Ohio State seniors Anavia Battle and Eric Harrison Jr. will compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in track and field. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Dept. of Athletics
The pandemic forced many to put their Olympic dreams on hold during an unprecedented year, and the return of the games will result in an unprecedented number of Ohio State representatives in Tokyo.
Twenty-six current, former or incoming Buckeyes will represent Ohio State and their respective countries at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, surpassing the previous record of 19 during the 2008 Beijing games.
The United States Olympic Team will feature nine Buckeyes, the most of any country as Canada is second with six. Six rowers with Buckeye ties will represent five different countries and are the most from any sport at Ohio State, ahead of five from the track and field program.
Representing the U.S. and Buckeyes track and field, senior thrower Adelaide Aquilla will compete in shot put, senior sprinter Anavia Battle will run in the 200-meter dash, and sprinter Christiana Clemons ‘12 will participate in the 100-meter hurdles.
Brothers and rising sophomores Henry and Jackson Leverett of the pistol team will compete in the rapid fire event with the United States Olympic Team through USA Shooting.
Rising junior Hunter Armstrong will swim the 100-meter backstroke, and incoming freshman Ruby Remati will be a member of the synchronized swimming team.
Former Buckeyes wrestler Kyle Snyder ‘18 will wrestle for the U.S. Olympic Team, and Alec Yoder ‘21 will perform as a specialist on the gymnastics team. Interestingly enough, Ohio State track and field throws coach Ashley Kovacs will coach her husband Joe Kovacs on the U.S. Olympic Team for shot put.
Representing Team Canada, former Buckeye fencers Marc-Antoine Blais Belanger ‘18 will compete in the individual men’s epee, Alanna Goldie ‘18 will be the traveling alternate in the women’s individual and team foil, and Eleanor Harvey ‘16 will participate in the individual women’s foil and women’s team foil.
Senior swimmer Ruslan Gaziev will swim in the 4×100 relay for the Canadian Olympic Team, and incoming freshman Emily Armstrong will be a member of Team Canada synchronized swimming.
Nichelle Prince ‘16, a four-year letterwinner on Ohio State’s women’s soccer team from 2013-16, will represent Team Canada.
Incoming freshmen sisters Anneta and Maria Kyridou will represent Greece on the rowing team.
Many more Ohio State student-athletes will be the sole Buckeye representing their respective countries during the Tokyo games.
Buckeye rowers will represent many countries –– Elodie Ravera ‘14 will compete for France, Ilse Paulis ‘12 for Netherlands and Aina Cid Centelles ‘17 for Spain. Returning Buckeye Alessandra Montesano, who took time off after her junior year in 2018 to prepare for the Olympics, will row for Italy.
Former Ohio State sprinter Maggie Barrie ‘18 will run the 400-meter dash for Sierra Leone, and Eric Harrison ‘21 will compete in the 4×100 relay for Trinidad and Tobago.
Junior fencer Diego Cervantes will compete in the individual men’s foil and represent Mexico.
Former men’s gymnast Misha Koudinov ‘15 will compete in his second Olympics during the parallel bars event for the New Zealand Olympic Team.
Matthew Abeysinghe ‘20 will also compete in his second Olympics in multiple freestyle swimming events for Sri Lanka.
