Baylor’s history of Olympic excellence to continue in Tokyo
A school-record seven Baylor Bears are in Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics, as they begin this week (one year late due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Trayvon Bromell (BSED ’18, track & field), Brittney Griner (BSED ’19, basketball) and John Peers (tennis) are each on Olympic rosters for the second time, while more recent Baylor track stars KC Lightfoot and Wil London (BSED ’19), former basketball all-American Ekpe Udoh (BSED ’11), and incoming Baylor freshman Imaobong Uko have made it to the Olympics for the first time. They’re the latest in a long line of Baylor athletes who have represented the green and gold on the world stage, symbolically receiving the torch from Baylor Olympians who came before them, dating as far back as 1904 (the third modern Olympics).
Most fans are aware of the accomplishments of iconic sprinter Michael Johnson (BBA ’91), whose four gold medals earned him a spot among history’s all-time greats, and more recent stars like three-time gold medalist Jeremy Wariner. But did you know that legendary Baylor track and field coach Clyde Hart (BBA ’56) coached athletes who won gold medals in six straight Olympics? Or that Baylor’s first-ever gold medal was won by basketball player Jack Robinson (BA ’49) in 1948?
The following Bears have represented Baylor in the Olympics over the last century-plus, winning 12 Olympic gold medals:
1904 ST. LOUIS GAMES
* C.M. King, track and field – standing broad jump (silver)
* King, track and field – standing triple jump (silver)
1948 LONDON GAMES
* Jack Robinson (BA ’49), basketball (gold)
1992 BARCELONA GAMES
* Michael Johnson (BBA ’91), track and field – 200m
* Johnson, track and field – 4x400m relay (gold)
1996 ATLANTA GAMES
* Johnson, track and field – 200m (gold)
* Johnson, track and field – 4x400m relay (gold)
2000 SYDNEY GAMES
* Johnson, track and field – 400m (gold)
* Johnson, track and field – 4x400m relay
* Barbara Petrahn (BBA ’03), track and field – 400m (Hungary)
2004 ATHENS GAMES
* Bayano Kamani (BBA ’02), track and field – 400m (Panama)
* Zsolt Szeglet (BSCS ’04, MBA ’06), track and field – 400m (Hungary)
* Jared Theodorakos (BSED ’04), baseball (Greece)
* Jeremy Wariner, track and field – 400m (gold)
* Wariner, track and field – 4x400m relay (gold)
* Darold Williamson (BSED ’11), track and field – 4x400m relay (gold)
2008 BEIJING GAMES
* Kamani, track and field – 400m (Panama)
* Petrahn, track and field – 400m (Hungary)
* Wariner, track and field – 4x400m relay (gold)
* Wariner, track and field – 400m (silver)
* Reggie Witherspoon (BA ’14), track and field – 4x400m relay (gold)
2012 LONDON GAMES
* Wariner, track and field – 4x400m relay (qualified, but missed games due to injury)
2016 RIO GAMES
* Trayvon Bromell (BSED ’18), track and field – 100m
* Bromell, track and field – 4x100m relay
* Brittney Griner (BSED ’19), basketball (gold)
* John Peers, men’s tennis – doubles (Australia)
* Leticia De Souza^, track and field – 4x400m relay (Brazil)
2020* TOKYO GAMES
* Bromell, track & field – 100m
* Griner, basketball (gold)
* KC Lightfoot, track & field – pole vault
* Wil London (BSED ’19), track & field – 4x400m mixed relay
* Peers, men’s tennis – mixed doubles (Australia) (bronze)
* Ekpe Udoh (BSED ’11), basketball (Nigeria)
* Imaobong Uko^, track & field – 4x400m mixed relay (Nigeria)
The Baylor family can follow Bromell, Griner, Lightfoot, London, Peers and Udoh in their pursuit of the gold beginning with Friday night’s Opening Ceremonies and continuing over the next two weeks.
Sic ’em, Baylor Olympians!
[^ De Souza and Uko competed shortly before enrolling at Baylor in 2016 and 2021, respectively.]
[* Held in 2021 due to 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic]