The Tokyo Olympics are officially underway, as the Japanese host city held its opening ceremony on Friday. After seeing the Summer Games delayed one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, many athletes are now aiming to compete in their various sports, including ten current and former UNC athletes.
Two current Carolina student-athletes are set to compete in 3-meter springboard diving in the coming days, marking the first time Tar Heels will be in Olympic competition for the sport. Rising senior Anton Down-Jenkins will compete for New Zealand and rising sophomore Aranza Vazquez will compete for Mexico.
The sport involving the most former Tar Heels is women’s soccer. The United States team has two Olympic veterans and Carolina standouts: Crystal Dunn and Tobin Health. Health, a three-time NCAA champion at UNC is making her third appearance in the Olympics and is working to return to form after ankle and knee injuries. Dunn, who is a second-time Olympian, also won a national title at UNC.
Dunn and Health will face off against New Zealand, whose team includes former Carolina player Katie Bowen, on Saturday. Bowen and Dunn were teammates on the 2012 NCAA championship team. Additionally, the Great Britain Olympic team features two former Carolina players: Lotte Wubben-Moy and Lucy Bronze, who will each make their Olympic debuts.
In track and field, former UNC track star Kenny Selmon is set to compete in the 400-meter hurdles event for the U.S. team. While at UNC from 2014-18, Selmon tallied up several awards, including being a three-time ACC champion and named named All-American four times. He qualified for the event after placing second at U.S. Olympic trials in June, making him the first Tar Heel to run in Olympic men’s track and field competition since 2008.
The U.S. baseball team includes two former Tar Heels: catcher Tim Federowicz and pitcher Ryder Ryan. Both are North Carolina natives and are currently on minor league contracts with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers, respectively.
Additionally, UNC student Camilla Feeley will compete in the rhythmic gymnastics competition with the U.S. team before ending her career. The sophomore, who does not compete at UNC, is a psychology major who detailed her decision to no longer compete past the Olympics to the Daily Tar Heel.
For a comprehensive list of UNC athletes competing in previous Olympic Games, visit the Carolina Athletics website.
Photo via AP Photo/Morry Gash.
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