Aggies at the Olympics, July 29: 11 Track & Field athletes take stage
Track & Field competition begins on Thursday at the Tokyo Olympics, and 11 Texas A&M products will begin their chase for Olympic glory.
Phenom Athing Mu will be the first to take the Olympic stage, running in the first round of the women’s 800m at 7:55 p.m. CT on Thursday. Mu enters as the world leader in the 800m, having run a 1:56.07 earlier this year. The Trenton, New Jersey native is the favorite to bring home the gold.
Mu is one of six members of Texas A&M’s 2021 men’s and women’s track & field teams competing in Tokyo. Joining her are Bryce Deadmon, Tyra Gittens, Charokee Young and Emmanuel Yeboah as well as Deon Lendore who served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Aggies this year.
Deadmon (United States) and Young (Jamacia) will make their Olympic debuts on Friday morning, running in the mixed 4x400m relay first round. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is the first Olympic Games to include the mixed 4x400 relay as part of the program, and the first round officially begins at 6:00 a.m. CT on Friday.
Heptathlon national champion Tyra Gittens will also make her Olympic debut on Saturday when the women’s long jump competition begins. Gittens is representing her native Trinidad & Tobago along with Lendore, who is competing in his third Olympic Games (London, 2012 & Rio, 2016).
Representing Ghana, Yeboah will participate as part of the 4x100m relay team, which doesn’t begin until Wednesday, August 4. Making his Olympic debut, Yeboah is one of just 14 Ghanaians at the Tokyo Olympics.
In addition to Mu and Deadmon, three Aggies will be representing the Stars & Stripes as Fred Kerley, Annie Kunz and Maggie Malone eye the medal stand. Kerley will run in the men’s 100m and as part of the men’s 4x100m relay team, while Kunz competes in the heptathlon and Malone throws the javelin.
The full schedule for Aggies in Olympic Track & Field events is as follows:
All dates and times are CT
Thursday, July 29
7:55 p.m. | Women’s 800m First Round - Athing Mu
Friday, July 30
6 a.m. | Mixed 4x400m First Round – Bryce Deadmon, Charokee Young
Saturday, July 31
5:45 a.m. | Men’s 100m First Round – Fred Kerley
6:50 a.m. | Women’s 800m Semifinal – (Athing Mu)
7:35 a.m. | Mixed 4x400m Final – (Bryce Deadmon, Charokee Young)
7:50 p.m. | Women’s Long Jump Qualifying – Tyra Gittens
8:45 p.m. | Men’s 400m Qualifying – Deon Lendore
Sunday, August 1
5:15 a.m. | Men’s 100m Semifinal – (Fred Kerley)
7:50 a.m. | Men’s 100m Final – (Fred Kerley)
Monday, August 2
6:05 a.m. | Men’s 400m Semifinal – (Deon Lendore)
7:00 p.m. | Men’s Triple Jump Qualifying – Tahar Triki
7:20 p.m. | Women’s Javelin Qualifying – Maggie Malone
8:50 p.m. | Women’s Long Jump Final – (Tyra Gittens)
Tuesday, August 3
7:25 a.m. | Women’s 800m Final – (Athing Mu)
7 p.m. | Decathlon 100m – Lindon Victor
7:25 p.m. | Heptathlon 100m Hurdles – Annie Kunz
7:55 p.m. | Decathlon Long Jump – Lindon Victor
8:35 p.m. | Heptathlon High Jump – Annie Kunz
9:40 p.m. | Decathlon Shot Put – Lindon Victor
Wednesday, August 4
4:30 a.m. | Decathlon High Jump – Lindon Victor
5:05 a.m. | Heptathlon Shot Put – Annie Kunz
6:30 a.m. | Heptathlon 200m – Annie Kunz
7:30 a.m. | Decathlon 400m – Lindon Victor
7 p.m. | Decathlon 110m Hurdles – Lindon Victor
7:15 p.m. | Decathlon Javelin – Lindon Victor
7:40 p.m. | Heptathlon Long Jump – Annie Kunz
7:50 p.m. | Decathlon Discus – Lindon Victor
9:00 p.m. | Men’s Triple Jump Final – (Tahar Triki)
9:30 p.m. | Men’s 4x100m Qualifying – Fred Kerley, Emmanuel Yeboah
10:30 p.m. | Heptathlon Javelin – Annie Kunz
10:45 p.m. | Decathlon Pole Vault – Lindon Victor
Thursday, August 5
7:20 a.m. | Heptathlon 800m – Annie Kunz
7:40 a.m. | Decathlon 1500m – Lindon Victor
Friday, August 6
6:25 a.m. | Men’s 4x400m First Round – Deon Lendore
6:50 a.m. | Women’s Javelin Final – (Maggie Malone)
8:50 a.m. | Men’s 4x100m Final – (Fred Kerley, Emmanuel Yeboah)
Saturday, August 7
7:50 a.m. | Men’s 4x400m Final – (Deon Lendore)
The following is a release from Texas A&M Athletics regarding the latest results involving Aggies in Tokyo:
Men’s Tennis
Austin Krajicek and teammate Tennys Sandgren of Team USA fell to top-seeded Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic of Croatia 6-4, 6-4 in Thursday’s men’s doubles semifinal matchup. Krajicek and Sandgren will compete for the bronze medal against Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus of New Zealand on July 30th at 1 a.m. CT on NBC Sports Network.
Swimming
Team Israel’s Aviv Barzelay recorded a time of 2:11.13 in the women’s 200m backstroke to advance to Thursday night’s semifinal at 9:35 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Network.
Golf
Adri Arnaus of Spain finished round 1 of the men’s individual play T-12, shooting 3-under par. Arnaus continues play at 5:30 p.m. CT July 29th on the Golf Channel.
Up Next
Thursday, July 29 – Men’s Golf – Adri Arnaus – 5:30 p.m. CT Golf Channel
Thursday, July 29 – Track & Field (800m) – Athing Mu – 8:25 p.m. CT NBC Sports Network
Thursday, July 29 – Swimming (200m backstroke) – Aviv Barzelay – 9:35 p.m. CT NBC Sports Network
Friday, July 30 – Men’s Tennis – Austin Krajicek – 1 a.m. CT NBC Sports Network
Friday, July 30 – Women’s Basketball – Adaora Elonu – 3:20 a.m. CT NBC Sports Network
Friday, July 30 – Track & Field – Bryce Deadmon & Charokee Young – 6 a.m. CT NBC Sports Network
Friday, July 30 – Men’s Golf – Adri Arnaus – 5:30 p.m. CT Golf Channel
