UF in Olympics

Current and former Gator athletes have combined to make more podium appearances than athletes from any other school in the nation by winning 13 medals. With five days left in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, several Gators have more opportunities for gold. During Wednesday’s competition, Gators range from track and field to baseball to golf, featuring Grant Holloway going for the world record in the hurdles.

The Olympic Diamond

Mark Kolozsvary, who played at UF from 2015 to 2017, caught all nine innings for Team USA to defeat the Dominican Republic 3-1 and advance to the Gold-medal semifinals. 

The U.S. now plays South Korea, a team they beat 4-2 in pool play, Thursday at 6 a.m. A win earns them Japan in the gold medal game Saturday. A loss would take them to the bronze medal game Friday.

How they got here: Team USA swept pool play against Israel and Korea. Then they lost 7-6 in ten innings versus Japan to move in the loser’s bracket for a must-win game. 

Kolozsvary has played every inning so far. Professionally, the Cinncinati Reds prospect plays at Double-A Chattanooga.

On the Track

Now that swimming is over, where the Gators collected nine medals, many eyes turn to track. Taylor Manson kicked the ornamentation off with a bronze in the 4×400 mixed relay, where she ran in the qualifying round. These athletes’ results in previous rounds are viewable via clicking on their names.

Medal Contention Tonight

Holloway has a strong chance not only to win gold in the 110m hurdle finals but break the world record. Holloway’s personal best, which he posted at Olympic Trials, is 12.81 seconds- the world record, set in 2012, is 12.80 seconds. Holloway’s race takes place at 10:55 p.m.

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Simultaneously, former Gator Will Claye begins his soar in the triple jump finals at 10 p.m. The two-time Silver medalist is ranked second in the world. His personal best stands atop the 12 finalists, though his season-best does not.

Wednesday Results

Gator sophomore Joseph Fahnbulleh finished fifth in the 200m finals Wednesday. The NCAA outdoor champion broke the Liberian record running in a time of 19.98 seconds. 

 Cory McGee briefly stumbled in her advancement to the 1,500m finals. The former Gator fell when Kenyan Winny Chebet’s fall took her out. 

McGee finished in 4:10.39. After the appeal, she was granted a spot in the finals via the referee’s decision. The starting gun will fire Friday at 8:50 a.m.

Laughing about when I wasnt voted most athletic in high school while on the bus to the Olympic village

— Cory McGee (@CoryMcGeeRuns) August 1, 2021

Meanwhile, former Gator and three-time Australian Olympian Genevieve LaCaze Gregson didn’t finish in the 3,000m steeplechase finals due to injury during competition.

Hitting the Greens

Former Gator women’s golfer Marife Torre finished the first round two above par. She continues with Round 2 at a Wednesday tee time of 7:52 p.m.

UF Leads Medal Count

Florida currently stands atop the medal count for all universities in the country. Earning 13 medals, UF would rank No. 13 in the country medal count. There will be a few more opportunities in the upcoming days.

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After defeating the United States 1-0, former Gators Adrianna Leon and Deanne Rose play for Canada in the gold medal match versus Sweden Thursday at 10 p.m. Rose drew the penalty Canada scored on to win.

Florida Junior Doneisha Anderson runs in the first round of the 4×400 relay for the Bahamas Thursday at 6:25 a.m.

The U.S. currently leads the medal count with 79 but lies behind China for golds (32 vs.25). Olympic action concludes on Sunday.