in Division I at 28.9 points per game. He led the Cougars to the third round of the NCAA March Madness tournament, their first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1981.
Despite his impressive collegiate basketball career, Fredette had less luck in the NBA. Five years and six NBA teams later, he signed with the Shanghai Sharks, where he better showcased his talent. However, Fredette found the most success in 3×3 basketball.
Fredette first competed in 3×3 basketball at the 2022 Red Bull USA Basketball 3X East Regional and won with his team, NYC Blue. He competed in two other competitions, playing for the USA, and won gold and silver. He will now travel to Paris to compete in the first U.S. Olympic Men’s 3×3 basketball team, playing with the same teammates who helped him win silver at the FIBA World Cup.
While Fredette didn’t make as drastic of a change as athletes like Rovetti, 3×3 basketball still has its differences to 5×5.
| 5×5 | 3×3 |
| – Full-court play | – Half-court play |
| – 40-minute games | – 10-minute games |
| – Shot clock of 24 seconds | – Shot clock of 12 seconds |
| – Zone or man-to-man defense | – Closest man defense |
| – More team plays | – More individual plays |
| – Coaches | – No coaches |
Additionally, 3×3 players are given less breaks and timeouts, and with quicker time of possession, agility and conditioning are essential. Teams consist of four players, with three per team on the court at any given time plus one substitute each.
Chase Budinger
Chase Budinger, a former NBA player, recently qualified for the U.S. men’s beach volleyball Olympic team. Budinger did play both volleyball and basketball in high school and was named National Player of the Year by Volleyball Magazine as a senior. However, he decided to focus on basketball in college, playing for the Arizona Wildcats for three years before being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2009.
Budinger was traded to the Houston Rockets and played there for three years, then went to the Minnesota Timberwolves for three years, the Indiana Pacers for one year and the Phoenix Suns for six months. He then signed with Baskonia, a professional basketball team in Spain, playing in the EuroLeague for one year.
In 2017, Budinger retired from professional basketball and decided to take up volleyball again. He partnered with various previous Olympic athletes for the next six years. In 2023, Budinger found former UC Santa Barbara volleyball player Miles Evans, and the pair began training for their dream of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
Budinger and Evans officially qualified for the Olympics in early June at a tournament in the Czech Republic. Once he makes his Olympic debut, Budinger will be the only person to play a regular-season game in the NBA and Olympic beach volleyball.
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt is considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time, having won eight Olympic gold medals for Jamaica and holding records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.
While Bolt is most well-known for running, he briefly made an appearance playing football/soccer for the Central Coast Mariners in 2017. He first trained with clubs in South Africa, Norway and Germany before moving to Australia. Two months into his stay with the Mariners, he rejected a one-year contract offer from Central Coast.
Eddy Alvarez
Eduardo Cortes Alvarez, better known as Eddy Alvarez, is currently an infielder for the Boston Red Sox. He competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for the U.S. baseball team and was one of the flagbearers in the opening ceremonies. Alvarez helped his team win silver, losing to Japan in the gold-medal game.
While Alvarez remains a big name in the MLB, he had very different athletic beginnings. At the age of seven, Alvarez first picked up a pair of ice skates, and four years later, he won national age level titles in inline speed skating, long track speed skating and short track speed skating. He resolved to make it to the Olympics in speed skating but put his dreams on hold in high school to focus on baseball.
After winning gold in the 3000m relay in the 2009 World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships, Alvarez attempted to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2010. However, he placed seventh and decided to once again take a break from skating, this time to reduce the strain on his knees. Alvarez walked on to the baseball team at Salt Lake Community College in 2011 but went through surgery on his knees early the following year. After a lot of rehabilitation, he qualified for the World Cup team in speed skating in December 2012.
In 2014, Alvarez competed in the Winter Olympic Trials and finally secured a spot on the Olympic team. In Tokyo, he and his teammates won a silver medal in the 5000m relay final.
Be sure to follow Rovetti, Fredette and Budinger as they pursue their Olympic dreams for Team USA in Paris!