Tokyo hosted the XXXII Summer Olympic Games from July 23 through Aug. 8, 2021. Below are the Sun Devil student-athletes, coaches and alumni who took part and added to Arizona State's Olympic history in Japan. For a list of Sun Devil history in the Olympics, click here. Pac-12 updates can be found here.
LINKS
--From Tokyo to Tempe: Sun Devils return to campus after competing in Summer Olympics (by Ian Garcia, Cronkite News/Sept. 23, 2021)
--Sun Devil women's golf at the Olympics (Aug. 4, 2021)
--ASU, Arizona fight for Olympic medals (by Jeff Metcalfe, acentral.com/July 19, 2021)
--Sun Devils chasing Gold: A who’s who of athletes competing in Tokyo Olympics (by Justin Spangenthal, ASU State Press/July 6, 2021)
SUN DEVILS WHO QUALIFIED AND/OR IN TOKYO OLYMPICS
PROMISE AMUKAMARA/NIGERIA (WOMEN'S BASKETBALL)
Tokyo 2020 result: Promise Amukamara, the first player to represent Sun Devil women’s basketball in the Olympics, averaged 10.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals in Nigeria’s three games.
Promise Amukamara, who was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2015 WNBA Draft, played in every single one of ASU's 131 games between 2012-15, recording starts in 97 of those contests. She concluded her Sun Devil career in sixth place on ASU's all-time steals list with 209 and third in career steals in NCAA Tournament games (10). A two-time Pac-12 All-Defensive selection, Amukamara earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2015. She started every game of her senior season and finished first on the team in steals (1.83 spg - seventh in the Pac-12), third in scoring (10.9 ppg), free throws made (63), field goal percentage (47.2) and free throw percentage (75.0) and fourth in rebounds (3.6 rpg - ASU's top rebounding guard) and assists (2.0 apg). Amukamara, who earned a pair of Pac-12 Player of the Week awards in 2015, scored in double figures 21 times and led ASU in scoring (13.1 ppg) during the team's 14-game winning streak (shot 52.5 percent during that stretch). She earned her Bachelor of Science in communication in 2015.
PROMISE AMUKAMARA LINKS/FEATURES
--Promise the World: Amukamara takes international stage with Nigeria in Olympics (by Kaylee Connors, Cronkite News/July 22, 2021)
--Dribbling to Tokyo: Promise Amukamara Ready To Compete for Nigeria (by Jenna Hillman/July 17, 2021)
--Tokyo Bound, Promise Amukamara Hooping for Nigeria (by Jordan Spurgeon, sports360az.com/June 23, 2021)
--Promise Amukamara helps Nigeria punch ticket for Tokyo Olympics (thesundevils.com/Feb. 9, 2020)
--Promise Amukamara's persistence is carrying her to the Olympics (by Jeff Metcalfe/Arizona Republic//May 26, 2020)
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JAROD ARROYO/PUERTO RICO (SWIMMING)
Jarod Arroyo eanred the right to compete in the 200 and 400 UM based on recent swims of 2:00.61 and 4:16.63.
Tokyo 2020 result: 4:17.46 in 400m IM, 2:01.92 in 200m IM
Jarod Arroyo ?? Tokyo
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) July 2, 2021
?? Arroyo will be swimming in the 200 IM and 400 IM for Puerto Rico in the 2021 Olympics! ??????#ForksUp x #O2V |#Olympics2021 pic.twitter.com/HbG6kPHPzY
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CHRIS BENARD/USA (TRIPLE JUMP)
Tokyo 2020 result: 18th overall in triple jump, didn’t advance out of qualifying (16.59m/54.42 feet)
Triple-jumper will make his second appearance at the Olympics as he qualified in 2016 with a personal record of 17.21. He earned eight All-America honors at ASU from 2011-13, as he finished runner-up in 2012, tenth in 2013 and 19th in 2011. At ASU he broke the school indoor triple-jump mark and won the Pac-12 triple jump. He finished 16th of 39 in Rio with a jump of 16.55 and earned his Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree in 2012.
