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Pac-12 to Rio

Coverage of the Pac-12
student-athletes, coaches and alumni
who competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics

2016 Olympics: Pac-12 Rio Olympics Quick Facts

Aug 21, 2016

FINAL OLYMPIC MEDAL COUNT | OLYMPIANS LIST: PDF - Interactive

• Pac-12-affiliated athletes won 55 total medals in 12 sports during the Summer Olympic Games in Rio. If the Conference were a country, it would have finished fifth among all countries behind Russia (56). Pac-12 athletes also claimed 25 gold medals during the Games, which would have ranked fourth among all nations, just behind Great Britain (27, second most) and China (26 third most).

• 277 Pac-12 affiliated athletes, coaches and delegates (including alternates) selected to participate en the Rio Olympic Games, including 246 athletes that will compete in the Games.

• Olympians represented 47 countries and competed in 23 sports.

• All 12 Pac-12 schools were represented at the Rio Olympics, each institution sending at least two delegates.

• Pac-12 athletes claimed medals on every day possible during the Rio Olympics, a streak of 16-consecutive days.

• 63 different Pac-12 athletes will take home 92 individual medals in 12 sports and for five different countries.

• Nine Pac-12 schools were represented on the medal podium. Stanford claimed 27 individual medals, followed California and USC’s 21 medals. UCLA had nine medalists, Oregon had six, Washington had four, Colorado had two, and Arizona and Washington State had one each.

• Pac-12 athletes also claimed several world and Olympic records. In track, USA’s Ashton Eaton (ORE) tied the Olympic record in the decathlon, scoring 8,893 points, a record he set four years ago in London, while Emma Coburn (COLO) set an American record in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, breaking her own record by three second (9:07.63).

• In the swimming pool, Pac-12 athletes were responsible for setting or contributing to seven Olympic records and four world records: Ryan Murphy (CAL) and Nathan Adrian (CAL), USA, 4x100m medley relay (OR); Ryan Murphy (CAL), USA, 100m back (OR, WR); Katinka Hosszu (USC), Hungary, 400m IM (OR, WR); Katie Ledecky (STAN), USA, 400m Free (OR, WR); Katinka Hosszu (USC), Hungary,200m IM (OR); Katie Ledecky (STAN), USA, 800m Free (OR, WR); Simone Manuel (STAN), USA, 100m free (OR).

• Other significant milestones included USA’s Allyson Felix (USC) became the most decorated female American track & field athlete in Olympics history, winning a record sixth gold medal in Rio. USA’s Matthew Centrowitz (ORE) won gold in the men’s 1,500-meter, the first American gold in the event in 108 years. USA teammate and fellow Duck alumnus Galen Rupp (ORE) won bronze in the men’s marathon, becoming the first American to medal in the event in 12 years. Nia Ali was part of the first-ever women’s USA sweep of any track & field event, going 1-2-3 in the women's 100-meter hurdles. Andre De Grasse (USC) became the first Canadian to medal in three different medal events.

• USA’s Ashton Eaton (ORE) claimed the title of the “World’s Greatest Athlete” for the second-straight Olympics, becoming just the second American and only the third athlete all-time to repeat for gold in the decathlon. USA’s Emma Coburn in the 3,000m steeplechase and Jenny Simpson in the 1,500m are the first American women to medal in their respective events.

• USA’s Simone Manuel (STAN) became the first African-American woman to win individual gold at the Olympics. She, along with USA and Stanford teammate Lia Neal, became the first two African-American women to compete simultaneously on the U.S. Olympic team.

• 117 Team USA athletes are Pac-12 affiliated making up 21 percent of the U.S. roster. 141 delegates in total will represent the U.S. in Rio (including coaches and other officials).

• The Pac-12 sent 57 delegates as part of the track & field contingency, making it the most sport representation for the Conference, just ahead of the 53 swimming delegates. 

• The Pac-12 has sent 34 water polo delegates among five countries. Of the 13 women’s athletes named to Team USA, 11 are from Pac-12 schools, while eight of the 13 named to the men's squad are from Conference institutions.

• Pac-12 schools have ties to 29 athletes heading to Rio in the sport of rowing and will represent six countries.

• CALIFORNIA, STANFORD and USC have had more than 40 affiliated representatives in the last three Summer Olympics, including Rio, while UCLA has had over 30 in the last two Olympics.

 

BY THE NUMBERS
ALL-AROUND EXCELLENCE  
# of competing Olympians: 246
# of medalists/medals: 63/92
# of days of winning a medal: 16

GLOBAL
# of different countries represented: 47
# of different countries represented on the podium: 5 (USA, Canada, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands)

BROAD-BASED SPORTS
# of different sports represented: 23
# of different sports represented on the podium: 12 (Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Equestrian, Fencing, Gymnastics, Rowing, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball, Water Polo)

WOMEN
# of female Olympians: 143
# of female medalists: 34

RETURNING TO CAMPUS
# of incoming or returning student-athlete Olympians: 50 (Arizona 1, Arizona State 5, California 14, Oregon 3, Stanford 9, UCLA 7, USC 9, Utah 1, Washington State 1)
# of incoming or returning student-athlete medalist: 11 (California 3, Stanford 4, UCLA 4)