Wildcat Javianne Oliver Qualifies for Olympic Semifinals in 100m Dash

TOKYO — Kentucky Class of 2017 Alumna Javianne Oliver of Team USA qualified for Olympic semifinals in the 100 meter dash on the first day of athletics track & field competition in Tokyo after finishing the race in 11.15 seconds. 

Oliver ran in the third heat out of seven and finished second in her heat, with the top three times per heat qualifying for semifinals. She ran the 16th-fastest time out of all athletes in the heats. 

She will run in semifinal two of the 100m dash at approximately 6:23 a.m. ET on Saturday, July 31st. 

As the first Wildcat to run in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she is joined by seven other Wildcats, four of whom will also compete for Team USA. The next of her teammates to compete will be Sydney McLaughlin in the 400m hurdles tonight, starting at 8 p.m. ET. 

Oliver earned her spot in Tokyo through finishing second at U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 100m dash and is currently the eighth-fastest in the world this year in the women’s 100m dash. 

While at UK, Oliver ran the second-fastest 60m dash (7.14) and fourth-fastest 100m dash (11.16) in UK history along with a second place finish in the 60m dash at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships. 

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