CHRIS BENARD LINKS/FEATURES
--From QB to the Olympics: the story of Chris Benard (Riverside City College Athletics/Feb. 25, 2021)
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— Sun Devil TFXC (@SunDevilTFXC) July 2, 2021
Program triple jump leader Chris Benard is set for his SECOND Olympic games with @TeamUSA ????#ForksUp?? pic.twitter.com/imAjmVNYjG
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RICHARD BOHUS, SWIMMING (HUNGARY)
Tokyo 2020 result: 5th in men's 4x100m freestyle relay, 8th in 4x100m medley relay, DSQ in 100m backstroke
Bohus competed in both 2012 and 2016 Olympics and has ASU's second-fastest 100- and 200-meter backstroke. He graduated from ASU summa cum laude in fall of 2017 and earned All-America honors in the 400 free relay in 2017 and honorable mention in five other events. He earned his Bachelor of arts in digital culture (art) in 2017 and graduated summa cum laude.
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Tokyo 2020 result: Paul Casey finished tied for fourth officially, as he tied for third but lost in a 7-man playoff for the bronze medal.
Paul Casey won three straight Pac-12 titles (1998-2000) at ASU and earned first-team All-America honors in 2000 and was a second-team All-American in 1998 and 1999. He won the English Amateur in 1999 and 2000. He won six collegiate titles in his three seasons at ASU, and had 19 top-10 finishes in 36 collegiate events.
Valiant effort from @Paul_Casey who finished tied third before falling at the first play-off hole.#TeamGB pic.twitter.com/GHClhlKJv5
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 1, 2021
So honoured @teamgb #TeamGB #Toyko2020 https://t.co/esStfLydXV
— Paul Casey (@Paul_Casey) July 7, 2021
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CARLOTA CIGANDA, GOLF (SPAIN)
Tokyo 2020 Result: (Spain), Women’s Golf, T-29th
The British Amateur champion in 2007 earned a trip to the finals in 2009 but was runner-up to ASU teammate Azahara Munoz. She helped ASU win the 2009 NCAA title as a freshman, and made conference history as the first to win back-to-back Pac-10 championships with titles in 2009 and 2010 and then finished third in 2011.
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DALLAS ESCOBEDO, SOFTBALL (MEXICO)
Tokyo 2020 result: Mexico lost 3-2 to Canada in the bronze medal game, ending the Games in fourth. It was the first appearance by Team Mexico in the Olympics for softball.
Dallas Escobedo finished her career as one of the most decorated Sun Devils in any sport, with one national championship and three trips to the Women’s College World Series under her belt. Escobedo had a 115-26 record (.815) and a 2.01 career ERA. She came three wins shy of matching Katie Burkhart's school record of 118 victories. She finished with 1,222 strikeouts, good for second in ASU history, and became just the 14th player in Pac-12 history to accomplish the 1,000-strikeout feat. She reached the 300-strikeout plateau in three different seasons and set the fourth, fifth and sixth highest strikeout totals for a single season in program history. She threw a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 1-0 victory against Longwood on March 4, 2014. She helped the Sun Devils win the 2011 College World Series, finishing the season with a 37-3 record and 1.51 ERA. Escobedo started 38 of the squad's 66 games, notching 326 total strikeouts and allowing only 58 runs. Her title game win was her 19th straight win and she became the first freshman to clinch the title since UCLA's Heather Compton in 1990. ASU won 23 of its final 24 games and was 10-0 in the NCAA Tournament. She earned both a Bachlor of Science in family and human development and Bachelor of Arts in special education in 2015 and a Master's in education (curriculum and instruction, autism specialty disorder) in 2017.
DALLAS ESCOBEDO LINKS
--Softball Mexico’s ace Dallas Escobedo: “Game one is going to set the tone for the rest of the week”
--Former ASU star Escobedo pitches Mexico to 2020 Olympic qualifying win (by Jeff Metcalfe, AZcentral.com/Sept. 1, 2019)
--ASU wins NCAA crown behind freshman pitcher (Associated Press/June 8, 2011)
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CHELSEA GONZALES, SOFTBALL (MEXICO)
Tokyo 2020 result: Mexico lost 3-2 to Canada in the bronze medal game, ending the Games in fourth. It was the first appearance by Team Mexico in the Olympics for softball.
