Release from UC on former Bearcats who will be participating in the Olympics in Paris:
Four former University of Cincinnati standouts, Jordan Thompson, Annette Echikunwoke, Vanessa Gilles and Chris Borzor, and two current Bearcats, Naquille Harris and Ramez Diaa, are set to participate in the 2024 Olympics, taking place this week in Paris, France.
Additionally, University of Cincinnati alum and James P. Kelly Hall of Famer Lewis Johnson will be front and center at the Paris Olympics, serving as a track and field reporter for NBC. Johnson will be reporting on his 13th Olympics. He graduated from UC in 1986 and finished eighth at the 1987 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 800-meter run with a school-record time of 1:47.00 that still stands today. The former walk-on became a two-time time team captain and competed in a pair of U.S. Olympic Trials.
The opening ceremony takes place on Friday, July 26 with the games running through Sunday, Aug. 11.
For more information on each athlete, see the individual capsules below (qualifying country and event adjacent to each name).
ANNETTE ECHIKUNWOKE - USA (HAMMER THROW)
Echikunwoke won the hammer throw with a season-best toss of 74.68m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. It marked Echikunwoke's second time qualifying for the Olympics, but it will be her first time competing, and her first time representing Team USA.
She is one of the most decorated female athletes in UC history. She won the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships national title in the weight throw and remains the school record holder in four of the five throwing events she competed in at UC. She was a seven-time AAC Champion and a four-time All-America First Team honoree.
HAMMER THROW OLYMPIC SCHEDULE
JORDAN THOMPSON - USA (VOLLEYBALL)
Thompson has been tabbed to her second consecutive Olympic roster. She was part of the 2020 U.S. team that won the gold medal in Tokyo, becoming the sixth Bearcat to earn a gold medal.
Indoor volleyball competition at the 2024 Olympic Games will be held at the South Paris Arena, located about nine miles south of the Olympic village.
Thompson played for the University of Cincinnati from 2015-2019. She earned the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year accolade in 2015 and followed that up as a three-time unanimous AAC Player of the Year in 2016, 2018 and 2019. She was the first volleyball player in AAC history to earn unanimous honors and receive the award three times.
TEAM USA VOLLEYBALL POOL A SCHEDULE
Gilles, a center back with the national team, is one of the most decorated players in UC women's soccer history. She is heading back to the Olympics, in search of another gold medal. Canada will compete in Group A of the tournament, along with host nation France, Colombia and New Zealand.
Gilles played for the Bearcats from 2014-17. She scored 17 goals in 82 matches and earned all-conference honors in all four years in Clifton. The 2017 American Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year plays professionally with Lyon.
TEAM CANADA GROUP A SCHEDULE
Graduate student Naquille Harris will compete in a universality spot for St. Kitts & Nevis. Universality places are eligibility spots granted to National Olympic Committees (NOC) without any qualified athletes, allowing them to participate in the Games. Athletes who receive these spots will first compete in the Preliminaries to qualify for the next round.
Harris, the school record holder in the 60m, is coming off an impressive senior season for the Bearcats. He recorded a 10.18 time in the 100m this past season, placing him as the second-fastest in school history, just behind Chris Borzor's time of 10.15 in 2022. He is a two-time NCAA First Round qualifier and two-time AAC All-Conference selection.
100m SCHEDULE
Borzor (2018-21) will compete in a universality spot for the Republic of Haiti. Universality places are eligibility spots granted to National Olympic Committees (NOC) without any qualified athletes, allowing them to participate in the Games. Athletes who receive these spots will first compete in the Preliminaries to qualify for the next round.
Brozor broke school records and collected many accolades during his time at Cincinnati. He still holds two outdoor school records in the 100m and 200m. He is currently a volunteer assistant coach for the Bearcats.
Borzor is the Haitian national record holder in the 100m. He ran a blistering time of 10.14 at the NACAC New Life Invitational in Nassau, Bahamas.
100m SCHEDULE
Incoming freshman diver Ramez Diaa will represent Team Egypt in the 10-meter platform dive. He is one of 26 competitors in the platform event.
The preliminary round will be held at 4 a.m. ET on August 9 in the Aquatics Centre.
10M DIVE SCHEDULE
Four former University of Cincinnati standouts, Jordan Thompson, Annette Echikunwoke, Vanessa Gilles and Chris Borzor, and two current Bearcats, Naquille Harris and Ramez Diaa, are set to participate in the 2024 Olympics, taking place this week in Paris, France.
Additionally, University of Cincinnati alum and James P. Kelly Hall of Famer Lewis Johnson will be front and center at the Paris Olympics, serving as a track and field reporter for NBC. Johnson will be reporting on his 13th Olympics. He graduated from UC in 1986 and finished eighth at the 1987 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 800-meter run with a school-record time of 1:47.00 that still stands today. The former walk-on became a two-time time team captain and competed in a pair of U.S. Olympic Trials.
