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Florida Gators Add Three Medals to Count on Saturday

Former Florida Gators had a big Saturday, taking three medals, including long jumper Jasmine Moore.

Cam Parker

Former Florida Gators star Jasmine Moore (USA) celebrates after her Bronze Medal in the women's triple jump final.
Former Florida Gators star Jasmine Moore (USA) celebrates after her Bronze Medal in the women's triple jump final. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Saturday may have been the best day for current and former Florida Gators competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Heading into the weekend with four total medals, UF athletes added three more to their count, bringing it up to seven total medals. If UF were its own country, the Gators would be tied for 11th place in total count with Romania, Hungary and New Zealand.

Swimmer Josh Liendo (CAN) finished second in the 100-meter butterfly, earning him a silver medal, his first-career Olympic medal. Meanwhile, Jasmine Moore (USA) earned bronze in the triple jump, also her first-career Olympics medal and the Gators’ first medal in a non-swimming event. 

Finally, Caeleb Dressel (USA) won a gold medal in the mixed 4x100-meter relay despite not racing in the finals. He swam in the prelims, which earned him his ninth-career gold medal. He previously won gold in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. 

Liendo finished with a time of 49.99 seconds, less than a 10th of a second behind gold medalist Kristof Milak (HUN) and more than half a second ahead of bronze medalist Ilya Kharun (CAN). Liendo previously finished as a finalist in the 50-meter freestyle (fourth), 4x100-meter medley relay (fifth) and 4x100-meter freestyle relay (sixth). 

Moore, meanwhile, earned bronze with a 14.67-meter triple jump. She finished behind Thea LaFond (DMA), who finished with a 15.02-meter triple jump and Shanieka Ricketts (JAM), who had a 14.87-meter jump.

They each join U.S. swimmers Kieran Smith (4x200-meter freestyle relay), Emma Weyant (400-meter individual medley) and Bobby Finke (800-meter freestyle) as the Gators’ medal winners in Paris. 

The Gators will have two more opportunities to win medals on Sunday. Finke will swim in the 1500-meter final at 12:37 p.m. EST, while Thomas Mardal (NOR) will compete in the hammer throw final at 1:05 p.m. EST.

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Cam Parker

CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a contributing writer at AllGators.com of FanNation-Sports Illustrated and is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester.

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