Chelsea Gonzales led the Sun Devils in 2017 with a .353 average and 13 home runs and started all 53 games played. She was a first-team All-Pac-12 pick in 2017 and finished her career sixth on the Sun Devil home run list (44) and seventh on the RBI list (183). Was voted the team's Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and earned second-team All-Pac-12 and earned All-Freshman honors in 2014. She earned her Bachelor of Science in family and human development in 2017.
CHELSEA GONZALES LINKS
--On the beat with Chelsea Gonzales (by John Wroblewski, Global Women's Sports Radio)
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IAN KINSLER, BASEBALL (ISRAEL)
Kinsler played one year at ASU (2002) and hit .230 in 29 games (17 starts) before transferring.
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LEON MARCHAND, SWIMMING (FRANCE)
Tokyo 2020 result: 6th in men's 400m individual medley (4:11.16), 1:55.68 in 200m butterfly, 1:58.30 in 200m IM, 3:33.41 in 4x100m medley
Marchand will be a freshman at ASU and is the current French record holder in the 400 individual medley. His parents (Xavier Marchande and Celine Bonnet) both competed for France in the Olympics.
Incoming freshman Leon Marchand finishes 6th in the Olympic Final of the 400 IM with the time of 4:11.16! ??????
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) July 25, 2021
Léon Marchand, 19, booked a ticket to a third battle @Tokyo2020 with a French-record rattling 1:58.03 200IM as nationals end in Chartres with Games cuts for @marie_wattel & Mélanie Henique 50fr & their Marseille teammate Mehdy Metella in the 100 'flyhttps://t.co/5NI12mNUwq
— StateOfSwimming.com (@StateOfSwimming) June 20, 2021
Leon is officially a Sun Devil! #ForksUp for the French 400 IM National Record Holder and World Junior medalist!!! pic.twitter.com/ykyYqkFzZK
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) November 13, 2020
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LENA MIHAILOVIC, WATER POLO (AUSTRALIA)
This is the first career Olympic Games for Lena Mihailovic who spent four years with Arizona State from 2015-2018 where she recorded 131 career goals which sits at 11th all-time in program history. As a freshman, she was named to the All-Newcomer Team after posting the fourth highest goals on the team with 24, and recorded 17 assists and 16 steals that season. Mihailovic was one of the best academic players for the Sun Devils, earning consecutive MPSF All-Academic selections, and was just the second Sun Devil at the time to do so. During her junior season In 2017, she notched 45 goals and an All-MPSF Second-Team selection. She also competed on the Aussie Stingers during the 17th FINA World Championships. Mihailovic was named an ACWPC Academic All-American selection with superior distinction as a junior. She earned Bachelor of Science in biological science in 2018 with cum laude honors.
LENA MIHAILOVIC LINKS
--Two Water Polo Alumni to Represent Team Australia in Tokyo
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GIULIA MOLINARO, GOLF (ITALY)
Tokyo 2020 Result: (Italy), Women’s Golf, T-46th
The native of Villorba earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors three times and was the 2012 Pac-12 Golfer of the Year, only the fourth Sun Devil to earn the honor. She earned first-team All-America honors in her senior year with a Pac-12 best 72.33 scoring average and also earned first-team All-Pac-12. She earned a Bachelor of Science in tourism development and management in 2012 (magna cum laude).
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AZAHARA MUNOZ, GOLF (SPAIN)
Tokyo 2020 Result: (Spain), Women’s Golf, T-50th
The 2008 NCAA champion and 2009 summa cum laude psychology graduate (Bachelor of Arts) earned the title with a 25-foot putt on the first playoff hole against UCLA's Tiffany Joh in Albuquerque. She finished fourth at the 2009 NCAA Championships in Maryland and led ASU to the team title. She was the first two-time winner of the Edith Cummings Munson Award in 2008 and 2009, and a NGCA All-American in 2009 and the 2009 Pac-10 Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
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CHRISTABEL NETTEY, LONG JUMP (CANADA)
Tokyo 2020 result: 22nd overall LJ, did not advance out of qualifying (6.29m/20.63 feet)
The 2011 Pac-10 champion in the long jump finished second at the 2013 NCAA Championships and made Olympic debut in 2016 at Rio. Made her first Canadian team at age 14 at the 2007 IAAF World Youth Championships in long jump and 100m hurdles. Earned bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth games and gold 2015 Pan Am Games with long jump of 6.90m. Also had two other top-10 NCAA finishes in the long jump in 2011 and 2012. A three-time long jump All-American while at ASU, she earned a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree in 2013.
