Trojans claim 21 medals at Rio Olympics
Photo courtesy of Wikicommons
Shining gold · Allyson Felix cemented her legacy in Rio, winning two more gold medals. Her nine total medals are the most in Trojan history.
The Trojans had another favorable showing at the highest level of competition after USC-affiliated athletes won 21 medals in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, including nine golds
With the most recent medals, USC remains as the U.S. university leader in medals won with 309. Trojan athletes have now won a medal in every Summer Olympics since 1912. It is the third consecutive Games in which USC athletes have won at least 20 medals.
USC was represented in Rio by 44 current, former or incoming Trojans, and it was the fifth consecutive Summer Olympics that more than 40 athletes have represented USC.
Highlights from the first week at the Olympics included swimmer Katinka Housszu of Hungary who captured three gold medals and one silver medal in her fourth Olympic games. She set the USC record for most individual medals in a single Olympics.
Also making history was former basketball player DeMar DeRozan, who became the first Trojan to bring home a gold medal in men’s basketball when the U.S. men’s team captured the gold.
Allyson Felix, the U.S. track star in her fourth Olympic games, won two gold medals and one silver medal. Her nine career medals and six golds make her the Trojan athlete with the most gold medals, most overall medals and the most decorated U.S. female track athlete of all time.
Also on the track, Andre De Grasse of Canada won three medals, taking home one silver and two bronzes. Dalilah Muhhammad took home a gold medal in the 400m hurdles to become the first American woman to win gold in the event.
Former USC water polo players Kami Craig and Kaleigh Gilchrist won gold, becoming part of the first country to win back-to-back gold medals. It was Craig’s third career medal.
At Copa Cabana, former beach volleyball player April Ross won her second career medal after taking home bronze with partner Kerri Walsh-Jennings.
USC track athletes took home nine total medals, the most ever in a single Olympics. Nine of the track participants were current or incoming Trojans.