Here’s a summary of all the Gophers in action
The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are six days into their run, and it’s beyond time that we finally get to listing the seven Minnesota Golden Gophers who will be competing in the Paris games—some of which have already finished their competition and in one case is brining some some silver. Below is a list of the seven Gophers who will be competing in the main games in Paris, and an 8th who will be competing in the Paralympics later this month and into September.
Sarah Bacon—Diving
Sarah Bacon got the Olympics off on a great start for the USA as she and her partner Kassidy Cook took second place in the Women’s 3 meter springboard synchronized diving event last Saturday morning and are bringing home a silver medal!
Bacon will try and add to her medal haul when she competes in the individual 3 meter springboard event which begins with the prelims at 8 AM Central time on Wednesday August 7th. That will be broadcast live on E! and streamed on Peacock. The semifinals are at 3 AM Thursday August 8th, again broadcast on E! and streamed on Peacock with the final at 8 AM Friday August 9th live on NBC and Peacock.
Ava Stewart—Gymnastics
Incoming freshman Ava Stewart is a member of the Canadian gymnastics team and she helped the Red and White to a 5th place finish in the team competition on Tuesday, recording Canada’s highest ever finish in the event. Stewart competed in every event besides floor for Canada, where she earned scores of 13.300 on vault, 13.500 on bars (tied for team-best) and 13.800 on beam.
She qualified for the women’s All-Around competition which begins at 11:15 AM TODAY (Thursday August 1 if reading this later) live on NBC and Peacock.
Bar Soloveychic—Swimming
The Gopher senior swimmer competes for Israel and he helped his team to a 9th place finish in the men’s 4x 200 relay on Tuesday. He closed out the race with an individual time of 1:48.10. Team Israel previously notched a national-record total time of 7:08.43 in Tuesday morning’s qualifying 4×200 freestyle relay heats. They tied Japan for 8th place, securing a spot in the final.
He is coming off a junior campaign that saw him become an All-American by finishing seventh in the 1650 free and an honorable mention All-American after placing ninth in the 500 free. He was also named Second Team All-Big Ten, Third Team CSC Academic All-American and Academic All-Big Ten. He holds school records in the 200 free (1:33.41), 500 free (4:11.33), 1000 free (8:52.95), 1650 free (14:41.40) and 800 free relays (6:16.25), as well as in the 200M free, 400M free and 800M free.
Aire Miyabe—Volleyball
Miyabe is on the Japanese volleyball team competing at the Paris games. The Japan team is 0-2 thus far in pool play losing 3-1 to Poland on Sunday and 3-0 to Brazil on Thursday. The Japanese team has one final pool play game Saturday morning at 6 AM against Kenya that will be streamed on Peacock. Japan will need a win and some significant help to qualify for the medal rounds which would begin on Tuesday August 6th.
Erik Van Rooyen—Golf
Former Gopher golf star Erik Van Rooyen is representing his home country of South Africa in the Olympic Golf Tournament this weekend at Le Golf National in Paris. He opened his tournament on Thursday with a -4 67 which placed him in a tie for 8th place through the first round which was in a delay as of 9:30 central due to lightning. He is scheduled to tee off at 2 AM Friday morning in round two which is streamed on Peacock and airs on the Golf Channel.
Devin Augustine—Track and Field
Gopher sprinting star Devin Augustine will represent his home country of Trinidad and Tobago in the men’s 100 meter competition in Paris. The heats of the 100 meters will kick off at 3:30 AM Saturday live on Peacock. If Augustine advances the semifinals take place at 1:05 PM on Sunday with the final at 2:50 PM.
Mathew Wilkinson—Track and Field
Wilkinson the Minnesota native and Gopher steeplechase star will take on the best in the world in the 3000 meter steeplechase beginning on Monday August 5th when the heats kick off at Noon live on Peacock. If he advances the Steeplechase Final will be 2:43 PM Wednesday afternoon live on NBC.
Summer Schmit—Paralympic Swimming
Schmit a Gopher junior will return to the Paralympics for the first time after initially competing on Team USA in 2021. Schmit who is missing her right hand competed in five races in Toyko finishing in 5th (200m Individual Medley SM9 – Women), 6th (100m Butterfly S9 – Women), 7th (400m Freestyle S9 – Women), 10th (100m Breaststroke SB9 – Women), 15th (100m Freestyle S9 – Women).
Good luck to all the Gophers in Paris hoping to bring back some medals!