Wildcat Athletes Wrap Up Olympic Competition
UA athletes put forth an exceptional effort at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
University of Arizona athletes put forth an exceptional effort at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
The UA was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the nation’s best when it comes to producing Olympians. Forbes listed the nation’s top-10 Olympic-producing schools and Arizona made the list at No. 7.
A total of 25 athletes representing 11 nations and competing in eight different sports were current or former Wildcat student-athletes.
In the last weekend of Olympic competition, several UA athletes competed for and won medals.
The U.S. baseball team won the bronze medal after defeating Japan, 8-4. The Americans broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning; two of those came courtesy of a home run by the UA’s Jason Donald. Donald finished the contest 2-for-2 with two RBI and two walks. The U.S. shortstop finished the Olympics with a team-leading .381 batting average to go with a double, home run and five RBI.
Outside hitter Kim Glass and the U.S. women’s volleyball team lost, 3-1, to Brazil in the gold-medal match. Game scores were 25-18, 18-25, 25-13 and 25-21. Glass scored six points and added four kills in the match. The U.S. finished the competition with a 6-2 record and the silver medal equals its best Olympic finish (silver, 1984, Los Angeles).
The Lithuania men’s basketball team lost in the bronze medal game to Argentina, 87-75. Former Wildcat center Robertas Javtokas finished with seven points and five rebounds in 18 minutes played.
Bernard Lagat finished in ninth place in the final of the men’s 5,000-meter run with a time of 12:26.89. Lagat, who trains in Tucson under UA coach James Li, finished behind gold medalist Kenenisa Bekele of Ethopia, who won the race in a time of 12:57.82.
The medals won by UA athletes in Beijing continue a streak that has seen Wildcats earn at least one medal in every Olympiad since 1968.
The Games of the XXXth Summer Olympiad will take place July 27-Aug. 12, 2012, in London, England.
et cetera
- Extra Info | UANews Olympics Page
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