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— Sun Devil TFXC (@SunDevilTFXC) July 7, 2021
Looking forward to cheering on indoor and outdoor ASU long jump record holder Christabel Nettey in Tokyo with @TeamCanada ! ???? #ForksUp?? pic.twitter.com/gLKcAsLRT2
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ANNA NORDQVIST, GOLF (SWEDEN)
Tokyo 2020 Result: (Sweden), Women’s Golf, T-23rd
The Pac-10 co-champion in 2007 and the NGCA Freshman of the Year, Pac-10 Player of the Year and the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year who also earned first-team All-America and Academic All-America honors in 2007 and 2008. She finished fifth at the 2008 NCAA Championship.
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ANNA OLASZ, SWIMMING (HUNGARY)
Tokyo 2020 Result: 4th in Women's 10km (1:59:34.8)
Olasz swam in the 2016 Olympics in Rio and placed 14th in the 10k open water. She finished second or better in 11 events in 2015-16 and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business (communication) in 2017.
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SASHEL PALACIOS, SOFTBALL (MEXICO)
Tokyo 2020 result: Mexico lost 3-2 to Canada in the bronze medal game, ending the Games in fourth. It was the first appearance by Team Mexico in the Olympics for softball.
Hit .322 in her senior year (2017) and started all 53 games and earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors and earned College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District® Softball Team. Was the Pac-12 Player of the Week on March 28, 2017. Also earned Pac-12 All-Defensive honors and was named to the NFCA All-West Region team in 2015. She earned her Bachelor of Science in family and human development (cum laude) in 2017 and her master's degree in 2019.
SASHEL PALACIOS LINKS
--For Sashel Palacios, Diamond Sports Are In Her Blood (Amanda Levine, Softball America/Dec. 1, 2020)
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FANNY TEIJONSALO, SWIMMING 50M (FINLAND)
Tokyo 2020 result: 54.69 in 100m freestyle, 24.79 in 50m freestyle
The magna cum laude 2019 psyschology graduate (Bachelor of Arts) has the second (22.13 on March 21, 2019), third (22.19 on Feb. 28, 2019) and seventh (22.29 on Feb. 28, 2019) in school history in the 50m freestyle and her 48.70 on March 23, 2019 is third best in the 100 freestyle, while 49.07 on Feb. 20, 2020 is seventh-best. Also has four of the top 10 Sun Devil scores in the 100 butterfly. She transferred to ASU from Florida Gulf Coast after the 2016-17 season.
It's official...she's headed to Tokyo! ??
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) June 11, 2021
Alumna Fanny Teijonsalo will swim in the 50M ?? event at the 2021 Olympics for Team Finland.????#ForksUp x #O2V |#OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/A1i6bU6xxe
Officially official!! ??
— Fanny Teijonsalo (@fannyteijonsalo) June 11, 2021
Beyond excited and honored to be selected to represent Finland at the biggest stage there is ?? pic.twitter.com/EqfxgpR3D2
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JORINDE VAN KLINKEN/THE NETHERLANDS (DISCUS)
Tokyo 2020 result: 14th overall, discus did not advance out of qualifying (61.15m/200.62feet)
van Klinken will be making her Olympic debut for the Netherlands, competing in the discus. Van Klinken took the world lead and broke the Dutch discus record in spring 2021 days before the NCAA West Prelims. She went on to then win NCAA gold in the discus, taking first on her very last throw of the day.
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— Sun Devil TFXC (@SunDevilTFXC) July 2, 2021
Jorinde van Klinken is set to make her Olympic debut with @TeamNLtweets ????#ForksUp?? pic.twitter.com/wgIE64G3Ys
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ROWIE WEBSTER, WATER POLO (AUSTRALIA)
Rowie Webster was named Captain of the Stingers and will be participating in her third career Olympic Games. She was a Sun Devil for just one year, but sure left her mark. During her freshman campaign in 2006, Webster scored 63 goals and tacked on 19 assists for 82 points on the year. Her 63 goals and 82 points top the freshman record books, and have yet to be touched since. She is also fourth all-time in single season goals scored, and that impressive season earned her a third-team All-American selection from the American Water Polo Coaches Association. Her freshman accolades included being named to the MPSF All-Freshman Team, the All-MPSF Second Team and the MPSF All-Tournament team while ranking sixth in the nation in goals scored that season.
