Cal at the Olympics: Rower Kara Kohler Advances

Kitty Lynn Joustra scores a goal in Netherlands’ water polo victory

Kara Kohler / Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports

Rower Kara Kohler of the United States and water polo player Kitty Lynn Joustra of the Netherlands were among the Cal athletes who performed well in Saturday’s Olympic Games action.

Rowing

Kara Kohler, USA: The three-time Olympian won her heat in the women’s single sculls with a time of 7:32.46 that was third-fastest in all six heats. The top three finishers in each heat advance to the quarterfinals.

Kohler, 33, was in third place after 500 meters, improved to second at the 1,000-meter mark and took the lead for good at 1,500.

Only Lithuania’s Viktorija Senkuta (7:30.01) and Australia’s Tara Rigney (7:30.71) produced faster times in other heats.

A 2014 Cal grad, Kohler competed in quadruple sculls at the 2012 Olympics, failed to earn a spot for the 2016 Games then switched to single sculls and earned a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships before placing ninth at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

Inger Kavlie, Norway:  Kavlie, who rowed for Cal from 2014 to 2017, teamed with Thea Helseth for Norway and finished fourth in their heat of the women’s double sculls in a time pf 7:00.78. The tp three advance to the semifinals, pushing Kavlie and her partner to the repechage.

Martin Mackovic, Serbia: Mackovic and Nikolaj Pimenov represented Serbia in the men’s double sculls and finished fourth in their heat in a time of 6:17.36. Only the top three in each heat advance to the semifinals, so Mackovic and Pimenov will go to the repechage to try to advance. Mackovic rowed on Cal’s varsity eight crew tht won national titles in 2022 and 2023.

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Water Polo

Kitty Lynn Joustra, Netherlands: Joustra, who played for Cal from 2018 to 2021, took just one shot but she made it count, scoring a goal to help Netherlands beat Hungary 10-8 in its first game in Group A play. Her goal came late in the first period when Netherlands had an extra player and gave the Dutch a 4-1 lead. The 26-year-old Justra is competing in the Olympics for the second time.

---The U.S. American team, which features Cal alumni Luca Cupido, Johnny Hooper and Adrian Weinberg, plays its first game on Sunday against Italy, while Greece, led by former Golden Bears star Nikolaos Papanikolaou, opens against Romania on Sunday.

---Former Cal stars Kindred Paul and Emma Wright are members of Canada’s women’s team, which faces Hungary in its opening game on Monday.

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Field Hockey

Megan Rogers Valzonis, USA: Valzonis did not start but she did play in the United States’ 4-1 loss to Argentina in its first game of women’s pool play. She took one shot in that game, but did not score. Valzonis led the Bears in scoring all three of her seasons (2017-19).

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Badminton 

Jennie Gai and Vincent Chiu, USA: The mixed doubles tandem, both of whom are Cal graduates, lost 21-11, 21-14 to the Chinese duo of Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang in group play on Friday. Gai and Chiu both are competing in their first Olympics. Chiu also is participating in the men’s doubles event.

Joshua Yuan and Vincent Chiu, USA:  Chiu teamed with another Cal athlete, Joshua Yuan, and they were scheduled to play a Saturday match against the Denmark pair of Anders Rasmussen and Kim Astrup in their first match.

Annie Xu and Kerry Xu, USA: The identical twins and Cal graduates are representing the United States in women’s doubles and lost their opening match in group play to the Chinese pair of Liu Shengshu and Ning Tan 21-11, 21-14.

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Table Tennis

---Cal graduate Lily Zhang represents the United States and plays her opening match in women’s singles on Sunday.

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