Daily Update of Virginia Tech Hokies at the 2024 Olympics, July 28th: Virginia Tech Commit Beats Personal Best
Virginia Tech has sent ten athletes and one coach to the 2024 Olympics. Eight of these Hokies are in Paris for the purpose of swimming, which has became a strength of Virginia Tech in recent years.
If you have not already, read our preview of every Virginia Tech Hokie at the Olympics.
Neil Gourley, Great Britain, Track & Field, 1,500-Meter
Did not see any action on July 28th. Will see first action on August 2nd in the 1,500 Meter race.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Canada, Men's Basketball
Did not see any action on July 28th. Read about Alexander-Walker's win against Giannis Antetokounmpo here.
Sami Hill, Canada, Women's Basketball
Did not see any action on July 28th. Will see first action against France on July 29th.
Sergio López Miró, Iceland, Swimming, Coach
Snæfríður Jórunnardóttir, coached by Miró, swam in Heat 3 of the 200m freestyle today. Jórunnardóttir swam in an extremely tough heat, swimming alongside Mollie O'Callaghan, who is the favorite to win the event. Did she upset O'Callaghan? The answer is no, but she still had an amazing race. She swam a 1:58.32, which was fifth in her heat, but left her in the top 16 of all swimmers, qualifying herself for the semi-finals. Unfortunately, Jórunnardóttir didn't qualify for the finals, and placed 8th in her heat, with a time of 1:58.78. Overall, a very solid performance and she held her own against some of the medal favorites in the event. The next player coached by Miró that will see action is Anton McKee in the 200m breastsroke on July 30th.
Carles Coll Marti, Spain, Men's Swimming, 4x100m Medley Relay
Did not see any action on July 28th. Will swim in the 4x100m Medley Relay’s second heat on August 3rd.
Ian Ho, Hong Kong, Men's Swimming, 50m Freestyle
Did not see any action on July 28th. Will see first action in Heat 5 of the 100m freestyle on July 30th.
Luis Dominguez Calogne, Spain, Men's Swimming, 4x100 & 4x200 Freestyle Relay
Did not see any action on July 28th. Read about Dominguez Calogne' 4x100 Freestyle Relay here. Luis will see next action in the 4x200 Freestyle Relay on July 30th.
Mario Molla Yanes, Spain, Men's Swimming, 100m Butterfly, 4x100 Freestyle Relay, and 4x100 Medley Relay
Did not see any action on July 28th. Read about Molla Yanes' 4x100 Freestyle Relay here. Molla Yanes' next competition will be the 100m Butterfly on August 2nd.
Carmen Weiler Sastre, Spain, Women's Swimming, 100m Backstroke & 200m Backstroke
Did not see any action on July 28th. Will find her first action in the 4th Heat of the 100m Backstroke on July 29th.
Emily Santos, Panama, Women's Swimming, 100m Breaststroke
Emily Santos competed in the second heat of the 100m breaststroke today. The second heat was filled with some veterans, like Australia's Jenna Strauch, the 27 year old who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Emily Santos, at nineteen years old, is competing in her second Olympics as well, after swimming a time of 1:12.10 in the 100m breaststroke. Santos was looking to best this time by a significant amount, and beat her 1:09.96 time which she recorded earlier in the year. Santos very nearly beat that time and finished with a 1:09.94 this year. This is great improvement out of Santos, and she should definitely see her name in the 2028 Olympics.
Maxine Egner, Botswana, Women's Swimming, 100m Freestyle
Did not see any action on July 28th. Will see first action on July 30th in the 100m Freestyle.
RJ SCHAFER
RJ Schafer joined the On SI team in 2024, contributing to the coverage of Major League Baseball, Collegiate Basketball, and Collegiate Football at https://www.si.com/college/virginiatech/. Prior to this, RJ built a strong portfolio covering Georgia Tech and the Tigers for the Bleav Network. With a solid background in sports journalism, RJ has conducted interviews with both collegiate and professional athletes, enhancing the depth and authenticity of his reporting. RJ's extensive experience in the sports industry has equipped him with a keen understanding of the dynamics and intricacies of both collegiate and professional sports. His work is focused on providing insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage, making him a trusted voice in the sports community.