July 23, 2012
TUCSON, Ariz. - With the start of the 2012 London Olympic Games just four days away, here is a quick look at the competition schedule for the University of Arizona's 23 athletes and coaches preparing to participate.
The official competition schedule opens on Wednesday, July 25, as soccer takes to the pitch, and current UA student-athlete Ana-Maria Montoya will be in action as Colombia's women's soccer team takes on Korea at 11:45 a.m. PDT.
The rest of the schedule begins in earnest on Saturday, July 28. All information listed is subject to change. Go to the official Olympic website for up-to-date listings. Please note that London is eight hours ahead of current Tucson time (PDT) due to daylight savings.
University of Arizona 2012 Olympic Notes
** Two Wildcats scheduled to compete - Abdi Abdirahman and Roland Schoeman - will be participating in their fourth Olympiad, equaling the UA mark for longevity shared by three others. They are:
George L. Young, men's track & field (1960/1964/1968/1972)
Amanda Beard, women's swimming (1996/2000/2004/2008)
Ryk Neethling, men's swimming (1996/2000/2004/2008)
Incidentally, Young, Beard and Neethling combined to win nine Olympic medals (3 gold/4 silver/2 bronze).
** In terms of numbers of medals won, no Arizona individual has mined more Olympic metal than Amanda Beard's seven medals (2 gold/4 silver/1 bronze). Though no UA athlete may have been as efficient in her success as fellow swimmer Amy Van Dyken, who won six medals -- all gold -- in two Olympic appearances (1996/2000). She won two individual events and was a part of four victorious relays.
** It's certainly no surprise that a preponderance of UA's medal haul comes from the pool, as 42 of 58 medals won (88 percent) have come in the water sports of swimming, diving, water polo or synchronized swimming. Seven medals have been claimed in track and field and nine in team sports (4 softball/2 basketball/2 volleybal/1 baseball).
** During Frank Busch's 22-year tenure as Arizona's swim coach (1989-2011), the Wildcats established themselves as a force on the collegiate level when it came to relays (31 national champion relays). That same success can be seen in UA's Olympic efforts, as the swim relays have accounted for 15 of Arizona's medals. Busch has been USA Swimming's National Team Director since 2011.
** There is nothing quite like competing in the Olympics in your home country, and Simon Burnett gets to experience that firsthand, as the Tetsworth, England, native competes in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay on Sunday, July 29. The competition in London is roughly 50 miles from Burnett's hometown. He currently holds three English swim records: 100-meter freestyle (48.20), 4x100-meter relay (3:11.62) and 4x100-meter medley relay (3:30.68).
** Tuesday, July 31, shapes up as the busiest day of the 2012 Olympiad, as eight athletes could appear in as many as nine events, counting swimming preliminaries and finals. Most of the UA-related action that day will be at the Aquatics Centre, though basketball and women's soccer will also be in action.
** A pair of Wildcats will meet on opposite sides of the hardwood at least once in London, as basketballers Andre Iguodala and Robertas Javtokas play on teams in the same Group A during the Olympic competition. Iguodala's USA squad is scheduled to meet Javtokas' Lithuanian team on Saturday, Aug. 4, at 6:30 a.m. PDT. While 2012 represents Iguodala's Olympic debut, Javtokas will be making his third such appearance.
** When Brigetta Barrett joins the women's high jump on Aug. 9, she will become the seventh Wildcat to compete in that Olympic event, joining Erin Aldrich (2000), Ed Caruthers (1964/1968 -silver), Maryse Ewanje-Epe (1984/1988), Cristina Fink-Sisniega (1988/1992), Charmaine Gayle (1992) and Tanya Hughes (1992). Of that group, only Caruthers medaled, earning a silver medal in Mexico City in 1968.
** As Abdi Abdirahman prepares to compete in his fourth Olympiad, it's safe to assume that he will have covered more ground during his Olympic appearances as any other Wildcat. In three previous appearances, he has competed in the 10,000-meter run - that's roughly 25 laps around the track - but in 2012 he's going bigger, as he will compete in the marathon. By the time Abdirahman's Olympic experience ends in London, he will have covered more than 28 miles on foot in Olympic competition.
UA-Related 2012 Olympic Competition Schedule
Times listed are PDT. Schedule subject to change. CLICK HERE for complete details.
Wednesday, July 25
Women's Soccer (Montoya): Colombia vs. Korea, 11:45 a.m.
Saturday, July 28
Women's Soccer (Montoya): Colombia vs. United States, 9 a.m.
Sunday, July 29
Men's Swimming (Shapira Bar-Or/Townsend): 200-Meter Freestyle Preliminaries, 2:20 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Grevers/Thoman): 100-Meter Backstroke Preliminaries, 3:13 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Burnett/Grevers/Nilo-Oliveira/Townsend): 4x100-Meter Freestyle Relay Preliminaries, 4:05 a.m.
Men's Basketball (Iguodala): United States vs. France, 6:30 a.m. Men's Swimming (Shapira Bar-Or/Townsend): 200-Meter Freestyle Semifinals, 11:37 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Grevers/Thoman): 100-Meter Backstroke Semifinals, 12:25 p.m.