The opening ceremony takes place on Friday, July 26 with the games running through Sunday, Aug. 11.
For more information on each athlete, see the individual capsules below (qualifying country and event adjacent to each name).
ANNETTE ECHIKUNWOKE - USA (HAMMER THROW)
Echikunwoke won the hammer throw with a season-best toss of 74.68m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. It marked Echikunwoke's second time qualifying for the Olympics, but it will be her first time competing, and her first time representing Team USA.
She is one of the most decorated female athletes in UC history. She won the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships national title in the weight throw and remains the school record holder in four of the five throwing events she competed in at UC. She was a seven-time AAC Champion and a four-time All-America First Team honoree.
HAMMER THROW OLYMPIC SCHEDULE
- August 4 – Qualifying Round (4:20 a.m. ET)
- August 6 – Finals (1:55 p.m. ET)
JORDAN THOMPSON - USA (VOLLEYBALL)
Thompson has been tabbed to her second consecutive Olympic roster. She was part of the 2020 U.S. team that won the gold medal in Tokyo, becoming the sixth Bearcat to earn a gold medal.
Indoor volleyball competition at the 2024 Olympic Games will be held at the South Paris Arena, located about nine miles south of the Olympic village.
Thompson played for the University of Cincinnati from 2015-2019. She earned the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year accolade in 2015 and followed that up as a three-time unanimous AAC Player of the Year in 2016, 2018 and 2019. She was the first volleyball player in AAC history to earn unanimous honors and receive the award three times.
TEAM USA VOLLEYBALL POOL A SCHEDULE
- July 29 – vs. China (11a.m. ET)
- July 31 – vs. Serbia (11 a.m. ET)
- August 4 – vs. France (7 a.m. ET)
Gilles, a center back with the national team, is one of the most decorated players in UC women's soccer history. She is heading back to the Olympics, in search of another gold medal. Canada will compete in Group A of the tournament, along with host nation France, Colombia and New Zealand.
Gilles played for the Bearcats from 2014-17. She scored 17 goals in 82 matches and earned all-conference honors in all four years in Clifton. The 2017 American Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year plays professionally with Lyon.
TEAM CANADA GROUP A SCHEDULE
- July 25th – vs. New Zealand (11 a.m. ET)
- July 28th – vs. France (3 p.m. ET)
- July 31st – vs. Colombia (3 p.m. ET)
Graduate student Naquille Harris will compete in a universality spot for St. Kitts & Nevis. Universality places are eligibility spots granted to National Olympic Committees (NOC) without any qualified athletes, allowing them to participate in the Games. Athletes who receive these spots will first compete in the Preliminaries to qualify for the next round.
Harris, the school record holder in the 60m, is coming off an impressive senior season for the Bearcats. He recorded a 10.18 time in the 100m this past season, placing him as the second-fastest in school history, just behind Chris Borzor's time of 10.15 in 2022. He is a two-time NCAA First Round qualifier and two-time AAC All-Conference selection.
100m SCHEDULE
- August 3 – Preliminaries (4:35 a.m. ET)
- August 3 – Round 1 (5:45 a.m. ET)
- August 4 – Semifinals (2 p.m. ET)
- August 5 – Finals (3:50 p.m. ET)
Borzor (2018-21) will compete in a universality spot for the Republic of Haiti. Universality places are eligibility spots granted to National Olympic Committees (NOC) without any qualified athletes, allowing them to participate in the Games. Athletes who receive these spots will first compete in the Preliminaries to qualify for the next round.
Brozor broke school records and collected many accolades during his time at Cincinnati. He still holds two outdoor school records in the 100m and 200m. He is currently a volunteer assistant coach for the Bearcats.
Borzor is the Haitian national record holder in the 100m. He ran a blistering time of 10.14 at the NACAC New Life Invitational in Nassau, Bahamas.
100m SCHEDULE
- August 3 – Preliminaries (4:35 a.m. ET)
- August 3 – Round 1 (5:45 a.m. ET)
- August 4 – Semifinals (2 p.m. ET)
- August 5 – Finals (3:50 p.m. ET)
Incoming freshman diver Ramez Diaa will represent Team Egypt in the 10-meter platform dive. He is one of 26 competitors in the platform event.
The preliminary round will be held at 4 a.m. ET on August 9 in the Aquatics Centre.
10M DIVE SCHEDULE
- August 9 – 4 a.m. ET (Preliminary)
- August 10 – 4 a.m. ET (Semifinal)
- August 10 – 9 a.m. ET (Finals)
