University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Boasts 32 At Olympics, Paralympics
August 03, 2016 | Track & Field
ATHENS, Ga. -- The University of Georgia will be represented by 27 current, former or incoming student-athletes, one former student and four coaches at the Olympics and the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Opening Ceremony for the Olympics is slated for Friday, followed by the start of competition on Saturday. The Paralympics will take place Sept. 7-18.
The 32-person contingent spans 12 countries: the United States with 15, Canada with four, Estonia with three, Brazil with two, and Finland, Antigua, Cyprus, St. Lucia, Bahamas, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Luxembourg with one each.
Gunnar Bentz, Chase Kalisz, Jay Litherland, Hali Flickinger, Melanie Margalis, Allison Schmitt, Olivia Smoliga and Amanda Weir will represent the United States in swimming, while head coach Jack Bauerle will serve as a men's assistant on the U.S. staff. Eight American swimmers at the Games is the high-water mark for the Georgia program, eclipsing the seven that qualified in 2000 and 2012. Schmitt, appearing in her third Olympics, was chosen as one of the U.S. team captains.
Finland's Matias Koski and Canada's Javier Acevedo, Brittany MacLean and Chantal Van Landeghem also qualified for the Games in swimming. Twelve overall swimmers is third most in program history, trailing only the 15 of 2012 and the 13 of 2000.
The swimming competition will run Aug. 6-13.
Georgia head diving coach Dan Laak is serving as one of the coaches for host country Brazil. Brazil's diving team will include César Castro, who has served as Georgia's volunteer assistant coach while training under Laak the past three seasons.
Diving will take place Aug. 7-20, with Castro competing Aug. 15-16.
Brittany Rogers will suit up for Canada in artistic gymnastics Aug. 7, 9, 11 and 14-16.
Bubba Watson will represent the United States in men's golf Aug. 11-14.
In track and field, Kibwe Johnson, Keturah Orji and Kendell Williams qualified for the United States, and they will be joined by Cejhae Greene (Antigua), Karl Saluri (Estonia), Maicel Uibo (Estonia), Jenny Dahlgren (Argentina), Shaunae Miller (Bahamas), Leontia Kallenou (Cyprus), Levern Spencer (St. Lucia) and Charles Grethen (Luxembourg). Georgia head coach Petros Kyprianou will serve as an assistant for Estonia.
The 11 members of the Georgia track and field program is the most in school history, eclipsing the 10 from the 2012 Games.
Track and field will be contested Aug. 12-21.
Volleyball will be represented by former All-American Alexandra Oquendo, as she takes the court with Puerto Rico. Preliminary rounds for indoor volleyball begin Aug. 5 while quarterfinal action starts Aug. 16.
The U.S. track and field portion of the Paralympics will include former Georgia signee Jarryd Wallace, who is the son of current UGA women's tennis head coach Jeff Wallace and former Georgia All-SEC distance runner Sabina Horne Wallace.
Lindsay Grogan, who holds two degrees from Georgia but was not a student-athlete, will compete in swimming for the United States at the Paralympics.
Players Mentioned
