UC-affiliated athletes crush the Rio Olympics, winning 31 medals
August 22, 2016 •
UC athletes made a splash in the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning 31 medals — including 18 gold medals, more than all but four nations.
Along with all that gold, UC-affiliated athletes brought home five silver medals and eight bronze medals from the Rio Olympics.
Over the course of two memorable weeks, the spirit of UC Olympians was unforgettable:
- UC Berkeley’s Dana Vollmer became the first American mom to win an Olympic gold in swimming.
- UC Berkeley’s Anthony Ervin became the oldest swimmer to win an individual Olympic gold.
- Madison Kocian, an incoming freshman at UCLA, dazzled as part of the gold medal-winning “Final Five” U.S. women’s gymnastics team.
- UCLA marathoner Meb Keflezighi, after a stumble near the finish, brought a roar from the crowd by doing a few pushups before crossing the finish line in style.
- U.S. women’s water polo head coach Adam Krikorian turned from tragedy to triumph within a month.
Photo on Link home page: UC Berkeley alum Anthony Ervin reacts after winning gold in the 50-meter freestyle, 16 years after he won gold in the same event. Credit: USA Today/UC Berkeley