Men's Swimming (Burnett/Grevers/Nilo-Oliveira/Townsend): 4x100-Meter Freestyle Relay Olympic Final, 12:54 p.m.
Men's Basketball (Javtokas): Lithuania vs. Argentina, 2:15 p.m.
Monday, July 30
Men's Swimming (Shapira Bar-Or/Townsend): 200-Meter Freestyle Olympic Final, 11:41 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Grevers/Thoman): 100-Meter Backstroke Olympic Final, 11:56 a.m.
Tuesday, July 31
Men's Swimming (Nilo-Oliveira/Shapira Bar-Or): 100-Meter Freestyle Preliminaries, 2 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Burkle): 200-Meter Breaststroke Preliminaries, 2:47 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Basson/Townsend): 4x200-Meter Freestyle Relay Preliminaries, 3:17 a.m.
Men's Basketball (Javtokas): Lithuania vs. Nigeria, 6:30 a.m.
Women's Soccer (Montoya): Colombia vs. France, 9 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Nilo-Oliveira/Shapira Bar-Or): 100-Meter Freestyle Semifinals, 11:30 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Burkle): 200-Meter Breaststroke Semifinals, 12:17 p.m.
Men's Swimming (Basson/Townsend): 4x200-Meter Freestyle Relay Olympic Final, 12:47 p.m.
Men's Basketball (Iguodala): United States vs. Tunisia, 2:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 1
Men's Swimming (Townsend): 200-Meter Individual Medley Preliminaries, 3:14 a.m.
Women's Swimming (Anderson): 4x200-Meter Freestyle Relay Preliminaries, 3:39 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Burkle): 200-Meter Breaststroke Olympic Final, 11:30 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Nilo-Oliveira/Shapira Bar-Or): 100-Meter Freestyle Olympic Final, 12:17 p.m.
Men's Swimming (Townsend): 200-Meter Individual Medley Semifinals, 12:36 p.m.
Women's Swimming (Anderson): 4x200-Meter Freestyle Relay Olympic Final, 12:57 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 2
Men's Basketball (Javtokas): Lithuania vs. France, 1 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Schoeman): 50-Meter Freestyle Preliminaries, 2 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Shapira Bar-Or/Subirats): 100-Meter Butterfly Preliminaries, 3:21 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Schoeman): 50-Meter Freestyle Semifinals, 11:30 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Townsend): 200-Meter Individual Medley Olympic Final, 12:16 p.m.
Men's Swimming (Shapira Bar-Or/Subirats): 100-Meter Butterfly Semifinals, 12:51 p.m.
Men's Basketball (Iguodala): United States vs. Nigeria, 2:15 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 3
Women's Soccer (Montoya): Quarterfinals, TBA
Men's Swimming (Townsend): 4x100-Meter Medley Relay Preliminaries, 4:04 a.m.
Men's Track & Field (Rivera-Morales): Long Jump Preliminaries, 11:50 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Shapira Bar-Or/Subirats): 100-Meter Butterfly Olympic Final, 11:38 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Schoeman): 50-Meter Freestyle Olympic Final, 12:09 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 4
Men's Basketball (Iguodala/Javtokas): United States vs. Lithuania, 6:30 a.m.
Men's Track & Field (Rivera-Morales): Long Jump Olympic Final, 11:55 a.m.
Men's Swimming (Townsend): 4x100-Meter Medley Relay Olympic Final, 12:27 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 5
Women's Track & Field (Moline): 400-Meter Hurdles First Round, 11 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 6
Women's Soccer (Montoya): Semifinals, TBA
Women's Track & Field (Camarena-Williams/Labonte'): Shot Put Preliminaries, 2:45 a.m.
Men's Basketball (Javtokas): Lithuania vs. Tunisia, 3:15 a.m.
Women's Track & Field (Camarena-Williams/Labonte'): Shot Put Olympic Final, 11:15 a.m.
Women's Track & Field (Moline): 400-Meter Hurdles Semifinals, 12:15 p.m.
Men's Basketball (Iguodala): United States vs. Argentina, 2:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 8
Men's Basketball (Iguodala/Javtokas): Quarterfinals, TBA
Men's Track & Field (Lagat): 5,000-Meter Run First Round, 2:45 a.m.
Women's Track & Field (Moline): 400-Meter Hurdles Olympic Final, 12:45 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 9
Women's Soccer (Montoya): Olympic Final, TBA
Women's Track & Field (Barrett): High Jump Preliminaries, 1:30 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 10
Men's Basketball (Iguodala/Javtokas): Semifinals, TBA
Saturday, Aug. 11
Women's Track & Field (Barrett): High Jump Olympic Final, 11 a.m.
Men's Track & Field (Lagat): 5,000-Meter Run Olympic Final, 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 12
Men's Basketball (Iguodala/Javtokas): Olympic Final, TBA
Men's Track & Field (Abdirahman): Marathon Olympic Final, 3 a.m.
Men's Mountain Bike Cross Country (Wells): Olympic Final, 5:30 a.m.