ROWIE WEBSTER LINKS
--Two Water Polo Alumni to Represent Team Australia in Tokyo
SUN DEVIL COACHING STAFF CONNECTIONS IN TOKYO
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BOB BOWMAN, SUN DEVIL SWIMMING COACH (UNITED STATES)
Hall of Famer Bob Bowman, who coached Michael Phelps to 28 Olympic medals (23 gold) over five Olympics from 2000-2016, was named to the staff for Tokyo after serving as the head coach in 2016. He was named Sun Devil head swimming coach in April of 2015. He also was an assistant Olympic coach in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and was the U.S. head men's coach at the 2007, 2009 and 2013 World Championships.
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LUCY CASAREZ, SUN DEVIL HALL OF FAME SOFTBALL HONOREE (JAPANESE SOFTBALL ASSISTANT COACH)
Casarez was a four-time all-conference pitcher and played at ASU from 1979-82 and was inducted into the Sun Devil Hall of Fame in 201. She set ASU career records for victories (81) and was second in strikeouts (806), innings pitched (837 1/3) and winning percentage (.727) when her Sun Devil days concluded. She compiled a four-year earned run average of 0.63, fourth all-time and was a member of ASU's 1982 squad, which finished fourth at the College World Series. IN her career Casarez allowed just 390 hits in 837 innings.
It was a long time coming for alumna Lucy Casarez as she helped coach Team Japan to their gold medal victory in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics! ????#ForksUp /// #O2V
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) September 13, 2021
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HALI FLICKINGER, SWIMMING VOLUNTEER COACH (UNITED STATES)
Hali Flickinger will compete in her second Olympics after finishing seventh in the 200m fly in 2016.
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MARK PERRY, WRESTLING PERSONAL COACH (UNITED STATES)
Tokyo 2020 results:
Miracle - Lost round one 3-2 to Long Jia (China) in the women's freestyle 62 kg.
Maroulis - Won bronze in the women's 57 kg freestyle after 8-4 win over Rong Ningning (China), 8-0 win over Tetyana Kit (Ukraine), 2-1 loss to Risako Kawai (Japan), and 11-0 win over Khongorzul Boldsaikhan (Mongolia).
Mark Perry is traveling with Team USA as a freestyle personal coach for 53kg Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis and two-time US Open champion Kayla Miracle.
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ALLISON SCHMITT, SWIMMING VOLUNTEER COACH (UNITED STATES)
Tokyo 2020 result: 1:56.87 in 200m freestyle, 2nd in 4x200m freestyle relay, 3rd in 4x100m freestyle
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Allison Schmitt is headed to a fourth Olympic Games in 2021. In her first Olympics in 2008, Schmitt won a bronze medal leading off the women's 4x200 free relay. At London 2012, Schmitt won gold individually in the 200 free and won golds on both the 4x100 and 4x200 free relays; she also took silver in the 400 free. In Rio, where she was named a team captain, Schmitt earned a gold medal in the 4x200 free relay and a silver as a prelims swimmers for the 4x100 free relay.
COVID RELATED WITHDRAWAL FROM TEAM AFTER MAKING TEAM/QUALIFYING
KELSEY WHITE, WATER POLO (SOUTH AFRICA)
(note on July 14 Kelsey announced she would not be in the Olympics due to COVID reasons)
Kelsey White is a Johannesburg, South Africa native who competed as a Sun Devil from 2009-2012 and recorded 89 career goals and 63 assists during her time in the Maroon and Gold. Out of the pool, she received her degree in Mass Media Communications. White has competed for South Africa for 11 years, and this is her first Olympics and earned her BA in communication in 2012.
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JON RAHM, GOLF (SPAIN)
(note on July 25 Rahm announced he would not compete in the Olympics due to COVID reasons)
The 2021 U.S. Open champion and 2016 Sun Devil graduate will play in his first Olympics. He won 11 collegiate events at ASU from 2012-16, including the 2016 Pac-12 Championship. He is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour and is a 2016 graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in communication.