Complete Coverage of the Gators Competing at the Olympic Games on Aug. 4
Saturday, August 4, 2012 | General, Olympics
Gator letterwinners added to their medal haul at the 2012 Olympic Games after another successful day competing in the sports of swimming, tennis and track and field on Saturday, August 4th.
Click here for the PHOTO GALLERY from today's Gator Olympic Action – courtesy US Presswire
Swimming
In the final night of swimming, the women's 4x100m medley relay took the stage and in the field was former Gator Gemma Spofforth who led off the relay for the host country of Great Britain. Spofforth was the backstroke leg in both the preliminary heat and final event. Jemma Lowe also competed with the relay group in the prelims. Great Britain finished eighth in the final with a time of 3:59.46.
This concludes the swimming events for the London Olympics. The Gators collected 8 medals overall in the pool, including three gold, three silver and two bronze.
Tennis
Gator great Lisa Raymond paired with Mike Bryan and dropped a tough 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7) decision in the semifinals of the mixed doubles draw at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, home to Wimbledon on Saturday.
The match against the top-seeded team of Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi from Belarus went to a 10-point super-tiebreaker to determine the winner.
Raymond and Bryan captured the first set by taking the only break that came in the eighth game, before serving out for the frame. There was just one break in the second set and that went to the Belarus tandem in the 10th and final game as they forced the deciding third set.
Raymond and Bryan will play for the bronze medal against Germany's Sabine Lisicki and Christopher Kas on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.
Prior to that match, Raymond rejoins Leisel Huber in women's doubles play, where the team from the U.S.A. meets Russia's Maria Kirlenko and Nadio Petrova beginning at 9 a.m. ET.
WATCH both matches live ONLINE beginning at 9 a.m. ET
Track & Field
Will Claye (U.S.A.) turned in a clutch performance in the men's long jump, winning a bronze medal with his leap of 8.12m/26-7.75. Claye won the first field event medal for the Gators in University of Florida history on the men's or women's side. Claye is the first American to turn in a podium finish since 2004 (Dwight Phillips-gold, John Moffitt-silver).
Kerron Clement (U.S.A.) advanced to the finals of the men's 400-meter hurdles, finishing third in his heat and fifth overall in a season's best 48.12. Clement, the reigning silver medalist from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will compete in the finals of the men's 400-meter hurdles on Monday at 3:45 p.m. ET.
Tony McQuay (U.S.A.) finished second in his heat of the men's 400 meters (18th overall) in 45.48, advancing to Sunday's semifinals at 3:40 p.m. ET. McQuay and U.S. teammate Bryshon Nellum are the only competitors from Team USA remaining, as reigning Olympic gold medalist LaShawn Merritt did not finish.
Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) finished third in her heat of the women's 400 meters (3rd overall) in 49.91, advancing to Sunday's final at 4:10 p.m. ET.
Genevieve LaCaze (Australia) turned in a personal best in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday, shattering the Florida school record once again. LaCaze finished in 9:37.90 to finish ninth in her heat. She did not advance to the finals of the event but improved upon her place as the fourth-fastest steeplechaser in Australian athletics history. LaCaze was one of five women in the qualification round to run a personal best and beat the 2012 NCAA Champion Shalaya Kipp (Colorado) in the process. LaCaze turned in a runner-up finish behind Kipp in Des Moines at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Check HERE for a detailed schedule of all Olympics events involving Gators!
| Gator Letterwinners at the 2012 Olympic Games: Schedule & Results for Saturday, August 4, 2012 | ||||||
| Gator | Sport | Country | Time (ET) | Event | Opponent (if applies) | Result |
| Track & Field | U.S.A. | 5:35 AM | Round 1: 400m | -- | 2nd in his heat (18th overall), 45.48, advances to semifinals | |
| Track & Field | Australia | 6:35 AM | Round 1: 3,000m Steeplechase | -- | 9th in her heat (22nd overall), 9:37.90 (PR), did not advance to final | |
| Tennis | U.S.A. | 1:00 PM | SF: Mixed Doubles (w/ Mike Bryan) | Victoria Azarenka / Max Mirnyi (BLR) | Lost: 3-6, 6-4 (10-7) | |
| Track & Field | U.S.A. | 2:00 PM | Semifinals: 400m Hurdles | -- | 3rd in his heat (5th overall), 48.12 (SB), advances to final | |
| Track & Field | U.S.A. | 2:55 PM | Final: Long Jump | -- | WON BRONZE MEDAL, 8.12m/26-7.75 | |
| Track & Field | Jamaica | 3:05 PM | Semifinals: 400m | -- | 3rd in her heat (3rd overall), 49.91, advances to final | |
| Swimming | Great Britain | 3:07 PM | Final: 4x100m medley relay | -- | Finished 8th, 3:59.46 | |
| Gator 2012 Olympic Games Medal Count: (9 Medals: 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze) | ||||
| Gator | Sport | Country | Event | Medal |
| Swimming | U.S.A. | 400m IM | Gold | |
| Swimming | U.S.A. | 400m IM | Silver | |
| Swimming | U.S.A | 4x100m Free Relay | Silver | |
| Swimming | U.S.A. | 4x200m Free Relay | Gold | |
| Swimming | U.S.A | 4x200m Free Relay | Gold | |
| Swimming | U.S.A. | 200m Backstroke | Bronze | |
| Swimming | U.S.A. | 200m IM | Silver | |
| Swimming | U.S.A. | 200m Backstroke | Bronze | |
| Track & Field | U.S.A. | Long Jump | Bronze | |
| All-Time Gator Olympic Games Medal Count (since 1968): Total: 100 medals (47 Gold, 26 Silver, 27 Bronze) Summer Games: 99 medals (46 Gold, 26 Silver, 27 Bronze) Winter Games: 1 medal (1 Gold) | ||||
For all of the latest information on Gators competing at the 2012 Olympic Games, please visit www.gatorzone.com/olympics/2012 or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@OlympicGators.
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