Skip to main content

Follow the
Pac-12 to Rio

Coverage of the Pac-12
student-athletes, coaches and alumni
who competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics

2016 Olympics: Daily Pac-12 guide to the Rio Olympics

Aug 20, 2016
Anthony L. Solis/Pac-12 Conference

It is the final day of the Summer Olympics in Rio and with a guaranteed medal in men’s basketball, the Pac-12 would have collected at least one medal every day of the Games. The basketball tournament began on the first full day of competition of the Olympics Games and finally wraps up on the last day with Team USA going for gold, while Australia plays for bronze. Volleyball games also started being contested on the second day of the Games concludes as Team USA plays for bronze. Just as USA men's volleyball gets started, the men's marathon gets underway as well. 

Daily Pac-12 Guide to the Rio Olympics (Aug. 21, 2016)
Basketball (M)

Team USA is guaranteed a medal when it plays in the gold medal game against Serbia. The Americans are armed with a wealth of NBA talent, including Klay Thompson (Washington State) and DeMar DeRozan (USC).

Also looking to claim a medal is Australia, which boasts three former Pac-12 players, including Andrew Bogut (Utah), Aaron Bynes (Washington State) and Brock Motum (Washington State).

Track & Field (M)
The final track event of the Games starts early in the morning when the men’s marathon takes to the streets of Rio. Two-thirds of Team USA are Pac-12 alums, including Meb Keflezighi (UCLA) and Galen Rupp (Oregon). Keflezighi is the oldest American to run the marathon at the Olympics at the age of 41. Rupp is running in his first marathon, but it is his second event of the Rio Games after finishing in the top five in the 10,000 meters eight days prior.

Volleyball (M)
Team USA faces the Russian Federation in the bronze medal match. The Americans were shut out of the medal stand in London and look to get back with a young squad leading the way, including Erik and Kawika Shoji (Stanford), Micah Christensen (USC) and Murphy Troy (USC).